Systemic Family Counseling & Therapy

Systemic approaches are a set of theories that conceptualize and individuals symptoms as arising from...

within family and relational dynamics

systemic counselors believe that the symptoms clients present within counseling are related to...

systemic dynamics

The purpose of enactments in systemic counseling is...

to observe and restructure couple and family interactions in your office

Systemic counselors view the presenting problem not as an individual problem but a _____ one

relational
(specifically as an interactional one, even if the counselor is working with an individual)

which of the following statements is TRUE regarding a counselor's assessment of a family's boundaries?
a. Boundaries are far less complex than they appear at first glance
b. rigid boundaries can be accurately assessed without taking cultural and developme

C. counselors must proceed slowly and mindfully to accurately assess where and how boundaries are a problem

when working with more than one person in a room, circular questions are used to help...

confront" clients' problematic patterns

Navid is a 20-year old male of Persian descent. His parents moved to the United States when Navid was 15-years-old. He has recently come to counseling because his parents have insisted that he stop smoking pot or they will not pay for him to finish his la

His substance use serves to keep the family connected and roles stable during their period of acculturation.

Virginia Satir's Human Growth model conceptualizes family interactions in the terms of the communication or survival stances, which a person adopts as a child for the purpose of...

coping with difficult family interactions

What is second-order change?

when a system restructures its homeostasis in response to positive feedback. During this time the rules that govern the system fundamentally shift

What is first-order change?

when a family structre shifts during early stages of counseling, which seem like radical change, but the underlying family rules remain the same.

Negative Feedback

When no new information is presented, we know nothing new "more of the same

Positive Feedback

when new information is presented, something is changing (returning to, or creating new, homeostasis)

Family Systems theory: Family of origin

the mother/father/siblings/extended family

Family Systems theory: family of procreation

spouse/partner/children/stepchildren

Family Systems theory: social communities

church/school/neighborhoods/online communities

Family Systems theory: broader societal groups

LGBTQ communities/ethnic communities/state/nation/team Edward

Non Pathologizing position

not blaming persons within the system or the system itself for the symptoms

Family as a system

family systemic counselors view the family as a "mind" that is not controlled by any single member.

Family life-cycle stages of development

1. Leaving home: single adult
2. Marriage/committed partnership
3. Families with young children
4. Families with adolescent children
5. Launching Children
6. Family in later life

Role of the symptom

systemic counselors view symptoms as playing a role in maintaining relational homeostasis and a sense of normalcy

Four steps for setting systemic goals

step 1: clearly define the problem
step 2: identify prior attempted solutions
step 3: develop a clear description of preferred change
step 4: develop a systemic treatment plan

General goals for family structure

clear boundaries between all subsystems that allow for intimacy and individualization
clear distiction between the marital/couple