Family theories
Provide practitioners with a systematic way of conceptualizing problems within a family. Aim to ameliorate the functioning of entire family units, rather than the one "symptomatic" individual within the family.
Psychodynamic model
Based on the key concepts of Freud's psychoanalytic theory and explores the role of anxiety, defense mechanisms, and unconscious conflicts and desires in the functioning of individuals and families. Developed by Nathan Ackerman.
General systems theory
Provides a basic framework for understanding the interactions and issues that occur within family systems. It is more helpful to examine family relationships and transactions between members than to scrutinize the personalities or actions of any one famil
Circular causality
Each family member's behavior is influenced by other family members.
Rules
Establish a template of expected family behavior and provide members with predictability and a foundation for interacting with each other.
Homeostasis
Tendency for families to sustain their normal functioning and patterns of interaction unless someone or something intervenes.
Boundaries
Help to separate the family system from outsiders and define roles and responsibilities within a family unit.
Subsystems
Distinct and somewhat independent parts of a larger system (e.g., spousal, parental, and sibling).
Open family systems
Flexible boundaries, open to change, have ongoing interaction and involvement with their communities.
Closed family systems
Rigid boundaries, averse to change, cordon themselves off from the outside world.
Murray Bowen
Developed family systems therapy.
Family systems therapy
Proposes that healthy peoples' thoughts are differentiated from their feelings. Healthy individuals have also resolved their family of origin issues and do not experience undue anxiety when relationships with others become stressed.
Family of origin
The family in which a person grows up.
Differentiation of self
Refers to people's ability to separate themselves from their family of origin without cutting themselves off from their families.
Fused
Enmeshment with family members or situations.
Triangle
When two members who are experiencing an uncomfortable amount of stress in their relationship draw in a third member to help release emotional tension. A member with low differentiation will likely be pulled in.
Nuclear family emotional system
Formed based on parental subsystem's degree of differentiation. An undifferentiated person is more likely to marry another undifferentiated person. If the levels are not adjusted, maladaptive patterns are likely to continue in the family.
Family projection process
When undifferentiated parents project their tension and anxiety onto their most susceptible or sensitive child. This causes the child to become the focus of the problems instead of the parents' relationship.
Multigenerational transmission
If undifferentiated parents have undifferentiated children, the process continues when those children have their own families.
Emotional cutoff
Children who are highly fused might try to emotionally remove themselves from their family of origin to improve or maintain their well-being. They might stop talking to them, move away, or only interact on a surface level. The fusion will still manifest i
Sibling position
Marriages work out best when spousal roles match the partners' _________ ____________ from their families of origin because they would be comfortable filling those roles.
Societal regression
When a society that is experiencing too much stress regresses its level of differentiation.
Genograms
Visual representations of approximately three generations of a family. Include information such as members' names, ages, marriage dates, divorce dates, dates of deaths, important events, and symbols to describe relationship patterns, fusion, and emotional
Back home visits
Recommended for clients who have unresolved issues with their family of origin. Ultimate goal of these visits is to increase the client's differentiation.
Detriangulation
Learning how to avoid becoming involved in triangles and how to avoid triangulating others.
Experiential family counseling
Less concerned with techniques and more concerned with establishing a genuine relationship with clients and helping them bring their problems into the here and now.
Symbolic experiential
Helps families strike a balance between interdependence and togetherness and learn how to interact with each other in a meaningful and natural way, while moving away from the tendency to behave in the same monotonous pattern that led to the dysfunction. D
Carl Whitaker
Developed symbolic-experiential family therapy.
Virginia Satir
Created human validation process model.
Human validation process model
Views symptoms as ways to preserve the family's homeostasis and as obstructions to growth. These blockages must be unclogged to allow development to occur. Creates a welcoming environment in which families will feel comfortable exploring their issues and
Placaters
Agree with and try to please everyone; they also mollify people, are unsure of themselves, and often lack self-confidence.
Blamers
Critical of other people, charge others with wrongdoing, and fail to take any responsibility for their actions.
Intellectualizers
Approach situations in a detached manner, rationalizing everything and never allowing their emotions to be shown.
Distracters
Want to avoid dealing with situations, so they distract others by introducing unrelated, irrelevant topics.
Congruent communicator
Sends clear messages and verbal comments matching his behavior and internal thoughts and feelings.
Family sculpting
Used to help the counselor and the family more fully understand one family member's impression of family relationships. The counselor asks a family member to physically arrange the entire family in the room.
Strategic family therapy
Emphasizes altering behavior rather than helping clients gain insight and personal awareness. Directive, tries to change families quickly, short-term therapy.
Milton Erickson
Developed the main tenets of strategic family therapy.
Jay Haley
Helped found the Bateson Group, the Mental Research Institute, and the Family Research Institute.
MRI Interactional Family Therapy
A strategic family therapy approach developed by Jay Haley. Encourages the exploration of family interactional patterns to understand and effectively resolve family issues.
Quid pro quo
Propensity of individuals to treat others like they are treated. Often unspoken of in families.
Redundancy principle
Family members tend to interact with each other in the same way, and it is unusual for those patterns of behavior to change or expand.
Punctuation
The conviction by individuals that their verbal communication, especially during a conflict, occurs in reaction to someone else. Strategic family therapists would disagree with this assumption.
Symmetrical relationships
Family relationships between equals. Might be competitive because there is not a dominant member.
Complementary relationships
Family relationships between unequals, where one member is "one down" and the other is "one up." Not necessarily objectionable.
Relabeling
Involves interpreting a family's situation in a new way to encourage family members to view their problem in a more favorable light.
Prescribing the symptom
The counselor tells the clients to keep engaging in their troublesome behavior.This lessens resistance and gives the clients control of their behavior.
Directives
Encourage clients, either directly or subtly, to participate in new behaviors (e.g., homework assignments).
Ordeal
A paradoxical technique that asks clients to complete an undesirable but health-promoting task before participating in their worrisome behavior.
Pretend technique
Clients are encouraged to simulate their symptoms.
Milan systemic
Focuses on exploring family members' perceptions of each other and their interactional patterns, as well as asking questions to increase their awareness of unhealthy family behaviors. Non-directive.
Long brief therapy
Counselors in Milan systemic family therapy only meet with families once per month for up to twelve months.
Positive connotations
Counselors attach positive motives to a family member's problematic behavior.
Paradox
Used in Milan systemic family therapy to interfere with games that family members play to exert control over one another. Also used to address the family coming to therapy then not wanting to make any changes.
Counterparadox
Asks family members not to change too quickly and helps the family avoid resistance.
Circular questioning
A Milan family therapy technique that uses questions to highlight family connections and differences among family member.
Hypothesizing
Fundamental to the Milan model. Formed by counselors from the first contact with the family. Helps family members change and gain more insight into their behavior. They are not supposed to be accepted as absolute truths.
Neutrality
The objective position that counselors adhere to when working with families.
Ritual prescriptions
Usually paradoxical assignments that indicate certain actions to be taken on specific days and times by particular family members. Helps families try new ways of behaving and interacting.
Salvador Minuchin
Developed structural family counseling.
Structural family counseling
Incorporates many of the general systems theory concepts. Concerned with examining and changing the structure and organization of families.
Structure
How a family reorganizes itself. Ideally, it should have internal hierarchy where the parents serve as the main sources of authority.
Alignments
Alliances between family members.
Power
Who exerts authority in a family in different situations.
Coalitions
Occur when some family members form an alignment against another family member.
Joining
Imitating the manner, style, affective range, or content of a family's communications in order to solidify the therapeutic alliance with them.
Structural maps
Visual representations of a family's coalitions, alignments, boundaries, and conflicts.
Enactment
Deliberate process by which the counselor encourages the family to play out its problem in the session.
Restructuring
Involves actively working to change the structure of the family system.
Unbalancing
Used to better establish a proper family hierarchy.