FAMILY THERAPY

1
FAMILY THERAPY

• The family as a system
• Dr. Mascari
• Kean University

2
Small group activity

• In your groups, go around answer the
  following
• Who decides on what to have for dinner?
• How is bedtime for children established?
• When do pre-set times end?
• How was the family religion decided?
• What are the guidelines for television viewing?

3
The Jones Family

• Family is comprised meets
• Follow Table 10.3 questions (p. 362)
• Shortly after the initial interview, questions
  that the class would like to ask specific family
  members

4
The family as a system

• Homeostasis - balance/status quo
• Boundaries - internal external, separating from
  other systems
• Permeable - contact with outside world/healthy
• Coalitions Subsystems - form with their own
  rules
• Triangulation - 2 people distressed, third comes
  to aid or stabilize
• Circular causality - one change affects the
  entire family
• Multigenerational transmission - look to
  genograms for answers
• Hypothesis building

5
Major schools of family theory

• Systemic (Bowen, Mc Goldrick, Framo, Pap)
• Triangulation, fusion
• Sturctural (Minuchin)
• Enmeshment, boundaries, subsystems
• Strategic (Haley, Madanes)
• Circular causality, power/control, directives,
  paradox, reframing, miracle question

• Milan team
• Paradox/counter paradox
• Experiential (Whitaker, Satir)
• Congruence, growth experiences, Gestalt
  techniques
• Narrative (White, Epston)
• Defining the story, letters, reflecting team,
  problem meaning

6
Major criticisms

• Ignores the individual by attributing ALL
  problems as systemic
• Western bias
• Success depends on the level of training
  supervision
• Long-term results questionable (relapse)
• Research has been weak