1. Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy TENTH EDITION
Gerald Corey
Cengage Learning

2. Family Systems Therapy
Chapter 14
Family Systems Therapy

3. Family Systems Perspective
Individuals are best understood through assessing the interactions within an entire family
A family is an interactional unit and a change in one member effects all members
A systems orientation broadens the traditional emphasis on individual internal dynamics
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4. View of Symptoms
Symptoms are viewed as an expression of a dysfunction within a family
Problematic behaviors:
Serve a purpose for the family
Are unintentionally maintained by family processes
Reflect the family’s inability to operate productively
Are symptomatic patterns handed down across generations
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5. Adlerian Family Therapy
Developed by Alfred Adler, AFT is based on an educational model that emphasizes family atmosphere and family constellation
Therapists are collaborators who seek to join the family
Parent interviews yield hunches about the purposes underlying children’s misbehavior
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6. Multigenerational Family Therapy (slide 1 of 2)
A theoretical and clinical model developed by Murray Bowen that evolved from psychoanalytic principles and practices
The family is viewed as an emotional unit
Unresolved emotional reactivity to one’s family must be addressed if one hopes to achieve a mature personality
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7. Multigenerational Family Therapy (slide 2 of 2)
Differentiation of the self
A psychological separation from others
Triangulation
A third party is recruited to reduce anxiety and stabilize a couples’ relationship
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8. MFT Treatment Goals
To change the individuals within the context of the system
To end generation-to-generation transmission of problems by resolving emotional attachments
To lessen anxiety and relieve symptoms
To increase the individual member’s level of differentiation
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9. Structural Family Therapy
Created by Salvador Minuchin, this approach focuses on family interactions to understand the structure, or organization of the family
Symptoms are a byproduct of structural failings
Structural changes must occur in a family before an individual’s symptoms can be reduced
Techniques are active, directive, and well thought out
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10. Treatment Goals of Structural Family Therapy
Reduce symptoms of dysfunction and bring about structural change by:
Modifying the family’s transactional rules
Developing more appropriate boundaries
Creating an effective hierarchical structure
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11. Strategic Family Therapy
Jay Haley developed this approach, which is often used in combination with Structural Family Therapy
Presenting problems are accepted as “real” and not a symptom of system dysfunction
Therapy is brief, process-focused, and solution-oriented
Change results when the family follows the therapist’s directions and change transactions
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12. Treatment Goals of Strategic Family Therapy
Resolve presenting problems by focusing on behavioral sequences
Get people to behave differently
Shift the family organization so that the presenting problem is no longer functional
Move the family toward the appropriate stage of family development
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13. Recent Innovations in Family Therapy
In recent times, feminism, multiculturalism, and postmodern social constructionism have all entered the family therapy field
These models are more collaborative, treating clients—individuals, couples, or families—as experts in their own lives
These models represent a real paradigm shift in the field of family therapy
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14. A Multilayered Process of Family Therapy
Families are multilayered systems that both affect and are affected by the larger systems in which they are embedded
Both members and the system can be assessed based on power, alignment, organization, structure, development, culture, and gender
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15. Strengths from a Diversity Perspective
Many ethnic and cultural groups place great value on the extended family
Monica McGoldrick has been the most influential leader in the development of gender and cultural perspectives in family practice
The individual culture of the family, the larger cultures to which the family members belong, and host culture that dominates the family’s life are explored
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16. Limitations from a Diversity Perspective
The process of differentiation occurs in most cultures, but it takes on a different shape due to cultural norms
Some practitioners may erroneously assume Western models of family are universal
Some family therapists focus primarily on the nuclear family, which is based on Western notions
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17. Contributions of the Family Systems Approach
In most systemic approaches, neither the individual nor the family is blamed for a particular dysfunction
An individual is not scapegoated as the “bad person” in the family
Identifying and exploring internal, developmental, and purposeful interactional patterns empowers the family
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18. Limitations of the Family Systems Approach
An overemphasis on the system may result in the unique characteristics and needs of individuals being overlooked
Practitioners must not assume that Western models of family are universal and must be culturally competent
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