CHAPTER 2: The Theoretical Context of Family Therapy Family Therapy: History, Theory, and Practice 6th Edition Samuel T. Gladding Developed by Nathaniel N. Ivers, Wake Forest University © (2015, 2011, 2007) by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Overview Factors associated with defining a family Significance of cybernetics, feedback loops, and causality Individual development and family development Six-stage cycle of most middle-class families Prevalent factors leading families to seek counseling Fit of therapist with family

What Is a Family? The definition is not monolithic and varies according to cultural group U.S. Census Bureau definition Based on one’s family of origin Excludes some elements, such as close friends and ancestors Textbook definition Biological and psychological connection Historical, emotional, or economic bonds Perception of a household

System Interacting set of units, parts, or persons that make up a whole arrangement or organization. Each element affects all other elements of the system Principles of a system (Bertalanffy, 1969) Whole greater than the sum of its parts Compilation of subsystems arranged in a hierarchical structure Self regulates to maintain homeostasis Capacity to adapt and change in response to environmental conditions

Systems Theory Focused on interconnectedness of elements within a system When change occurs in any one member of a family system, all aspects of the family are affected, for better or worse Lens through which the majority of family therapists have traditionally viewed families

Cybernetics Term that describes systems that regulate themselves through feedback loops The way families stabilize or change in an effort to maintain homeostasis Basic elements: receptor, center and effector, and a feedback system Introduces the idea of circular causality

Circular Causality Human behavior is complex and always occurs within a system of relationships Describes how complex actions are a part of a causal change, in which each influences the other

Feedback and Feedback Loops Feedback – communication process within a system Negative feedback loops – also called attenuating feedback loops, promote return to equilibrium Positive feedback loops – also called amplifying feedback loops, lead to change in the system Major family task: To maintain a balance between steadiness and change.

Individual and Family Development Individual time – between birth and death Social time – landmark social events (e.g., marriage, parenthood, retirement) Historical time – culture Life Cycle Active way to conceptualize time in human development Denotes continuous development of people over time in multiple contexts of their lives.

Individual Life Cycle Development Erickson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development: Trust vs. mistrust Autonomy vs. shame and doubt Initiative vs. guilt Industry vs. inferiority Identity vs. role confusion Intimacy vs. isolation Generativity vs. stagnation Integrity vs. despair

Family Life Development Family life cycle Initial version proposed by Evelyn Duvall (1977) Describes developmental trends within the family over time Includes all dimensions of individual life course Also emphasizes the family as a whole Describes tension between person as an individual and the family as a system

Family Life Cycle Six-stage life cycle of intact middle-class, nuclear family developed by McGoldrick et al. (2011) Single young adults leaving home The new couple Families with young children Families with adolescents Families launching children and moving on Families in later life

Single Young Adults: Leaving Home Major tasks of this period: Disconnecting and reconnecting with family Establishing identity Striking a balance between career and/or marriage ambitions and a desire for personal autonomy Dealing with tension to marry Cohabitation Cohabitation Effect

The New Couple Characterized by adjustment and adaptation Learning how to share space and meals, work, leisure and sleep activities Adapting to each other’s wishes, requests, and fantasies One of the most likely times for couples to divorce due to inability to resolve differences Limitations Finances Time

The New Couple: Why They Seek Therapy Adjustment from singlehood to living as a couple Difficulty with relatives Inability to work through interpersonal issues, such as difficulties with communication Decisions about whether or when to have children

Families with Young Children Becoming a parent Can be a joyful as well as a tough experience Affects the couple’s lifestyle and relationship Leads to restructuring of roles and responsibilities, as it creates stress an disequilibrium.

Why they seek family therapy? Changes in roles and responsibilities Parenting

Families with Adolescents Tension may occur as the result of the following Taking care of adolescent children and aging parents (sandwich generation) Process of adolescence

Why they seek family therapy? Conflict between parent and adolescent Friction in couple relationship related to unrealized dreams and opportunities Stress associated with balancing the care of aging parents, work, and family life

Launching Children and Moving On Empty nest – life without child-rearing responsibilities For women: May be a time of energetic interest in focusing on one’s own interests It also may be a time of sadness, depression, and despondency For men: May focus more on marriage, their physical self, and their careers, as well as their wife’s changing behavior

Why they might seek family therapy Feeling a sense of loss regarding self, marriage, or the moving out of child Conflict with child over not becoming sufficiently independent Frustration and anger regarding marriage or career ambitions

Families in Later Life Usually composed of a couple in final years of employment or early retirement Potential challenges: Physical decline of individuals related to age, known as senescence Loss, such as loss of driver’s license, hearing, or even a spouse Potential advantages: Being a grandparent Doing what one wants and one’s own pace Joy of having experienced many life cycle events

Why they might seek family therapy? Feeling a lack of meaning or enjoyment as a result of loss Concern about adjustments to aging Difficulty in relationships with children, in-laws, or grandchildren

Unifying Individual and Family Life Cycles Focus on growth and development Viewed as a system and from the perspective of systems Complementary and competitive

Implications of Life Cycles for Family Therapy Match of life cycles between family and therapist Ethnicity and life cycles Acute and chronic illnesses and life cycles Special-needs children and life cycles Poverty, professionalism, and life cycles