1. Family Systems Theory
There are several categories of theories that exist under the umbrella of “Family Systems Theory”

2. Major Players in the development of Family Systems Theory
Gregory Bateson: the “pioneer” of applying systems thinking to human interaction.
Palo Alto Group: In 1952, this research team defined the family as a homeostatic systems whose “parts” co-vary with each other to maintain equilibrium
Virginia Satir: defined the functional family as an open system where there is an open exchange of communication; dysfunctional families (closed systems) are more rigid and maladaptive.

3. Satir’s Conjoint Family Therapy Treatment Goals
Establish trust
Develop awareness through experience
Create a new understanding of and among members
Have family express and apply new understanding
Have the family use their new behaviors outside therapy

4. Key event:
The opening of the Washington Institute of Family therapy in 1974
Key players: Salvador Minuchin
The family therapy model developed there has three roots:
1. Strategic therapy
2. Theories of the Palo Alto group
3. Structural theory of Minuchin

5. Strategic Family Theory
Asserts that family problems exist in order to protect the family from disintegration
Problematic relationships are at some point useful
Counseling should intervene in order to “interrupt” the protective yet problematic patterns5

6. Role of therapist in Strategic Theory
Directives serve 3 purposes:
1. To facilitate change
2. To keep the therapist’s influence “alive” during the week
3. To stimulate family reaction
Therapist’s role:
1. Attend to what is the “nature of the problem (as defined by family members)
2. Focus on how the family is attempting to resolve the problem & evaluate

7. Structural Family Theory
Counselor becomes involved with family members, pushing and being pushed
Emphasis is on “action” during therapy
Minuchin believed the therapist should be “unique themselves”
Requires that family members are willing to take risks

8. Characteristics observed in structural family therapy
Bringing the family transactions into counseling space
Counselor alternating between participating and observing as a way of “unbalancing” the system by supporting one member against the other
Different types of responses to family members’ intrusion into each other’s psychological “space”
Minuchin:
“In families that are too close, I artificially create boundaries between members by gestures, body postures, movement of chairs, or seating changes. My challenging maneuvers frequently include a supportive statement: a kick and a stroke are delivered simultaneously…….I rarely remain in my chair for a whole session. I move closer when I want intimacy, kneel to reduce my size with children, or spring to my feet when I want to challenge or show indignation. These operations occur spontaneously; they represent my psychological fingerprint.

9. Transgenerational Theory
Key Player: Murray Bowen
Core concept = differentiation of self
“How people differ from one another in terms of their sensitivity to one another and their varying abilities to preserve a degree of autonomy in the face of pressures of togetherness”

10. Bowen: Two different systems of human functioning
(1) Emotional & Reactive System
(2) Intellectual and Rational system
The degree to which these two systems are fused or undifferentiated is the degree to which the individual is vulnerable to the impulses of his or her emotional system and less attentive to his or her intellectual and rational system.

11. Concepts: Family Projection Process (FPP)
Suggests that the ego differentiation achieved by children will generally approximate that of their parents.
High level differentiation = well-defined sense of self and low emotional reactivity
Low level differentiation = poor sense of self and high emotional reactivity

12. Concept: Triangulation
When two poorly differentiated parents who are overwhelmed with anxiety seek relief by involving a third party (the child)
This is how low level differentiation is passed on.
Bowen’s ideas and concepts are extended in McGoldrick’s work with genograms.

13. The Process of Change First order change
Occurs when a family modifies problem behaviors yet maintains its present structure; focus is on changing family behaviors not the family structure.
Second-order change
Refers to transformations in either the structure of internal order of the family; focus is on altering the basic structure of a family system.

14. Interventions (General)
Specific factors: counseling activities that are specific to a particular counseling approach
Nonspecific factors: change-producing elements present in regardless of theoretical orientation
Best known and empirically researched is working alliance.

15. Working Alliance (Bordin, 1994)
Three components:
1. Task: in-therapy activities for participants
2. Goal: the outcomes that are the target of intervention
3. Bond: the positive, personal attachments between client(s) and counselor

16. Common Element: The Family Interview (5 Stages)
1. Social - greeting the family and helping them feel comfortable
2. Problem - each person is invited to define the problem
3. Interaction - all members talk together about the problem while the counselor watches and listens
4. Goal-setting - family members are invited to speak about changes everyone wants from therapy.
5. Ending - directives are given and next appointment is scheduled.

17. Research & Family Systems Therapy
Support for family therapy as an intervention with:
substance abuse
depression
parenting
delinquency
some DSM IV conditions such as schizophrenia, agoraphobia, etc.

18. Research by Hampson & Beavors (1996):
434 families treated in a family therapy clinic in Dallas
Found the following predictors of successful treatment:
-# of family therapy sessions attended
-Third-party ratings of family competence
-Self-ratings of family competence
-Therapists’ ratings of working alliance

19. Limitations of Family Therapy
Often seen as too directive
“Family” is a culturally determined phenomenon; beware biases!
Ignores the different socialization processes operating for men and women