Family Therapy — Transcript

The family systems perspective holds that individuals are best understood within the context of relationships and through assessing the interactions within an entire family. Symptoms are often viewed as an expression of a dysfunction within a family. These dysfunctional patterns are often thought to be passed across several generations. This perspective is grounded on the assumptions that a client's problematic behavior may, one, serve a function or purpose for the family; two, be a function of the family's inability to operate productively, especially during developmental transitions; or three, be a symptom of dysfunctional patterns handed down across generations. The family therapy perspective calls for a conceptual shift: actions by any individual family member will influence all the others in the family, and their reactions will have a reciprocal effect on the individual.

to be passed across several Generations this perspective is grounded on the assumptions that a client's problematic Behavior May one serve a function or purpose for the family two be a function of the family's inability to operate productively especially during

The origins of structural family therapy can be traced to the early 1960s when Salvador Minuchin was conducting therapy, training, and research with delinquent boys from poor families at the Willick School in New York. According to Minuchin, a family structure is an invisible set of functional demands or rules that organize the way family members relate to one another. The family is considered a basic human system. The term subsystems encompasses various categories, for instance, spousal, parental, sibling, and extended. Determining that the parent subsystem is appropriately separate from the child subsystem is central to structural therapy. The emotional barriers that protect and enhance the integrity of individual subsystems and families are referred to as boundaries. These interpersonal boundaries can best be conceptualized on a continuum ranging from rigid to diffuse. In the middle of the continuum between rigid and diffuse boundaries are clear or healthy boundaries, which consist of an appropriate blending of rigid and diffuse characteristics. Minuchin employs a method for mapping the structure of the family. In drawing a family map, transactional styles are identified as enmeshed or disengaged. In enactments, the therapist asks family members to engage in some conflict situation that would happen at home. This allows the therapist to observe how family members interact and to draw conclusions about the structure of the family. The therapist also blocks existing patterns, determines the family's ability to accommodate different rules, and encourages members to experiment with more functional rules. Sometimes therapists cast a new light and provide a different interpretation to a problem situation within a family. The presenting problem can then be explored in different ways that allow the family to understand an original complaint from many angles.

a reciprocal effect on the [Music] individual the origins of structural family therapy can be traced to the early 1960s when Salvador minutian was conducting therapy training and research with delinquent boys from poor families at the willick school in New York

My name is Don, and the reason that we're in therapy is I really love my kids, but I can't take it anymore. The fighting has just gotten insane, and, you know, my son Ben, I almost hit him last week, and that scares me. So I knew we needed some help.

parental sibling and extended determining that the parent subsystem is appropriately separate from the child subsystem is Central to structural therapy the emotional barriers that protect and enhance the Integrity of individuals subsystems and families are referred to as boundaries these

Hi, my name is Angela. I am the mother of Ben and Heather, and since Don and I got divorced last year, apparently Ben has had some issues. From what I've heard, the family life just is kind of fallen apart, and I don't know what's going on. I don't know why my ex-husband is having so many issues with the kids. Everything was fine before the divorce, but I'm concerned. It seems like there are some issues that need to be resolved, and I'm glad that they're all going to get help.

a method for mapping the structure of the family in drawing a family map transactional styes are identified as in mesed or disengaged in enactments the therapist asks family members to engage in some conflict situation that would happen at home this allows the therapist

Hi, my name is Heather, and I'm the youngest child in our family. We're here in therapy. Things have been a little bit stressful lately. I feel like my relationship with my dad has been really good. It's always been good, but my relationship with my brother Ben has just been really crazy lately, and it's just put a lot on our family.

sometimes therapists cast a new light and provide a different interpretation to a problem situation within a family the presenting problem can then be explored in different ways that allow the family to understand an original complaint from many angles my name is Don and the reason

My name is Ben. I'm here at therapy because Don, my dad, just said to go. I guess it's just another punishment. I don't know. It seems like everything I do is wrong, and my sister and I can do the same thing, and I'm the one who gets in trouble for it. So I don't know. That's why I'm here.

needed some [Music] help hi my name is Angela I am the mother of Ben and Heather and since Dawn and I got divorced last year um apparently Ben has had some issues and um from what I've heard uh the family life just is kind of

Well, it's one thing to talk about the relationships in your family, but I think what might make this a little bit more clear is to have you guys reenact a scenario that typically has happened in your family, an argument that's happened, per se. This will kind of help me see the family dynamics at work. So Ben, what's something that's happened lately or an argument, perhaps, that you've had with a family member?

resolved and I'm I'm glad that they're all going to get help [Music] hi my name is Heather and um I'm the youngest child in our family um we're here in therapy um things have been a little bit stressful lately um I feel like my

The other night, I got home from my buddy Paul's place. It wasn't late; it was like 2:30, 3:00 in the morning. I parked in the driveway, left a little room so someone in the garage can get out if they can't. I always leave my keys right by the front door, come in, go to bed. I wake up the next morning, like 6:30. Heather's there pounding on my door, yelling at me to move my car. I say, "Move it yourself. Keys are right there by the door." No, no, she makes me get up.

because Donald uh my dad just said to go I guess it's just another punishment uh I don't know it seems like everything I do is wrong and my sister and I can do the same thing and I'm the one who gets

Okay, so why don't I stop this right here, and I actually want you, Heather and Ben, to reenact that fight for me. Okay? Why don't I have you guys start from the point where you were pounding on his door, he woke up, and that's where the conversation started. Okay?

scenario that typically has happened in your family an argument that's happened per se um and this will kind of help me see the family Dynamics at work so Ben what's something that's happened lately or an argument perhaps that

What? You said, "Move it yourself."

in the garage can get out if they can't I always leave my keys right by the front door come in go to bed uh wake up the next morning like 6:30 Heather's there pounding on my door yelling at me

Okay, "Move it yourself." Go.

fight for me okay why don't I have you guys start from the point where you were pounding on his door he woke up and that's that's where the conversation started okay what you you said move it yourself okay move it yourself go I said

I said, "No, I have to be at school. It's not my responsibility to move your piece of car. I just got in bed."

freaking late at night your sister has to get up to go to class in the morning ler I sleep later I work later I stay out lateer I still have a job all hours of night all over town we don't know

I mean, I just yell, "Move it yourself." You decide to go to bed. I'm tired of you coming home so freaking late at night. Your sister has to get up to go to class in the morning.

parents at one level of the hierarchy and we had the kids at the other at the lower level of the hierarchy so what I'm going to do is I'm going to take you out of the role of having to get in the

I sleep later, I work later, I stay out later. I still have a job all hours of the night all over town. We don't know where you are.

at first so are you willing to try it I'll try okay so what we're going to do this time is we're going to reenact the same scenario but in a different way so first Don I'd like you to trade place is

So Don, what if I were to tell you that I'm going to give you permission to not get involved in these arguments? I'm going to give you permission to be a parent. Remember, we did our genogram, right? We had the parents at one level of the hierarchy, and we had the kids at the other, at the lower level of the hierarchy. So what I'm going to do is I'm going to take you out of the role of having to get in the middle of their argument, and I'm going to have you stand back and be a parent. I'm going to give you permission. I'm going to give you freedom not to have to participate in this, and we'll see how that feels. It might feel a little weird at first. So are you willing to try it?

and watch this okay okay all right so ready action I just I feel like you know I'm just worried about you and I just you know we just we miss you me and Dad were always hold on hold on I'm talking talk from

I'll try.

bigger picture of you not being available and not really respecting me you know I guess I don't like getting woken up when I just fell asleep but that's a small part of it too I guess yeah more importantly I could uh I could

Okay, so what we're going to do this time is we're going to reenact the same scenario but in a different way. So first, Don, I'd like you to trade places with your son.

could I could use that okay well done all right I ask you guys how did that feel and how is that different from the first situation Ben let's check in with with you it was weird just getting to

Okay.

like a real conversation okay now Don appreciate your patience and watching this was was that difficult for you to watch without trying to yeah I definitely felt like Heather wasn't getting a chance to say all the things that she needed to okay why don't I have

Okay, we're going to have you guys have a dialogue here back and forth, kind of like we just did, and you identify something that you need from the other person. Okay? And Dad, we get to sit back and watch this.