Bowen
A therapist creates a diagram showing a client’s family relationships and recurring emotional patterns across at least three generations. What tool is the therapist using?
A genogram.
A partner repeatedly asks for reassurance. Their spouse feels overwhelmed and pulls away, leading the first partner to seek reassurance even more intensely. What negative interaction cycle is occurring?
Pursue/withdraw cycle.
According to Satir, what is the most important therapeutic technique?
The therapist’s use of self.
A therapist matches a family’s quiet tone and slower pace during an initial session. Which technique is being used?
Mimesis.
According to Haley, who determines what health looks like within a family system?
Therapist
A client says, “My parents disagree with my decision. I feel upset, but I can consider their concerns without automatically changing my mind.” What Bowenian concept does this illustrate?
Differentiation of self.
A client says, “When my partner asks how I feel, I tell them I’m fine and change the subject. I would rather handle things alone than depend on someone for comfort.” Which attachment style does this pattern MOST closely resemble?
Avoidant attachment.
According to Satir, enhancing a family’s growth potential involves strengthening which TWO areas?
Self-esteem and helpful communication.
A caregiver repeatedly refuses emotional support, telling their child, “Handle it yourself.” What boundary pattern does this suggest?
Rigid boundaries/disengagement.
A therapist asks a daughter, “When your mother becomes worried, what does your father do? How does his response affect your brother?” Identify the technique.
Circular questioning.
Whenever two partners argue, one asks their daughter to take their side. Involving the daughter temporarily reduces tension between the partners. What Bowenian concept does this demonstrate?
Triangulation.
A client says, “I’m just angry.” The therapist responds, “As you picture your partner turning away, what happens in your body? What feeling comes up just before the anger?” Which EFT technique is being used?
Evocative questioning.
When a family conversation becomes emotional, a parent says, “We need to disregard our feelings and focus only on the facts.” Which communication stance is this?
Computer.
During a family session, the therapist temporarily supports a quieter caregiver to increase their influence in parenting decisions. Which Structural Family Therapy technique is being used?
Unbalancing
When parents argue, their child acts out. The parents stop arguing and work together to address the behavior. From a Strategic perspective, what function might the child’s behavior serve?
Redirecting attention from the parents’ conflict and temporarily bringing them together.
A mother constantly worries that her daughter cannot handle challenges. She checks every assignment and steps in before her daughter can solve problems independently. Over time, the daughter becomes increasingly anxious and doubts her own abilities. What Bowenian process is illustrated?
Family projection process.
After helping a partner recognize their fear of rejection, the therapist says, “Turn toward your spouse and tell them, ‘I pull away because I’m scared you’ll reject me if you see how much I need you.’” What technique is being used, and what is its purpose?
Enactment. Allows partners to express vulnerable emotions and unmet attachment needs, creating a more connected interaction.
A teenager places their parents close together, positions their sibling behind one parent, and stands several feet away. The therapist asks everyone how it feels to occupy those positions. Which technique is being used?
Family Sculpting
After caregivers successfully agree on a household rule, the therapist highlights how they listened and worked together. Which intervention is being used?
Shaping Competence
A couple says, “We argue constantly. Our relationship is hopeless.” The therapist responds, “So you argue because you hate each other, and there’s nothing worth saving.” The couple pushes back: “We don’t hate each other; we want this to work!” Which technique is being used, and how does it encourage a different perspective?
Positioning. The therapist exaggerates the couple’s hopeless stance, prompting them to challenge it and recognize their desire for change.
A client says, “My grandmother stopped speaking to family whenever conflict came up. My mother does the same thing. I moved away and rarely contact either of them, but I still make decisions based on whether they would approve.” Identify TWO Bowenian concepts illustrated in this scenario and explain each.
Multigenerational transmission process & Emotional cutoff
Withdrawal during conflict repeats across three generations. The client reduces contact to manage unresolved emotional tension but remains reactive to family approval.
A couple says, “Our problem is that she is too demanding and he doesn’t care.” The therapist helps them recognize that her criticism increases his withdrawal, which increases her fear of disconnection and leads to more criticism. The therapist reframes the problem as the cycle they get caught in rather than either partner being the problem. Which stage of EFT does this illustrate, and why?
Stage One—Assessment and Cycle De-Escalation.
A family has learned to express disagreement respectfully. They now use these skills naturally at home and no longer treat one child as the source of every problem. Which stage of Satir’s change process is this?
New status quo
During a session, a mother repeatedly consults her son about parenting decisions while the father remains outside the conversation. The therapist asks the parents to sit together and discuss the decision directly, while the son sits with his sibling. Which Structural technique is being used, and why?
Boundary making. The therapist helps the parents work together on parenting decisions while allowing the son to remain in his role as a child.
A couple reports that arguments involve threats and physical aggression. One partner says they are afraid of the other. What ordeal, if any, would you assign, and why?
No ordeal requires a safety assessment and intervention rather than assigning an unpleasant task to address the behavior.