Show:
Family Systems
Boundaries
Family Roles
Role Functions
Unhealthy Communication
100

Enmeshment refers to?

What is; Extreme closeness where individual boundaries are lost. Family members are overly involved in each other's emotional lives, making independent thought and action difficult.

100

Impermeable barriers that prevent emotional connection and communication. Family members are isolated from each other is referred to as?

  • What is; Rigid Boundaries: 
100

These behaviors refer to what role?

  • Takes on adult responsibilities early
  • High achiever who makes family look good
  • Often the oldest child or most capable member

What is; The Hero or Responsible One:

100

Role Functions: Name 1 of the 4 

  • What is; 
  • Homeostatic Function: Roles maintain family balance and predictability
  • Communication Function: Roles organize how family members relate to each other
  • Emotional Function: Roles manage and express family emotions
  • Protective Function: Roles protect family secrets and maintain family image
100

Placating/Appeasing name one of the five elements?

What is;

  • Agrees with everyone to avoid conflict
  • Apologizes constantly, even when not at fault
  • Puts others' needs before own
  • Body language: submissive, head down
  • Internal experience: "I'm not important"
200

Disengagement refers to?

What is; Extreme distance where family members are isolated from each other. Little emotional connection or support exists between members.

200

An example of Boundary Violations would be?

       What is; physical violations (inappropriate touch)

  • Emotional violations (parentification, emotional incest)
  • Privacy violations (reading diaries, no respect for personal space)
  • Role violations (children taking care of parents' emotional needs)
200

What role does this person play?

  • Uses humor to deflect tension and conflict
  • Entertains family and lightens mood
  • Often charming and socially skilled
  • Distracts from family pain
  • May develop difficulty with serious emotions or intimacy

What is; The Mascot/Clown

200

Role Rigidity refers to what?

What is;

Rigid Roles are Fixed patterns that don't adapt to changing circumstances or individual growth

200

Blaming/Attacking: Name one of the 5 elements?

What is; Blaming/Attacking:

  • Criticizes and finds fault with others
  • Takes no responsibility for problems
  • Dominates through aggression or intimidation
  • Body language: pointing finger, hands on hips
  • Internal experience: "I'm lonely and unsuccessful"
300

The family system's tendency to maintain stability and resist change

What is; Homeostasis

300

Boundary Violations are?

What is; Inappropriate crossing of emotional, physical, or psychological boundaries.

300

Who am i?

  • Takes care of others' needs and emotions
  • Makes excuses for dysfunctional behavior
  • Maintains family functioning through over responsibility
  • Often develops codependent relationships

What is; The Enabler/Caretaker

300

Role Flexibility refers to what?


What is; Flexible Roles is Adaptable patterns that allow for individual development and changing family needs

300

Name this communication style?

  • Changes subject when tension arises
  • Uses humor or chaos to avoid serious topics
  • Acts hyperactive or scattered
  • Body language: constantly moving, unfocused
  • Internal experience: "I don't belong anywhere"

What is; Irrelevant/Distracting

400

What are Subsystems?

What is; Units within the family system that carry out specific functions:

  • Parental Subsystem: Adults responsible for leadership, decision-making, and childcare
  • Sibling Subsystem: Children learning peer relationships, negotiation, and cooperation
  • Individual Subsystem: Each person's private thoughts, feelings, and personal space
  • Spousal Subsystem: Adult partners' intimate relationship separate from parenting
400

Parentification refers to what in a family system?


What is; When children are given inappropriate responsibility for meeting parents' emotional or practical needs, forcing them to act older than their developmental stage

 

400

The role of this person is called?

  • Acts out family stress and dysfunction
  • Gets blamed for family problems
  • Often displays behavioral or academic problems

What is; The Scapegoat/Problem Child


400

When generational boundaries are crossed and children take on parent-like responsibilities while parents act childlike. This is called?

What is;

Role Reversal

400

These communication rules are called?

  • "Don't talk about problems"
  • "Don't express negative emotions"
  • "Don't question authority"
  • "Keep family secrets"
  • "Peace at any price"

What is; Dysfunctional Communication Rules

500

Family Constellation refers to?

What is; The structure of the family including birth order, gender, age gaps, and family composition.

500

Diffuse Boundaries: Give an example

What is; Weak or missing barriers that lead to emotional fusion and loss of individual identity.

500
  • Who is this person?
  • Withdraws from family conflict
  • Stays out of the way, causes no trouble
  • Often quiet, compliant, and invisible
  • Provides relief from family chaos
  • May develop depression, anxiety, or difficulty forming relationships

What is; The Lost Child/Adjuster

500

Name this family member? The family member (often a child) who displays symptoms and is seen as "the problem," when actually they're expressing the family system's dysfunction.

What is;

Identified Patient

500

Contradictory messages that create impossible situations are called?

What is; Double-Bind Communications