Bowen
A triangle is formed - avoid taking sides. Couples need to be forced to deal with each other. The therapist takes an “I” position. Make non-reactive observations and statements of opinion.
What is the Role of the Therapist?
Behavioral reactions that correct a deviation of the system and return it to the previous state of homeostasis.
What is Negative Feedback
Determines where a problem started; one event causes another event to occur at another time.
Circular Causality
Comes to each session without preconceived notions of what the client needs, constructs questions to induce change, is more of a conversational partner in dialogue.
The Role of the Therapist
Anxiety is lowered within the current family system and between the current family and families-of-origin as a result of understanding multigenerational or current family dynamics.
Bowen
Genograms, Homework, Therapist as coach or teacher, and "I" Position.
What are Interventions?
Change that happens within the family system but has no effect on the system, leaving it unchanged.
First Order Change
Observe the feedback loops that occur within a family system. Challenge the communication that occurs within the system. A person’s observations about the family system are placed outside of the system as he/she determines what is occurring in the system.
What are interventions of Cybernetics?
These are constructed by therapist to help client reflect on the meaning of their perception of the problem and to consider other options.
Reflexive Questions:
Problems are socially constructed through language in a problem-determined system that has developed stories people agree on. Therapeutic questions are constructed to induce change. Change happens when a new meaning for the problem is evolved through therapeutic dialogue in session.
Collaborative Language System
The mechanism by which parental conflicts are projected onto a child or spouse.
What is the Family projection process?
A man experienced the death of his mother when he was a young child, whereas a woman experienced the divorce of her parents when she was an infant. As adults, both of these individuals experienced Major Depression despite having different early experiences. What is this?
What is Equifinality?
Self-correcting mechanisms during which families attempt to adjust to any change from established patterns in order to maintain homeostasis.
What are feedback loops?
This is an agreement made by those around to view the problem in a certain way. Could be client, family, social workers, professionals.
Problem-determined system:
Change occurs as family beliefs are challenged and the family’s basic beliefs are reworked.
Cybernetics
This happens when members are well differentiated, anxiety is low, and partners are in emotional contact with their own families.
Normal Family Development/Optimal family development
Move the system towards an equilibrium. Assist clients in identifying conflicts that are currently affecting them. Assist the family in exploring and recognizing defense mechanisms that help them deal with dysfunctional family behaviors or patterns.
What are treatment goals of GS?
Refers to aspects of a system that are relatively static, however, can be changed.
What is Structures?
Taking a stance of no preconception for session, no hypothesis, diagnosis or directives.
Not Knowing Stance
Change occurs by helping the system view the family as the problem rather than an individual as the problem. The family system becomes the focal point of therapeutic interventions.
General Systems Theory
This is Bowen’s term for flight from an unresolved emotional attachment.
What is Emotional Cutoff?
In an effort to maintain homeostasis, the system participates in new behaviors, which then creates and reinforces negative communication patterns and exacerbate the problem.
Positive Feedback
This refers to a systemic state that is balanced between both open and closedness. Information can enter the system or be screened out when not appropriate or change occurs as needed.
Negative Entropy
The objective is to dissolve problems and the problem-determined system by co-creating new possibilities and perceptions of the old story through dialogue.
Treatment Goals of Collaborative Language System
This is a brief, goal-directed therapy, with the focus of the conversation directed toward developing solutions that the client desires rather than focusing on the problems. Change is believed to be constant, and the therapy focuses on the client’s strengths and resources in order to create a more effective future.
Solution Focused Therapy