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Structural family therapy research paper
Structural family therapy research paper
Structural family therapy research paper
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Case Formulation Structural Family therapy Structural family therapy (SFT) emphasizes the idea that a system is only as good as its hierarchies, rules and boundaries. Under SFT, a family system functions by having boundaries, between and within each subsystem that offer clear identification with the hierarchy. Hierarchies determine the rules that govern each subsystem explicitly; therefore, SFT argues that hierarchies are necessary to ensure that the system continues to grow and adapt as well as provide structure for the family. SFT maintains that there are three primary subsystems in a family, parental, spousal and sibling. According to SFT, the rules and subsystem also determine the appropriate boundary that is needed when interacting with …show more content…
the specific subsystem. SFT describes three types of boundaries, diffuse, meaning to close, rigid, meaning to distant and clear, combining separateness and togetherness in an equal manner. SFT believes that a families’ dysfunction is rooted in the boundaries being diffuse or rigid. By identifying what type of boundaries are put in place, implicit rules are formed, that govern the interactions and communication between and within the subsystems. Coalitions are another key element of SFT that impacts hierarchies and boundaries. Coalitions are understood as covert alliances between two members of the system where the objective is to go against a third member or gain power within the system (Tobin, 2016). Coalitions become threatening to the system by offsetting the balance of power between the subsystems and going around explicit and implicit rules that are established. SFT cites that coalitions are most harmful when they are created among members of different subsystems. This is threatening because ones affiliated with a coalition may have more power over others that are not. SFT conceptualized through Elements of the film. This film depicts an enmeshed family structure with hierarchy and rule disputes, boundary violations and coalitions. Therefore, this section will conceptualize the elements of SFT through the use of the Portokalos family. This will provide a clear understanding of SFT and how the hierarchies and rules, boundaries and coalitions impact the family dynamic. This section will also address a key element of SFT that is not present, the parentified child. Hierarchies and rules.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding depicts a patriarchal hierarchy in which, Gus, is the head of the household. This is exemplified when Gus continually makes the decisions about the families wellbeing in the film. Although this becomes complicated as the film depicts Maria as a covert hierarchy, which places her as the head of the family. This is seen when she reports that she is the neck that manipulates the head (Hanks et al., 2002) and when Maria insists that Gus believes women are inferior, which causes Gus to allow Toula to go to college. Therefore, the system lacks a clear establishment of power or authority within the parental subsystem. The lack of clear authority impacts the establishment of rules, which causes confusion among the subordinate subsystems. For example, Toula describes that until she is married she is expected to work at the family restaurant, this is a rule established by Gus; however, Maria convinces Gus to allow Toula to go to college. This implies who sets of rules from both parental figures. So without a cohesive parental subsystem, the child subsystem is unaware of what is truly expected of …show more content…
them. Despite the conflicting authority figures, the sibling subsystem has established their own set of implicit rules that govern their interactions with one another. In this film two subsets are depicted, Toula and Nick and Toula and Athena. Nick and Toula’s subset appears to be governed by supportive and nurturing interactions. For example, Nick sharing his interest in art with Toula and addresses Toula’s insecurities about Ian getting baptized. Toula and Athena’s relationship appears to be governed by competitiveness. Though seldom depicted, most interactions between Toula and Athena are focused on disagreement, frustration and anger. For example, Athena gets upset because Toula is not listening to her father’s advice to invite estranged family members to the wedding. This depicts a sense of competitiveness and lack of closeness. Boundaries. Based on the conceptual understanding of hierarchies and rule establishment it appears that these subsystems have not matured and developed. Therefore, it is that their hierarchies lack structure, and rules have become flexible. Understandably, with lax hierarchies and rules it stands within reason that boundaries are fluid as well. This film does a great job depicting dysfunction between within the subsystem. Between the subsystems it appears that these boundaries are diffuse, as evidenced by their lack of separateness. However, within subsystems some of the boundaries are clear or rigid depending on the subset. Athena and Toula depict rigid boundaries because Toula continually is treated as inferior and naive. As discussed previously, their subset is rarely depicted, which emphasizes Athena’s detachment from the family. Another example, of rigid boundaries is the relationship between Nick and Gus. Nick and Gus appear to have rigid boundaries because when Nick bids for attention from Gus, he is ignored. This can be seen in Gus and Nick’s interactions regarding the menu design. However, Nick and Toula’s relationship appears to have clear boundaries. Toula and Nick have an equal amount of integration and separation from one another, thus their relationship is less dependent on one another for validation. Despite this one healthy boundary, most the film depicts an enmeshed family system.
The most obvious example of their closeness, is when Gus responds by implying that Toula wants to leave him because she wants to attend college courses. Though there are cultural components that play into this family dynamic, the overarch response is that this system does not allow for separation. Throughout this movie, the theme of Toula striving for individuation is seen through her wish to go to college, work at the travel agency and marry Ian, but it is continually disregarded by her family. This rule of sameness trumps Toula’s hope for individuation. Another less obvious example of diffuse boundaries is when Ian’s family, the Milers, meet Toula’s family for the first time. During this event, Voula engages the Millers in conversation, expressing that since they are family now they should know that she had a lump on her neck that ended up being her twin. The diffuse boundary in the Portokalos family implies that there is an openness about personal matters; thus, Voula was obligated to disclose personal information to bring the Miller’s closer. However, the gesture appeared more as an outlandish overshare than a welcoming gesture of
comradery. Coalitions. There are several coalitions that are depicted within this family. The most prominent coalition is between Maria, Voula and Toula. This alliance works to manipulate Gus to allow Toula to work at the travel agency. This coalition also impedes on Gus’s rules of unmarried siblings working at the family business. By doing this, the coalition takes authority away from Gus and also creates a new set of rules, in which Maria, takes charge of the system. A similar coalition between Maria and Toula is created when they go against Gus after Toula’s relationship with Ian is exposed. Parentified Child. Although this film depicts many of the key tenants of SFT, the idea of the parentified child is not depicted. This concept represents an alteration to the system in which a member of the child subsystem moves into the parental subsystem and takes on those responsibilities (Tobin, 2016). The change in subsystems often occurs after a death or divorce, but may also occur if one parent is unable to or does not fulfill their parental role. This not seen in the film because a majority of the movie focuses on keeping the members of the child subsystem in their subsystem; therefore, moving someone from this subsystem into the parental subsystem, would alter the entire plot of the movie.
Family systems have been studied since psychologists began studying people and their behaviors. The family is a dynamic system—a self-organizing system that adapts itself to changes in its members and to changes in its environment (as cited in Sigelman & Rider, 2009). Allowing the focus of a family system to grow beyond the mother and child relationship did not happen overnight. For many years, there was no connection made between other members of the family and the developmental issues of the children involved.
Structured Family Therapy (SFT) refers the mere undesignated rules that structure how a family interacts with one another (Walsh, 2010). The family unit is composed of systems or parts, and the parts must be unified to compile a whole unit to create homeostasis (Broderick, 1993). SFT therapy is warranted when dysfunction enters the family unit, and creates a deficiency of adaption by the individual which disrupts the family structure (Boyle, 2000). The family structure is composed of major components such as: subsystems, executive authority, boundaries, rules, roles, alliances, triangles, flexibility, and communication (Walsh,
The objective of structural family therapy for this family would be to improve the functionality of the family system and restore the structured family system with development (Collins, Jordan, & Coleman, 2010). Additionally, since the family dynamics are somewhat different since the father is away often and the girls were younger when the family dysfunction initiated, it may be appropriate to work on boundaries in therapy. McAdams, et al.(2016) found that “foundational structural principles of family hierarchy, system and subsystem boundaries, and member alliances all continue to play a central role in current applications of the structural model, and the assessment criteria applied most recently to structural family therapy process and outcome research are likewise grounded in those structural principles” (McAdams, et al.,
Within a family system, individuals were seen as a product of the family unit, rather than exclusions of the unit; this eliminated compulsions and obsessions in a family unit (Taylor, Asmundson, & Jang, 2011). Within family system therapy, the goal is to be capable of eliminating abnormalities in functions that affect all individuals and to treat or respond to the entire family; the goal is to also focus on the identified family member, reducing their extreme stress (Carr, 2000). The family system therapy searches for the balance between the independent individual performance and the function of the group (Taylor, Asmundson, & Jang,
Children and youth who are at-risk for behavioral problems can have a negative impact on how well the family functions. African American youth who live in poverty are thought to be at-risk for several behavioral problems such as dropping out of school, conduct problems, fighting, criminal involvement, and substance abuse (Nebbitt et al, 2014, Wilson, Foster, Anderson, & Mance, 2009). They are often exposed to violence in their neighborhoods and families, and many of the schools that they attend have fewer resources, all of which help to increase the likelihood of acting out or behavior problems. Parents and families who live in poverty often do not have the education, knowledge or access to intervention or treatment that
The concept of Structural family therapy is how the therapist “view the family as a system structured according to set patterns and rules that govern family interactions” (2003, Gehart & Tuttle, p. 23). The therapist goal is to interact with the clients during the therapy session to obtain an understanding of the reported problem. This process will allow the therapist to assist the clients with changing their structure. Strategic family therapy concept is to attempt to address a specific problem of the family in a shorter timeframe than other therapeutic services. Both approaches strive to assist the clients with overcoming their family issues, however views the structure of the family differently. For example, structural approach works with the family by identifying the problems and improving the behavior with and strategic therapy works with changing the client behavior to improve the problem.
Furthermore, the structural family therapy are theories and techniques method for individuals to help them in their social and relational relationships (Vetere, 2001). Additionally, the definition of structure is organizational characteristics of families at any given time, the family subsystems, and open and concealed rules that effect interpersonal decisions and behaviors in the family (Vetere, 2001).
Structural Family Therapy offers a framework that provides order and meaning within the family connections (Nichols, 2013). Divorce in a family is considered a significant transition for all parties involved. When counseling a family going through divorce the structural family therapist’s job is to build an alliance with the family and obtain information about the structure. The structure of the family consists of the roles, interactions, organization, and hierarchy. Family therapy yields the belief that changing the organization of the family leads to change in the individual members. The structural family therapist often will try to become part of the family to gain a perspective of their issues as whole so not to place the focus on one individual. Joining is an empathetic approach in helping families explain and break down their individual stories without uncomfortable challenge or unnecessary confrontation (Nichols, 2013). It is important to note that family dysfunction that often leads to divorce is not attributed to one individual, but the entire family system. In structural family therapy, part of dealing with the issue of divorce in the family is to focus on the interactions between all the family members both positive and negative. Through these interactions the therapist can discover where the conflicts arise, which will in turn help the therapist understand how these negative interactions affect the family. Family therapy in these cases allows for repair of long-standing interactional patterns in which divorce is just one of a series of ongoing transactions that are disruptive to the child’s development (Kaplan, 1977, p.75). The structural family therapist often has the family play out these family interactions via enactments so that he can get a firsthand look at maladaptive patterns, roles, and
Another way that I could also intervene is through family therapy. I believe that William’s family could also benefit from family therapy being that they are experiencing a stressful situation. William’s behavior has caused conflict between members of the family. Therefore, with using family therapy, the family could learn to establish healthy boundaries, improve functioning, change negative patterns of interaction, and build positive relationships (Alessi & Cullinan, 2017). Implementing family therapy would also help family members join to assist in bettering William’s behavior. Even though family therapy would be ideal, I believe that to incorporate the family each member of the family would need help in thinking and behaving more adaptively so that the family environment is more stable.
In family therapy sessions, therapists encounter unique dilemmas when only one partner enters into therapy because only one viewpoint of the problem is provided (American Psychological Association, 2002). This is what presents itself for us today. A husband has asked for help in protecting himself and his children from his wife’s outbursts. His family consists of his wife of 11 years, Angelina; his son, John, age nine; and his delicate daughter, Jackie, age seven. Since this client is reserved and uncomfortable within the therapy session as demonstrated by his folded arms and leaning back in his chair away from the therapist, the therapist will begin by using client-centered, therapy-based questions (Rogers, 1946). Post-modern family therapy will incorporate various styles of therapy depending on what a therapist determines is most helpful at any one point during the therapy process (Nichols, 2008). Combining client-centered and experiential therapies would be a logical pairing in this situation (Elliott & Freire, 2007). We will examine the initial interview.
Within this particular counseling setting, the focus is on the interaction of the family members, and involves interventions that affect the entire family system (Henderson, 2016). The goal of this theory is to change the dysfunctional family patterns through a variety of arrangements, from individuals to group interaction. The Systems theory is organized in units made up of different parts, which is a circular, pattern which A causes B and B causes A (Henderson, 2016). Systems Family Theory viewed human nature in a positive perspective, which people are rational and have the ability to make choices (Henderson, 2016). Furthermore, the Family Systems Theory perceives behavior as directly relating to the individual position within the family. There are eight concepts that Bowen believed centered around the Family Systems Theory, many which reflect family boundaries and interactions. These concepts include, relationships between spouses, differentiation of self, triangles, nuclear family emotional system, family projection process, multigenerational transmission process, sibling position, emotional cutoffs, and emotional process in society (Henderson, 2016). Other core concept, determined by other theorist, revolves around centripetal and centrifugal which further describe the relationship styles within the families by looking inward, centripetal, as source of satisfaction; along with, centrifugal, looking outside for satisfaction (Henderson, 2016). In addition, another core concept is family projection process that refers to the transmission that causes symptoms in the child (Henderson, 2016). Many of the concepts described in the Family Systems Theory, are based on the connection, the togetherness, and the conflict that leads to a person holding responsibility within their role within the family.
Bowen theory is one of human behavior. The theory views family as an emotional unit, and uses systems theory to describe interactions within the family. Bowen believed that humans are dependent and reactive to others. Family members may feel distant or disconnected from each other; this is not a fact, but merely a feeling. Family members profoundly affect each other’s feelings, actions, and thoughts, no matter how distant they may be feeling ("Bowen Center," n.d.). Bowen describes the family as a multigenerational network of relationships ("Bowen Center," n.d.). The multigenerational process describes how differences in levels of differentiation between parents and their children lead to marked differences in differentiation in a multigenerational family ("Bowen Center," n.d.).
The history of family therapy began around 1960, when Gregory Bateson coined the term, “system thinking.” This type of therapy was a daring departure, both technically and philosophically, from traditional and individual treatment during the 1960s. Gregory Bateson was inspired. He felt that the unit known, as “the family” needed to be celebrated and that is exactly what he did” (Family Therapy, 2010, Para 1) Along with Gregory Bateson, are a list of several others who contributed to the evolution of Marriage and family counseling. This list includes the founder of social work, Mary Richmond, Mr. W. James, who researched the organic expression of social systems intervention and Mr. J. Dewey. Each of these therapists considered family therapy to be, among other things, a “consequence of the development of persistent elements of American professional culture, experience, and philosophy’’ (Family therapy, 2010, Para 2). It is said that the family therapy has a “historical- anthropological viewpoint’’. Moreover, these mentioned have greatly contributed to the overall development that makes up this wonderful field known as family, marriage and counseling or therapy. Marriage and Family counseling does have its relevance to the field of counseling as well as a unique distinction as it relates to Christian identity, function and ethics.
The family structure refers to the combination of individuals that encompass a family. This combination of individuals most commonly comprises a mother, a father and child. The cause of the breakdown of the family structure ranges from divorce, widowhood, to children born to unwed mothers. The breakdown of the family structure is an ethical dilemma which has perpetuated poverty in America. By rebuilding the family structure, we can turn the tide on poverty in America.
I enjoyed reading your post. Weakness regarding the structural family therapy approach is that yet focuses on the family being a whole and a nuclear family; it fails to incorporate other factors such as blended families or extended families and how it will work with this approach considering subsystems and