Preview

Family Sytem Theory

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1365 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Family Sytem Theory
-------------------------------------------------
Family Therapy Family therapy is a form of counseling which specializes in treating family relationships. Marriage and Family Therapists can work with every combination of family relationship (whole families or couples, parents with children or individual members) to assist a family to function in more comfortable and useful ways. While most family therapists work alone with family members, others may work in pairs or a larger team of therapists.

How Does Family Therapy Work?
Family systems theory proposes that we as individuals first learn about ourselves, our emotions and how to manage close relationships from the experience we have growing up in our family of origin. This personal experience influences how we tend to function in all other relationships we may have throughout our lives. As we come to better understand ourselves in our family emotional system, and work to heal our natural, anxious reactions to it, we can become more flexible in our marriages, our parenting, and our work and community relationships. What Kinds of Therapy Does Family Therapy Use?
While some forms of family therapy are based in cognitive, behavioral, experiential or psychodynamic psychology, the most commonly practiced methods of this therapy are based on family systems theory. Family therapy developed its theoretical foundations fifty years ago from the developing, cross disciplinary body of knowledge called systems theory. Systems theoryproposes that everything we experience in the world is interconnected to its context, and can’t be fully understood without it. When it comes to human beings, then, we don’t know who we are without understanding the relationships we have. Those relationships include the ones we have with family, our friends, our neighborhood and cultures, our work and school environments, and those we may have with the larger systems of language, gender, nationality, or religion. Professional

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    You did a good job pointing out the structural family therapy and the systems within the family structure. How structural family therapy understand a family system is when the family system is stabilized by each family members contribution to the family system as a whole. By each member’s contribution, the subsystems hierarchy is set and power or who is in charge is allocated within the appropriate individuals/subsystems. The subsystems they rely on each other and more is expected from one person than another (Becvar & Becvar,2013). So for example: A couple dates and a year later yet married. Six months after getting married the woman finds out she is pregnant and nine months later a child is born. There is now a shift in the family system. Roles are now set in place and the mother is the nurture and the father becomes the disciplinarian as the child…

    • 149 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In general, family systems therapy works to decrease family stress, as well as helping members become more distinguished, and change coalitions and alliances in the family to bring about modification. These focal points are determined through certain strategies to reach goals in as well as to develop new styles of resolving problems. Family systems theory rely on members becoming healthy and differentiated the family unit begins to change and adapt and in a healthy approach, this leads to better functioning and relating between…

    • 421 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Best Essays

    Choose two family systems therapy theories that you are interested in learning more about and applying to the family subsystem you analyzed in the Unit 5 assignment. Write a paper in which you describe the central concepts, goals, and typical interventions of each model, using scholarly sources (journal articles, books, or edited book chapters) to support your writing. Your paper must use a minimum of three scholarly, peer-reviewed sources for each model.…

    • 3714 Words
    • 15 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Wright, D. W. (1998). Family systems therapy: Developments in milan-systemic therapies. Marriage & Family Review, 27(3-4), 323-325. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/199565944?accountid=458…

    • 1575 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Structural Family Theory

    • 829 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Structural family therapy (SFT) is rooted in family systems theory, but it is unique in its focus on family structure and its preference for remaining grounded in the here and now (Vetere, 2001, p. 133). For structural family therapists, family wholeness is the most important goal and individual symptoms are viewed as the result of dysfunctional family transactions (Lappin & Minuchin, 2011). When the family structure is reorganized, the family can interact functionally and harmoniously (M. Reed, personal communication, July 28, 2015). This paper explains the structural theory of family dysfunction, the conditions necessary for change, the primary goals of SFT, the role of the structural family therapist, and the multicultural and gender implications…

    • 829 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    review of the literature, our research team met to discuss key factors relating to family therapy…

    • 9924 Words
    • 40 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Nichols, M. P. (2012). Family therapy: Concepts and methods. (10th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ.: Pearson Education Inc.…

    • 862 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The family therapy process was described in detail beginning with before the initial interview and ending with termination. Family therapists must understand the family dynamic using the Systems Theory. The Systems Theory was defined and described in detail. Family therapists have different approaches to helping families depending on their unique issues. Each approach was defined and a reason for using these approaches were given. The American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy Code of Ethics has eight sections. Each section was examined and explained in detail with examples of possible issues the family therapist may have. It…

    • 3407 Words
    • 14 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    One of our main objectives as future counselors is to understand individual clients is to first gain an understanding of family background. Working with family from a systems perspective, the counselor is able to gain an understanding to the ways in which family members interact, what the family norms and expectations are, how effectively members communicate, who makes decisions, and how the family deals with needs and expectations (Edleman & Mandle, 2002). In the concept of systems theory, a family can exist within a community (suprasystem) and at the same time have smaller relationships within that family (subsystems). By composing genograms, or family tree, one can see information on family relationships, health patterns, occupations, and religion. By composing an ecomap one can see information on how a family and its members interact with larger systems or smaller subsystems. The term family can be defined as "a group of individuals who are bound by strong emotional ties, a sense of belonging, and a passion for being involved in one another's lives (Wright & Leahey, 2000).…

    • 755 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In conclusion, family system theory allowed me the opportunity to learn about different approaches to therapy which will assistant me in developing my on theory of practice. The information and knowledge I gain from this course will be most beneficial to my future as a…

    • 701 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Family Systems

    • 1282 Words
    • 5 Pages

    A healthy family system is a family unit in which each members has their needs met. These needs include safety, security, survival, love and belonging, as well as self-esteem and developmental skills. In a healthy family structure, the family members share a love for one another, respect each other and follow a set of rules that protect and maintain the welfare and development of each family member (Jamiolkowski, 2008).…

    • 1282 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Family therapy. Family therapy involves seeing a psychologist or other mental health provider along with your family members. Family therapy can help identify and reduce stress within your family. It can help your family learn how to communicate better, solve problems and resolve conflicts.…

    • 2288 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Family therapy models and approaches aim to strengthen every member’s emotional health so the family can thrive. Providing support to family members can increase and promote long-term recovery.…

    • 1534 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Childhood Trauma

    • 999 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Analyzing the family in the home unit may help ease anxiety and delay the perceived “fakeness” that a family my try to put on because they are in a social setting. It is important to include all members of the nuclear family when presiding over a family therapy session, watch how they interact and communicate (both verbally and nonverbally). Bowen used genograms, a family tree like model that aided the therapist and the families understand the interactions they exhibited between one another (Duba, 2011). This diagram can assist the family in shifting dynamics and understanding the attachments between the members. If young children are involved, play therapy may be a useful technique to use. “Play therapy activities provide an excellent opportunity for individual’s within the family to discover the balance between individuation and dependence.” (Duba, 2011) It is important to engage all members of a family in a family session and have them achieve understanding and appreciate the dynamics of the…

    • 999 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Griffin, W. and Greene, S (1999). Models of family therapy: the essential guide. Philadelphia, PA: Brunner/Mazel.…

    • 4808 Words
    • 19 Pages
    Powerful Essays

Related Topics