An Interesting Introduction to Psychology - Family Therapy
The school of Extended Family Systems Therapy (Bowen; Bowenian) family therapy extends General Systems Theory beyond the nuclear family and views dysfunction as part of an intergenerational process. Thus, therapy often starts with the construction of a genogram. The primary goal of Extended Family Systems Therapy is to encourage Differentiation of self, which is one's ability to separate their intellectual and emotional functioning. According to Extended Family Systems Therapy, Triangulation occurs when two family members in conflict involve a third person, which usually immobilizes the third person.
A practitioner of Extended Family Systems Therapy often joins a dyad, creating a Therapeutic triangle, in an attempt to reduce the original level of fusion and achieve higher self-differentiation. The 3 formative stages therapy groups usually pass through, as proposed by Yalom are: (1) Hesitancy, search for meaning, and dependency; (2) conflict, dominance, and rebellion; and (3) cohesiveness. Cohesiveness is a characteristic of a therapy group does Yalom believe is most important and is most similar to the therapist-client relationship in individual therapy. Yalom believes that Transference is inevitable in a group and must be resolved in a way that benefits the group. It is appropriate for co-therapists to openly disagree during a group session, but not until the group has developed some cohesiveness (6+ sessions). Yalom ranks Interpersonal learning, catharsis, and cohesiveness the most important factors of group therapy. However, higher-functioning group members rate universality and interpersonal learning, while lower-functioning members believe instillation of hope is most important.More Help tantric therapy london
Since concurrent individual and group therapy allows for both extensive intrapersonal exploration and external support, it can be helpful for people presenting with Borderline and narcissistic personality disorders. One problem with concurrent group and individual therapy is that a client may be more expressive and inclined to self-disclose in individual therapy, thus limiting material that could be used for group therapy. Yalom states that prescreening and post-selection preparation can reduce premature termination from group therapy and enhance therapy outcomes. Of the many factors found to influence the behavior of a therapeutic group, most experts believe Intelligence is the most important for the therapist to consider is, arguing that clients should have similar intelligence levels to encourage greater group interaction. The ideal size of a therapy group is 7 to 10 members. 5 or less limits learning and creates too much client-therapist interaction, while more than 10 lead to alienation and lack of cohesiveness.
Research by Guy, Poelstra, and Stark (1989) found that (1) therapists find Suicidal statements to be the most stressful client behavior; (2) therapists consider a lack of therapeutic success to be the single most stressful aspect of their work; and (3) issues related to confidentiality constitute the most frequently encountered ethical/legal dilemma. The Strategic Family Therapy (Haley) approach to family therapy focuses on transactional patterns and views symptoms as interpersonal events that serve to control relationships, views therapy as a power struggle between the client/family and the therapist, and was influenced by structural family therapy, communication/interaction therapy, and Milton Erickson. A strategic family therapist might instruct a client to engage in the symptomatic behavior in an attempt to harness the energy of resistance in the service of change, which is called Paradoxical directive. According to Strategic Family Therapy, Reframing involves relabeling a behavior to make it more amenable to change and giving a new or altered meaning to a situation. Circular Questioning is a Strategic Family Therapy "strategy" involves asking each family member to describe relationships within the family system and note the differences, the goal being to help family members view problems in a new light and make them more amenable to change.
