Family Systems Approaches Ch. 1 Flashcards
(15 cards)
What is the core idea of Family Systems Theory?
The family is an interconnected system where each member affects and is affected by others. Problems arise from patterns, not just individuals.
What does Structural Family Therapy focus on?
Family structure, subsystems, boundaries, and hierarchies that organize family interactions.
Name a primary technique used in Structural Family Therapy.
Enactments — role-playing family interactions during therapy to observe and modify patterns.
What is joining in Structural Family Therapy?
The therapist actively engages with the family to build trust and acceptance.
What is the goal of Strategic Family Therapy?
To change family interaction patterns by using directives or paradoxical interventions.
What does Satir’s Human Validation Process Model emphasize?
Communication styles, self-esteem, and growth within family relationships.
What is the miracle question in Solution-Focused Therapy?
Asking clients to imagine how life would be different if their problem was suddenly solved.
What is the focus of Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)?
Attachment needs and emotions as the basis for relationship change.
What are parental meta-emotions?
Parents’ awareness and attitudes toward their own and their child’s emotions.
What is a genogram?
A family tree diagram that maps relationships and patterns across generations.
What is the role of boundaries in family systems?
Boundaries regulate the closeness and distance between family members and subsystems.
How does Murray Bowen’s Family Systems Theory describe differentiation?
The ability to maintain one’s sense of self while in emotional contact with the family.
What is homeostasis in family systems?
The family’s tendency to maintain balance and resist change.
What is a subsystem in family therapy?
Smaller units within the family (e.g., parental, sibling) with their own roles and boundaries.
What is circular causality?
The idea that family members influence each other in ongoing loops rather than linear cause-effect.
