Family Systems Therapy And Theories

Family Systems Therapy And Theories Family Systems Therapy is undergirded by a variety of theoretical approaches all of which focuses on human problems which result from relationships. As individuals we are encouraged to be autonomous, independent, make our choices and accept the consequences of these choices. This individualist stance seems to contradict the reality that we are born into families and spend our lives attached to a family either our own creation or one into which we are born. It is within these families that we learn, grow and develop. It is to these families we turn in times of hardships or triumphs. Family Systems Theories postulate that individuals are best understood within the context of their family. Like a living organism, families have properties which none of the individuals have, these properties are destroyed when members of the family are considered as individuals. Family systems theories shift the focus from individuals to the patterns in their relationships. Nichols 2009à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦p102. The behaviors manifested in one family member are linked to the behaviour of other members and may be a hallmark of how the family system functions not just symptoms of one members maladjustment. The difficulties of the presenting family member may, according to Corey 2009à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ p.412 Serve a function and purpose in the family Be unintentionally maintained by the family Be a function of the familys inability to operate productively Be a symptom of the dysfunctional patterns handed down across generations. This kind of approach is very different from the framework of individual psychology which conceptualizes human problem in an intrapsychic framework. The body of knowledge known as Family Systems Theory arises from observations by counselors as they work with individuals and their family. According to family system theories families are systems of interconnected and interdependent individuals. They do not exist in isolation whatever affects the individual affects the entire system. Perhaps the most fundamental concept of how families operate is that the family is a system which has a tendency to maintain stability by using information about its performance as feedback Nichols (2009)à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦p98. In this theoretical framework a family is considered to be cybernetic. At the heart of cybernetics is the feedback loop which determines whether the current operation of the system is acceptable and if not attempts to make the necessary changes. The feedback can either be negative or positive. Negative feedback is not bad but indicates that the system needs to take corrective measures to return to stability. Positive feedback may have negative consequences as it may serve to reinforce an error in the system. In order to maintain this stability, there are family rules and family roles. Family Roles-this is a description of what is expected of each family member. At a basic level there are roles of father, mother, daughter, sister and so on, but there are less obvio us roles for example one member may assume the role of the responsible one or the humorous one as the case may be. Family Rules-these are often understood by member of the family although not written down and often unspoken; they set guidelines for how the family operates. For example a family would understand who makes the final decision in important matters. Although family members may see these rules as just the way things are they may or may not be aware that different families would do the same thing differently. The pioneers of family therapy recognized that social and cultural forces shape our values, thoughts and our concept of normal, but it was Murray Bowen that first defined a family theory. According to him, the history of our family creates a mold that shapes our values thoughts and experiences. He further suggested that this mold is passed from one generation to the next. Bowens theory focuses on two counterbalancing life forces. The first is togetherness and the second is individuality. When a family shares too much togetherness, fusion is created and where there is too much individuality the result is estranged family. He introduced eight interrelated concept to explain how families develop and function. Differentiation of self is the ability to distinguish and maintain personal thoughts feeling goals and identity in the face of emotional and social pressures to do differently.Differentiation of self is the cornerstone of Bowens theory. This involves the psychological separation of intellect and emotions and the independence of self form others. It is ability to think and reflect and not respond automatically to emotional pressure. Differentiated people have the ability to balance their feeling and thoughts, they are capable of strong emotion, yet posses self restraint. They are able to take a stand on issues and have the ability to think decide and act on what they believe. Undifferentiated people act emotionally they tend to be impetuous displaying submissiveness or defiance. They find it difficult to be autonomous and are unable to take clear position on issues. They tend to reflect the dominant emotional pattern in the family. Emotional triangles are formed when two people who are unable to resolve a problem draw a third person into the conflict. The third partys involvement may be short lived so forcing the two people to resolve their differences. If the third parties involvement becomes long term then a triangle becomes a part of the relationship. Triangulation ease the tension but freezes the conflict in place Nicholas (2008) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦p128 and eventually undermines the relationship. According to Nicholas 2008 most family problems are triangular. Nuclear Family Emotional processes are the emotional patterns in a family that continue over generations. A partner who lacks differentiation in his her family of origin may become emotionally cut off from hisher parents and this would lead to fusion in marriage. Fusion can produce different effects on the marriage including emotional distance between partners, marital conflicts, physical or emotional dysfunction in one partner or projection of the problem on one or more of the children Nicholas Shwartz, 2008à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ p 128. A parent lack of differentiation is transmitted to children in Family projection process. An undifferentiated mother may become attach to a child (or children) because she has decided that her spouse is inattentive to her. The mother would project her lack of differentiation to the child who is most attached. This child will achieve least differentiation and more vulnerable to problems. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the more the mother forces her attention n the child the more the childs functioning is impaired Nichols and Shwartz ,2008p129 Multigenerational Transmission Process describes the transmission of anxiety from one generation to another. This is the unconscious passing on of anxiety which overrides the adaptive thinking and behavior of succeeding generations. Sibling Position children develop personality characteristics based on their position in the family. Emotional Cut Off describes the way people manage anxiety between generations. the greater the emotional fusion between parents and children the greater likelihood of cut off Nicholas and Shwartz 2008à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦p130 Societal Emotional processes are social expectation and their effect on the family. According to Bowen, all families lie along a continuum and there are no types of family. He believes that optimal family development occurs when members are differentiated and maintain a healthy contact with each other. For Bowen, family problems are the result of emotional fusion. Typically the family member with the symptom is the one who is least differentiated. This member is unable to separate hisher thoughts from the families and absorbs the anxieties of the entire family. Structural family theory emphasizes the need for parents to maintain a clear hierarchical position of authority. The origins of the theory can be traced to early 1960s to Salvador Minuchin who formulated the theory and set guidelines for therapeutic techniques. The theory is built on three component structure, subsystems and boundaries. Structure refers to the organized pattern in which families interact. Nicholas Shwartz 2008à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦p185. It describes the patterns of authority, communicating and interacting. Patterns develop as family transactions are repeated. In time these patterns become embedded and define roles and functions of family members creating predictability of the family interactions. These repetitions create expectations that establish rules in the family. Although alternatives are available the family rarely considers them and even in situations where patterns are dysfunctional, they are maintained. Dysfunction patterns give rise to a dysfunctional family structure. According to Minuchin, it is this dysfunctional structure which is the source of family problems. According to structural family theory each family system has subsystems. These are sub groups within the family structure which exist to accomplish various family tasks. Subsystem may be determined along the lines of generation, gender, role and interests. For example there are spousal subsystem and child subsystems. Within the subsystem each family member plays a different role. When one subsystem intrudes into another causes structural difficulties and indicates that boundaries between subsystems are diffuse. Diffuse boundaries can result in enmeshment. On the other hand boundaries which are rigid result in disengagement. Clear boundaries blend characteristics which are both rigid and diffuse. When there are clear boundaries parents occupies a position of leadership in the family. There are some aspects of the theoretical constructs of both Bower Family Systems Theory and Minuchins Structural Family Theory that are constant with my own world view. Like Bowen, I believe that our familys history creates a template which shapes our values thoughts and experiences and many of these values thoughts and experiences are passed down through generations. However this template in my opinion is only one of the possible template which shape values thoughts and experiences as there are many factories other than ones family of origin which influence who we become. Many persons can see the family pattern and make a conscious decision to build a life with different patterns. In this way the pattern in the family of origin is a powerful determinant but rather than been a template of what should be these patterns is template of what to avoid. The concept of differentiation is cornerstone of Bowenian theory and I share Bowens view that lack of differentiation can be transmitted from generation to generation. Parental lack of differentiation may manifest itself in children who are either emotionally fused or rebellious leading to emotional cutoff from family of origin. Bowen however seems to emphasize the mothers role in the process of passing anxiety from one generation to another. In my opinion he has pathologized the maternal role. Our social norms have prepared mothers to assume a nurturing role and this is not pathological. Bowens belief that there is a chronic anxiety in all life that is both emotional and physical Gladding 2009 p.235 is very different from my over world view. Generally the prominence given to anxiety as a defining force in all life is very foreign to my personal belief and system. My worldview starts from the opposite end. I see all of life filled with hope and choices. A life governed by anxiety is a life that chooses anxiety. It is my belief that the structure, subsystems and boundaries are three essential components of families. Family structure sets out the pattern of authority and the lines of communication. I strongly believe that parents should be in charged in every family and the children should know this. Parents should present a united front to children and any disagreement they have between themselves should not be played out with the children. Thus is one way of ensuring that the parent and child subsystems remain separate. To ensure separation clear boundaries must be establish between the subsystems. I believe that most family dysfunctions are the result of structural problems. Where there is no structure children develop chronic uncertainty which affects their overall functioning. Some children are at one extreme of severely maladaptive behavior while others are at the other extreme of over compensating behavior to gain favor. Along this entire continuum is the common thread of low self esteem. Keeping the family subsystems separated by clear boundaries in necessary for a healthy functioning family. Parents and children share their lives but parents relationship is maintained separate without threat from the relationship with children. These clear boundaries establish a hierarchical structure in which parents occupy a position of leadership. I believe that in Jamaica family structure problems and single parent households is a kind of chicken and egg situation. As the single parent tries to compensate for the absent parent, child and parent subsystems are confused as boundaries become rigid, defused, enmeshed and even destroyed. Often in these households it is hard to tell who is in charge and this leads to a wide range of problems including hostility between children and parents incest and other types of abuse. Many of these children assume adult roles before they are ready which result in early (single) parenting to begin the cycle once more. It is difficult for me to relate my own family to Bowerian family theory. Bowens emphasis on anxiety in the family of origin has no currency with me personally. Anxiety was not a part of my childhood. My parents were highly differentiated individuals who were independent thinkers. I am unable to see any triangulation and multigenerational transmission of anxiety. Among my nine siblings I do not even see birth order as an important consideration instead I see us accept each other as individuals with different abilities, talent, strengths and weaknesses. My family of origin was definitely ordered along the lines on Minuchins Structural Family Theory. There was a firm structure in place with strong subsystems and clear boundaries. We were nurtured and cared as children and guided into adulthood. We were encouraged and taught to be ourselves and the sibling all get along. My oldest sibling is 72 and my youngest is 49. We all agree that if our parent had any favorites among their children we cannot tell. The Bowenian Theory in counseling and psychotherapy is applied to trace patterns of family problems with a view to identify emotional reactivity and triangulation. The genogram has been found to be a useful assessment tool to identify these two issues. The aim of the therapist is to de-triangulate individuals and help them to develop differentiation. Along the way parents become better equipped to manage their own anxieties and less likely to transmit these anxiety to their children. Structural Family Theory underlines a therapy that seeks to reorganize families. The underlying assumption is that the familys difficulties are as a result of the organizational structure. The structural therapist assesses the presenting problems in four steps Firstly involve the whole family in the problem, secondly help them see how the family exchanges continue and support and perpetuate the problem. The therapist then exposes the impact of the past on the problem and finally explores options which the family members can take to relate in more productive ways that will create shift in the family structure and help resolve the presenting complaint (Nicholas and Schuartz 2009 p.196). Bowen and Minuchin had very different views of the source of dysfunction in individuals but both agreed that the dominant force in our lives is located in our families. Therapies based on this theoretical framework is directed at changing the organization of the family. When this is done then the functioning of the individual will be altered. This is not a change on the present individual only , but the whole family changes. In this way the individual change has a greater likelihood of remaining a permanent one.

China Essay

Given that the situation is in the context of the Han and T’ang periods in China, I expect for the musician to be in jeweled crowns with little jingling bells dangling from the edges. The musician might wear something like a court dress, which was the clothing worn during performance in sacrificial ceremonies. This clothing would have characteristics such as square sleeves, sloping necklines, red clothes, red shoes and a cicada-like hat. She would wear make-up as women in these periods wear make-up and even use little-make up boxes that carried their mirror, rouge, and lipstick. The musician is aesthetically pleasing, her eyebrows well plucked and designed, complimenting her face together with her make-up. Also, in the T’ang period, the female empress Wu Zhao was very much influential so I expect for the musician to be highly confident as women were empowered in that period. From the text, I think that Chou Yu is a strong man of authority. He is strict. He stands up straight and makes minimal movement but is very keen on the music the musician plays. According to research, Zhou Yu, or Chou Yu, was an important general during the Later Han period of the warlords Sun Ce and Sun Quan. He occupied the post of Leader of the court and later became governor of Jiangxa. He was aimed for development in China. He wanted an independent empire in southern China. As a woman, I think that Chou Yu’s strong personality and authoritative stature makes him a very desirable person. Being with someone who has so much power somehow makes you feel that you too, have that much power. The musician touching every wrong note now and then to get Chou Yu’s attention describes not only the characters themselves, but also, it describes well the dramatic situation between the two characters. The musician, although human and prone to error, committed errors by playing wrong notes every now and then. She was trying to gain Chao Yu’s attention. Maybe she was curious about Chao Yu or Chao Yu’s reaction to an error. Or more so, she wanted Chao Yu’s attention because she found her desirable. Knowing that Chao Yu is a man of authority, therefore being strict and keen on details, she thought of something that would very much gain Chao Yu’s attention, an error. During the T’ang period, concepts of women’s social rights and social status were perceived with a liberal-mind, although this was reserved only for urban women of elite status. In this period, also, men enjoyed the presence of assertive and active women. This only shows that her actions intending to get Chao Yu’s attention would most probably be appreciated by Chao Yu, if interpreted the way she wanted it to be interpreted. In this period, the government tried to pass a law forcing women to wear hats and veils to promote decency but failed. Women were much empowered in this time, wearing caps and sometimes, even no hats at all. They wore men’s riding clothes and boots and tight-sleeved bodices.

Arthur Millers play Essay

Arthur Millers play ‘The Crucible’ is, on the surface, a play about a real life historical event that took place in the small American town of Salem in 1692. A mass hysteria gripped the town because of accusations of witchcraft and compacting with the devil. This led to many innocent people being hanged. However, some people believe that if you look deeper into the play you can see clear parallels with 1692 Salem and 1950’s America. After the end of the Second World War most of Europe was devastated and left trying to recover. This left the USA and the USSR as the two dominant superpowers, both of these heavily armed nations were extremely scared of the other attacking them and so came an arms race to try to beat the other side. Diplomatic relations between the two powers broke down and widespread fear of communism took over the USA. So began the ‘Cold War’. Senator Joseph McCarthy set up the House Un-American Committee to root out communists and their sympathisers. This included anyone who had remotely left-wing views. Many actors, writers and musicians were brought before the committee including Miller himself. If you remember a crucible is a dish used to heat out the impurities from metals, you can see how it relates to Proctor in court being ‘heated’ to provide names and confessions. This is much the same as what happened to Miller who was also asked to name names (but refused). To answer the question it has to be remembered that Miller intended that the play be performed on stage and not read like a book. He uses stage directions to convey to the audience some of the feelings characters are experiencing. On page 108 stage directions for Proctor say â€Å"With great force of will, but not quite looking at her†. The shows the audience that Proctor still cannot forgive himself for his affair with Abigail. It also shows the conflict between Proctor and Elizabeth and also Proctor and Abigail. Proctor also has a conflict with Parris, who he correctly believes is an incompetent fool. In addition to this he also has conflict he also a conflict with all the girls because he knows they are faking the whole thing. Miller shows this by having Proctor go to court to try and prove the girls liars. He brings Mary Warren into Court saying, â€Å"She never saw no spirits†. He also has conflicts with judges Haythorne and Danforth. On page 113 he says â€Å"I speak my own sins, I cannot judge another. (Crying out with hatred)† The stage directions for this quote clearly shows this conflict. These conflicts are all of one particular type, conflicts with other people, except for the conflicts with Judges Haythorne and Danforth who could also represent Proctors conflicts with Authority.  Reverend Hale has a conflict with Proctor because he believes that Proctor should sign the confession to live and not die for his pride. At one point he shows his anger at Proctors decision to tear up his confession says â€Å"Man, you will hang! You cannot!.  A lot of characters especially Proctor have conflicts with authority. Proctor has a huge conflict with the courts and also the church, although the two are very close together. This is where Miller uses him to explore his own conflict with McCarthyism and his own experiences before the House Un-American Committee. On page 114 stage directions for Proctor read â€Å"Proctor has finished signing when Danforth reaches for the paper. But Proctor snatches it up and now a wild terror is rising in him, and a boundless anger† this shows very much how much Proctor hates the courts and could also show us something of Millers feelings towards McCarthyism. This is because both Proctor and Miller know that the courts/government are almost trying to bribe people into giving the names of others even if the others are innocent people that are being named to get them out of trouble or being named for some kind of revenge purpose. To add to his long list of conflicts Proctor also has a conflict within himself about whether or now he should sign the confession and name people to save his life or to protect others and his honour and die. Miller also faced this (although he was only threatened with jail not death) but like Proctor he refused to name people and escaped without severe punishment.  Elizabeth Proctor also has conflicts within herself as to whether or not to help John Proctor in his decision to sign the paper or not. In the end she does not help him and he must do it himself. This may show how alone you could feel when being questioned about your â€Å"Un-American Activities† in 1950’s/60’s America. In the end of the play Proctor is hung for not confessing or naming names. This ending solves many of the conflicts in the play. It solves all Proctors conflicts with people and authority and also other people conflicts with him. However it could spark of new conflicts within people such as the girls who faked the whole thing and must be wondering whether they should have said something before people were killed or whether to say something now. I think Miller is using his characters to show us different conflicts in society and the problems with people and how they can do things they ordinarily wouldn’t to gain an advantage or to escape trouble. He also uses the conflicts to show problems with high authority and how they could collapse if they were revealed to be wrong about serious things like the witch trials. I think Miller is trying to tell us something we should all probably learn from.

Kobe Bryant The Greatest Basketball Players Ever

Kobe Bryant is one of the greatest basketball players ever. There’s no denying that. He has five world championships, an MVP award, two scoring titles, 18 All Star appearances, is third all-time in points scored†¦you get the point. Ever since Bryant announced he would retire at the end of this season, in a poem published in The Players Tribune, he’s had a farewell tour the likes of which only Derek Jeter could top. Every opposing team regales him with presents. Fans who for years hated him are now lovingly cheering him on. The media can’t get enough of him, and he, in turn, is soaking it all up. Which is fine. Who am I to say what Kobe deserves? My only point is that, lost in the hoopla surrounding Kobe’s farewell tour, two equally deserving players that haven’t announced their retirement but seem destined to do so after year’s end are being brusquely overlooked. Way I see it, there are three main reasons Kobe is getting so much attention while Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan, two exceptional NBA players so close to retirement themselves, are not: Kobe announced his retirement ahead of time (a trend on the rise that seems a tad-bit selfish, although exceptionally fun for fans) He plays for the Los Angeles Lakers, which means that he’ll always get more of a spotlight than Duncan or KG, who are playing out their final seasons in San Antonio and Minnesota, respectively He’s Kobe. He’s an iconic juggernaut that once scored 81 points in a game. 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