Family Systems

Family Systems

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Family Systems

Family systems therapy understands that family units involve a continuously connected emotional framework. Thereby, it provides a form of psychotherapy that helps people resolve their problems based on their family units’ contexts. Family units are often identified as the source of many, if not all, psychological and emotional issues. This way, this essay focuses on structural and multigenerational family therapies to explain the relationship between family units and individual issues.

Structural Therapy

Primarily, structural family therapy understands a family as a vital unit that grows and evolves with time to create a culture and community (Schwartz & Goldsmith, 2019). However, problems experienced by family members, like psychological issues, may disrupt the natural family evolution process. This way, Schwartz & Goldsmith (2019) informs that issues experienced in an individual due to the structure and communication system within a family. This way, the structural family therapy families resolve the issues in their communications and structure to achieve a normal functioning family system. Structural therapy involves three vital concepts that define the key roles of the process.

Essentially, structural therapy involves the family structure. Ideally, the interactions among family members vary since each family has its intrinsic rules (Schwartz & Goldsmith, 2019). Thereby, each family will adjust its behavior to align with such rules so the family system to operate will have fewer issues. Thus, the family structure is created based on the repeated interactions among family members, which develop lasting patterns and equally enhance expectations. A family structure can be identified by studying the interaction patterns of the family members to understand their form of communication and the subsequent results of such communications.

Also, Structural therapy is made up of family subsystems that perform various tasks based on the family’s requirements. These subsystems can exist based on the role functions of family members, age groups, or similar areas of interest (Colapinto, 2019). They include spouses, parents, children, siblings, and extended family members. Usually, a problem is prone to occur if any subsystems take the role of another subsystem.

Finally, Structural therapy is composed of boundaries that define the communication system among members and subgroups in the family system. Most often, the boundaries are either rigid or dispersed. Essentially, a rigid boundary implies that family members are limited to communication. This situation can result in isolation and disrupt family unity (Colapinto, 2019). On the other hand, a dispersed boundary makes the family members and subsystems significantly affect the lives of other members. Thereby, an ideal family system should support rigid and dispersed boundaries for easier communication, support, and equally sustain independence.

Multigenerational Family Therapy

The multigenerational family therapy understands that there are various values, beliefs, myths, and practices that are often transmitted from one generation to another (Schlussel & Gasbarrini, 2018). In most cases, family members do not realize that they are holding to certain inherited practices from the previous generation. This way, the levels of differentiation between parents and their offspring across several generations results in differences among members of a multigenerational family (Schlussel & Gasbarrini, 2018). Such differences are created through the transmission of information in the relationships in a multigenerational family. Thereby, the information transmitted through genetics and relationships interacts to influence and individual.

Primarily, Zito (2020) identifies that parents shape the development process of their offspring. This is achieved when the family responds to the values, attitudes, and practices and significant periods of dependency. Thereby, people are influenced to develop levels of differentiation on self that is similar to that of their parents. Family members are dependent on individuals whose feelings are based on their connection with one another.

A family is made up of differentiated or undifferentiated individuals. The undifferentiated individuals are often driven to reactivity by the people around them, while the differentiated individuals are prone to calmness, flexibility, and less responsive to anxiety (Zito, 2020). This way, the undifferentiated people are highly emotional and responsive to the stimuli surrounding them. The emotional triangle informs of how a friend or a relative can shadow an individual’s relationship. Thereby, when two individuals are experiencing conflict, they are prone to seeking either a friend or relative to find a solution. Such a relationship is identified to be a triangle. Thus, an undifferentiated individual is prone to triangulate or be triangulated by others (Zito, 2020). This means that such individuals rely on others for advice and are equally relied on. On the other hand, differentiated individuals manage life stressors and thus less likely to triangulate or be triangulated by other people. Therefore, the more people experience anxiety, the less lenient they will be towards one another.

Similarities

Both Structural therapy and multigenerational therapy both focus on the family as a whole unit to approach issues among family members. Structural therapy informs that in case of any problem such as psychological issues in a family member, the entire family’s entire structural organization will be affected (Schlussel & Gasbarrini, 2018).  Equally, issues among multigenerational relationships like anxiety affect the relationship among the members of the family system.

Differences

The Structural therapy theory identifies that mental or emotional behaviors are symptoms and not patterns that are likely to be passed from one generation to another (Colapinto, 2019).  Such symptoms reflect a psychological problem among the family system that can be resolved. On the other hand, multigenerational therapy understands that mental and emotional behaviors are issues that are passed from a generation to another. Also, structural therapy looks into the family structure’s issues, which are communication and inherent rules. This way, it aims to restore a structurally organized family unit. On the other hand, multigenerational therapy focuses on emotional issues (Schlussel & Gasbarrini, 2018). Thereby, those issues are transmitted to the next generation to shape the nature of family systems.

In conclusion, multigenerational therapy focuses on understanding the family’s emotional issues, which are transmitted from one generation to another (Schlussel & Gasbarrini, 2018). However, structural therapy informs the significance of organization and family structure to address the family members’ psychological and emotional needs (Colapinto, 2019). This was the structural method that is more comprehensive and effective in addressing family needs than multigenerational therapy. Therefore I would subscribe to the structural theory to address family needs.

Resources

Colapinto, J. (2019). Structural family therapy. Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy, 2820-2828.

Schlussel, T., & Gasbarrini, M. F. (2018). Coaching in Bowen Family Therapy.

Schwartz, R., & Goldsmith, J. (2019). Internal Family Systems in Family Therapy. Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy, 1575-1580.

Zito, M. (2020). Family systems therapy approaches. In Applied Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology (pp. 101-112). Routledge.