History of Structural Family Therapy - Research Paper Example

?Running Head: FAMILY THERAPY Structural family therapy. Structural family therapy. Part I: Introduction Family therapy is a vital experience for many families who are dealing with issues that are affecting the family as a whole. While some of the issues may be focused on an individual within that family, the entire family unit is often disrupted or disturbed by issues that may stem from an individual or from the combination of factors that involve more than one member. Regardless of how the issues are developed, the nature of a family is that it is an interactive unit that is impacted as a whole by the issues that are developed within one of the individuals within the group. In approaching the needs of a family, a therapist must understand that they dynamic is developed in such a way as to be interdependent. What happens to one member will impact all members and because of this unique dynamic, the therapy of the whole is an essential road to good mental health. Through the use of the theory of structural family theory, this type of reconstruction can be achieved in order to address the impact that an entire family has experienced due to issues that are creating an imbalance. The history of structural family therapy was designed during the 1960s and 1970s, framed by psychologies Salvador Minuchin who spent a great deal of time observing the family and the family in therapy in order to design his system of therapy. The role of the therapist in structural family therapy is to provide a re-organization of the family in order to move forward towards positive and nurturing outcomes. The therapy is not intended to dwell in the past, but to focus on the future and how the family operates. In providing Christian psychological therapy to a family, the use of structural family therapy theory can be instrumental in refocusing the way in which a family interacts in order to help them support their individual relationships with God, as well as their relationship with each other in His name. History of Structural Family Therapy Structural family therapy is an extension of the work that was done by child psychiatrist Nathan Ackerman through the explorations done by his protege and student Salvador Minuchin. Ackerman wrote an article titled “Family diagnosis: An approach to the preschool child” which many consider to be the place in which the start of the family therapy movement was begun. He believed in the confrontation of issues within the family, rather than identifying and dealing with issues specifically geared towards the individual. Hecker and Weltcher (2003) suggest that Ackerman used his personality, his ability to charm and create humor within his sessions, to create an atmosphere that provided a space in which to work on the issues that were brought to him from families in need of help. Minuchin formed a theory that in creating an organizational structure in which parents were the leaders of a family with the goal of resolving the problems that their children were experiencing. While this might seem a simplistic goal, in reality it takes work to get to a point where this structure is achieved. Minuchin wrote one of the most important books in relation to family therapy titled Families and family therapy in 1974 in which his ideas about structural family therapy are discussed. The way in which he explored his theories was in organizing minority paraprofessionals to conduct family therapy with individuals from minority communities in order to allow for the families to relate better to the individual on whom they were placing their therapeutic trust (Hecker & Weltcher, 2003). The development of his theories was conducted through the practical application of how he perceived the nature of therapy to be experienced. The way in which structural family therapy developed was through research and treatment studies that directly observed the family in order to study the nature of the dynamics and structures that make up the way in which a family interacts. Through observing the ways in which families behaved during therapy, Minuchin was able to formulate theories on how to change the outcomes of events that were persistent and harmful within the family structure. Unlike many theories of psychological care that were used for individuals, this theory was developed to directly confront the issues that were involved in conducting therapy with a family. Minuchin also developed the idea that to give therapy to a family was to work with the family as an entity, as a unit that needed to be addressed rather than as a group of individuals (Winek, 2009). The Role of the Therapist According to Minuchin (1974), “Structural family therapy is a therapy of action. The tool of this therapy is to modify the present, not to explore and interpret the past” (p. 14). The nature of structural family therapy is to allow the past to stay in the past and to find ways in which to move towards a more healthy future. The therapist is to focus in on the family, but to specifically target the family system and how the family dynamic has been established. Minuchin (1974) states that “By changing the position of the system’s members, he changes their subjective experiences” (p. 14). The nature of the intervention becomes a way of breaking cycles that have been ineffective for the family and in restructuring the family so that new tiers of influence can be more accessible and address the issues through a new dynamic Several aspects of this system are addressed when approaching a restructuring of the system. The first, as mentions is in creating some form of transformation within the family system in order to position a significant change in the dynamic. The second is that “the family system is organized around the support, regulation, nurturance, and socialization of its members”. The therapist, at this point joins the family in an effort to create a sense of repair, the family being formed into a better functioning system. According to Shapiro, Whiteman, and Maxfield (2007) “To utilize this approach effectively, the therapist must be comfortable being a conductor, an active and powerful therapist who conveys expertise and a belief in his or her ability to help the family mobilize its capacity to change” (p. 55). The third aspect of the therapy as it addresses the system is in creating a perpetuation of the repairs that have been made. When the therapist is no longer involved in the system, the family will need to be able to continuing using the new structure and the tools that have been provided to allow them to continue in a healthy and constructive manner. Through the new structure, the way in which feedback is given within the family is done in such a way as to qualify or validate the individual members of the family as they live their lives and are nurtured within the restructured family unit (Minuchin, 1974). The nature of the therapist within this structure is to work as a conduit towards the new family experience that comes with a re-developed dynamic. Many times families have been swallowed by negativity that is perpetuated by the positions of control and power that have been formed through unconscious activities that have allowed different members to assert their power in inappropriate or unhealthy ways. This can be a child who has such a temper that they have taken over the attention of the family, a parent who has disengaged from the parenting process, or even an infant who has thrown a family system into chaos for one reason or another. The nature of the dynamics within a family can be out of balance for a great number of reasons and it is the role of the therapist to find a way to reconfigure the way in which the family members are relating to one another and how they have set their system in order to provide nurture and growth. Family Systems The family system is designed around the way in which the family has become based upon “organized patterns of interactions between individuals, their families, and the social context” (Shapiro, Whiteman & Maxfield, 2007, p. 55). Family therapy approaches the family from a position of concern on maladaptive and adaptive functioning. Through the theory of structural family therapy, the family is seen as being a system in which there is a central authority which resides in the parents with executive and administrative positions. The system is built upon a hierarchal system in which the family has levels of authority and in which boundaries are established between members and subsystems. Subsystems can be relationships between the parents, with grandparents, between a child and parent, or between siblings. The relationships that develop between members of the family and with extended members outside of the nuclear family that have an impact on the family must be aligned with the goals and the structure of the system that is developed through the interaction with the therapist (Shapiro, Whiteman & Maxfield, 2007). One of the ways in which families find themselves out of balance is through alignments that are developed within the family. Often there will be two members that align in ways that are in opposition against another or others within the family (Shapiro, Whiteman & Maxfield, 2007). As an example, the family might have one daughter who is in alignment with the father and the other in alignment with the mother, creating a line down the middle which creates conflict within the structure. What often happens is that a power struggle ensues over different issues, thus creating conflicts that result in either stalemated or negative outcomes to issues that arise within the family. In these circumstances, alignment is not a healthy situation for the family as a whole and no one within this structure will benefit from the overall outcomes of these struggles. Dysfunctional families have become out of balance through one or more of the aspects in which the interrelations have fallen out of sync. According to Shapiro, Whiteman and Maxfield (2007), “Manifestation of dysfunctional family functioning include impairments in boundaries, in inappropriate alignments and power imbalances” (p. 56). Dysfunctional family situations can be identified by at least three participants from which the interaction has been developed when “two family members repeatedly are in agreement against a third” so that “a stable coalition is formed. When two members agree on identifying a third as the source of a problem, a detouring coalition emerges, lowering stress in the dyad and giving the impression of harmony” (Shapiro, Whiteman & Maxfield, 2007, p. 56). The instance of triangulation can occur when the two member coalition tries to convince a third member to side with them in order to gain overall power within the family dynamic. The problem with a dysfunctional system is that the needs of all the members are being subverted, even those who are in the power dyad as they are not benefiting from the structure as a whole. In creating such coalitions, the family is losing the benefits of working together towards goals and is lost within a system in which some aspect of their lives are being denied what they should be receiving. Structural family therapy is designed to break the habits that family have fallen into in regard to the nature of their alliances and those for whom they have designated as the ’problem’ without taking into consideration of the responsibility of all of the family in creating a unit towards nurture and growth. In restructuring a family so that they parents work towards positive goals through administration and authority, the family can fall into line so that the structure supports the needs of all of the individuals within the unit. As the alignments are broken and the parents look to each other for support in providing structure, the family becomes stronger and the issues begin to find resolution through forward thinking and tools for perpetuation of the system. Part II Christian Family Therapy The structure of the family as it relates to the Christian belief system is in alignment with the proposed ideas that form the theory of structural family therapy. While structural family therapy contends that there is a universal system that transcends cultures and that forms the basic structure of a family, the Christian ideals of how a family should be constructed are not outside of the systems that have been discussed by structural family theorists. According to Yarhouse and sells (2008), “Both the egalitarians and the complementarians encourage the same end goal; both view the existence of a family structure as a means to an end far more noteworthy than individual development” (p. 141). The family system is a vital and living example of how a Christian will develop a life that is devoted to Christ. Therefore, the system is of high importance and represents a valuable component to the belief systems as they are supported within culture and social integration for a Christian’s expression of his or her faith. In approaching the family for restructuring, the foundation within the structural family therapy approach is in creating hierarchies within the family that stabilize any dysfunction that is occurring. Christian belief systems are founded on the idea of hierarchy and the hierarchy of the family. Just as the pastor is the leader of a flock, the parents are leaders within their family system. When this leadership has been subverted through alignments or through boundaries that are not being respected, the success of the family has been compromised. In this compromised state, the Christian aesthetic is not being exampled by this family. Dysfunction within a family will not allow the members to worship properly and will subvert their devotion towards issues and conflicts that are the result of an improperly balanced system. When the hierarchy is back in place, the family then becomes more centered in their ability to live as an example of Christian beliefs and tenets. As a Christian therapist approaches a family that is in need, the professional can develop a system of restructuring that allows for the best possible expression of Christian love within the family, allowing for devotion and charity to develop in a family that was previously in a damaged state. Through allowing for the family to develop a power structure that is functioning and adaptive, the characteristics of the family that had previously subverted the growth and potential of each member and of the family of as a whole, can be refocused on missions and goals that can better serve Christ, and by the value of that outcome, better serve the individuals and the family as a unit. Through refocusing and restructuring, the family has an opportunity to no longer inflict damage on one another, creating a sense of honor for the parents through the obedience of their children, while alleviating the burdens that the children have felt by either not having the benefit of leadership from their parents, or through finding themselves empowered by no longer being the target of blame for the dysfunction of the family. Conclusion The family unit is an important social group within the family of Christ. Through the successful organization of a family so that goals and outcomes are refocused for the benefit of all the members of the family, it is possible to more fully explore the family’s devotion towards Christian goals and devotions. In preparing a family for the future when the past has had maladaptive events that have subverted growth and nurture, the goals of the family become centered in such a way as to look outward, rather than continuing to roll over and over in the same unhealthy rut that has subverted proper growth in the past. The structural family therapy model provides the Christian therapist the opportunity to teach a family how to live in a stronger system of both family dynamics and faith, increasing the success of all members of the family. Resources Hecker, L. L. & Weltcher, J. L. (2003). An introduction to marriage and family therapy. New York: The Haworth Press. Minuchin, S. (1974). Families and family therapy. Abingdon: Routledge. Shapiro, S., Whiteman, F. & Maxfield, L. (2007). Handbook of EMDR and family therapy process. New York: Wiley Publishing. Winek, J. L. (2009). Systemic family therapy: From theory to practice. Thousand Oakes, Calif: Sage Publications. Yarhouse, M. A. & Sells, J. N. (2008). Family therapies: A comprehensive Christian appraisel. Downer’s Grove, IL: IVP Academia. Read More