...Bowen Family Systems Theory I have quite a large family. My nuclear family consists of my mom, dad, brother and myself. My mom’s side of the family equates for that majority of our family. My mother is the youngest of nine! As one could guess, I have many aunts and many cousins. Because there are so many people of all different ages there are many patterns of interaction and diversity issues that affect the family dynamics. The nature of my parent’s relationship is extremely loving, affectionate and kind. My parents were strict in many aspects but lenient in other aspects. Luckily my nuclear family and extended family have not had to face issues with substance abuse, violence or disabilities. However we did have to face two major losses in the family, both of my grandmothers. When thinking about interaction patterns, family rituals and celebrations come to mind. Our celebrations particularly Christmas and birthdays were rituals, which bring us together. Christmas is important because my family is Catholic, so this connects us all in a special way. When it comes to diversity issues, issues arise between the young individuals and the older individuals pertaining to beliefs. Even though most of the family is Catholic, everyone is unique and has their own personal beliefs that sometimes can be cause for arguments. This can affect family dynamics. Overall, though there is a mutual respect for everyone. Bowen’s approach has eight major concepts. One of them, Triangles/...
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...Head Office 30 Grosvenor Street, Neutral Bay, NSW 2089 Ph: 02 9904 5600 Fax: 02 9904 5611 Coming to grips with family systems theory in a collaborative, learning environment. info@thefsi.com.au http://www.thefsi.com.au Bowen Family Systems Theory and Practice: Illustration and Critique By Jenny Brown This paper will give an overview of Murray Bowen’s theory of family systems. It will describe the model’s development and outline its core clinical components. The practice of therapy will be described as well as recent developments within the model. Some key criticisms will be raised, followed by a case example which highlights the therapeutic focus of Bowen’s approach. This is the author’s version of the work. It is posted here by permission of Australian Academic Press for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy (ANZJFT) Vol.20 No.2 1999 pp 94-103). Introduction Murray Bowen's family systems theory (shortened to 'Bowen theory' from 1974) was one of the first comprehensive theories of family systems functioning (Bowen, 1966, 1978, Kerr and Bowen, 1988). While it has received sporadic attention in Australia and New Zealand, it continues to be a central influence in the practice of family therapy in North America. It is possible that some local family therapists have been influenced by many of Bowen's ideas without the connection being articulated. For example, the writing of Guerin...
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...Bowen Systems Theory Introduction It is essential to understand the behavior of a person before engaging in assisting them to overcome their challenges in counseling. However, in the course of understanding this individual, there would be barriers, as the person may not have the free will to disclose their actions. Therefore, this necessitates the help of the family to the nurse conducting the assessments to gather useful information that on application will help the patient in need. Therefore, to establish such information, through the association of the patient to the family or close friends helps in understanding the person and factors that led to the situation they face. Thus, in this aspect, this constitutes the Bowen Systems Theory, which has the sole purpose of assisting the psychiatric examination and assessment of patients (Bowen, Rawlins, & Martin, 2010). To understand the theory, the discussion further leads to the diagnostics and treatments available through this theory. Additionally, there are various journals written on the subject that provide a critical analysis of the Bowen theory. Thus, there is an illustration of the journal presented. Understanding the Topic Murray Bowen was an American Psychiatrist who studied and taught psychiatry as a professor in the Georgetown University. He was a bright fellow who designed and developed the initial prototype of the current Bowen system theory. However, he worked in conjunction with other professors and...
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...Family Health Nursing and a Healthy Environment Family health nursing provides the “conceptual foundations of family nursing across the life span” (Garwick, 2002, p. 284). “The Family Health Nurse (FHN) concept was developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) in Europe in order to provide a means to strengthen family and community-oriented health services” (West and Macduff, 2006). WHO defines family health nursing as presenting a “key contribution within a multi-disciplinary team of health care professionals in the attainment of the 21 health targets” produced by the World Health Organization 21-policy outline. Family systems frequently change as the members of a family adapt to the stress that is inherent to illness and/or injury. Families adapt to the stress, making use of family resources and capabilities, but they often need help in making these adjustments (Servonsky and Gibbons, 2005). In aiding families, nurses employ care that is culturally competent care that uncovers a family’s personal story that reveals both the strengths and the deficits of a family, illuminating where they require assistance within a specific health care system (Servonsky and Gibbons, 2005). Denham (2003) points out that a great deal of nursing concentrates on the individual. However, it is the family and the home that should garner more attention from healthcare professionals because it is within the home "where health is learned, lived, and experienced),” as well as being the "niche...
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...Family systems theory was developed out of Murray Bowen’s turbulent relationship with his own family members. Bowen (Helm 2010) believed that family members are emotionally interdependent and functional in reciprocal relationships with one another. Bowen's (Helm 2010) family therapy is often referred to as Bowen family systems theory or Bowenian therapy. This study explores how members of the family distinguish themselves from their families of origin (Helm 2010). Through this, individuals learn how to still be a member of the family systems while still being separate individuals, emotionally and psychologically (Helm 2010). According to Helm (2010), Bowen also explored relationship alliances in families, called triangles. These triangles are considered the basic building blocks of an emotional system and begin with a relationship alliance between two people. Bowen theorized that when there is tension or stress in the relationship between these two people, a third person or thing is brought in to relieve this tension, known as triangulation, where two individuals are on the inside and another is on the outside of the relationship (Helm 2010). For example, if a married couple is having difficulty with each other, they may focus on their children instead of confronting the problems within their marriage (Helm 2010). When addressing the healthy family structure versus an unhealthy family structure, Helm (2010) describes Salvador Minuchin’s structural family theory. According...
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...Trans generational Family Therapy Erika Jefferson February 18, 2013 Becca Myers BSHS 312 University of Phoenix Trans generational Family Therapy originated from the work of pioneers named Murray Bowen, Ivan Boszormenyi-Nagy, James Framo, Norman Paul, and Donald Williamson. Those theorists shared the common belief that the problems in the present day with marriage are related to the issues from a person’s family origin. The theorists had different practices but their beliefs was the road to problem resolution involved working with more than one generation in therapy. The misconception of the theory was that most of people’s problems were caused by their family of origin. The beliefs in which Trans generational Family Therapy model was built on the fact that marital partners are similar in their levels of differentiation, meaning that each person a similar measure of unresolved family origin of issues to the marriage. Along with unresolved family issues and added stress in marriage it keeps the marriage from functioning at its highest level. As a result of stress the couple may have difficulty solving problems without dysfunction. The dysfunction that may be displayed in the marriage may be lack of communication, emotional detachment, depression, and emotional as well as physical abuse. The theory was that these issues did not just develop overnight, but that each person was raised with these types of issues that date back as far as...
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...Experiential Family Therapist would identify the most salient features of the transcript with the open-ended questions that elicited self-awareness and exploration of feelings. Rick Ph.D. often asked questions like “how do you feel” and “what do you mean by…” leading to understanding of self. Bowen, on the other hand, would identify the most salient features with differentiation of self and role assignments rather than underlying feelings and thoughts of each individual. The family seemed to be struggling with expanding new roles, as roles that Victor had to be reassigned to the family after his death. From the perspective of Bowenian, it was apparent that Pam was forced to take on the roles although her dialogue suggested that she wanted to be recognized for who she was rather than how she can act like Victor. Again, Rick Ph.D. and Karen Ph.D. often prompted questions to help family members discover individuality and identities that the family seems to have lost by trying keeping the routine that was established when Victor was alive....
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...Family Therapy: A Systemic Integration, 8th Edition PART 1 THE SYSTEMIC FRAMEWORK Chapter 1: Two Different Worldviews The Framework of Individual Psychology The Framework of Systemic Family Therapy Basic Concepts of Systems Theory and Cybernetics Family Therapy or Relationship Therapy? Summary Chapter 2: The Historical Perspective Planting the Seeds: The 1940s Cybernetics Development of Interdisciplinary Approaches Gregory Bateson Putting Down Roots: The 1950s Bateson (Continued) The Double-Bind Hypothesis Nathan Ackerman Murray Bowen Carl Whitaker Theodore Lidz Lyman Wynne Ivan Boszormenyi-Nagy John Elderkin Bell Christian F. Midelfort Overview of the 1950s The Plant Begins to Bud: The 1960s Paradigm Shift The MRI Salvador Minuchin Other Developments Blossom Time: The 1970s Psychodynamic Approaches Natural Systems Theory Experiential Approaches Structural Approaches Strategic Approaches Communication Approaches Behavioral Approaches Gregory Bateson Connecting and Integrating: The 1980s Other Voices The Limits of History Controversy, Conflict, and Beyond: The 1990s The Feminist Critique Family Therapy and Family Medicine Integration and Metaframeworks Managed Care The Twenty-First Century: Continuing Concerns and Emerging Trends Summary Chapter 3: The Paradigmatic Shift of Systems Theory A Cybernetic Epistemology Recursion ...
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...Let me begin this paper by saying that I believe families that get along and have wonderful family gatherings are the dysfunctional ones; we all have some crazy in the mix, I believe that they hide theirs better. That being said I shall begin the journey into my crazy: My father was in the military causing us to travel a lot thereby making my siblings and me to be born all over the country from New York, Maine, Texas and Kansas. Both of my parents were secretive about their families, maybe secretive is a strong word, they simply never talked about them so we never knew them. We became our own best friends, our own playmates and our only way out. My father’s bigotry and alcoholism kept me confused for most of my youth, I didn’t internally feel the hatred he did and I couldn’t understand the anger and physical abuse, which cause me to become invisible and find hiding places in the house that became my safe places. We all found ways to cope and deal with our own situation in our own way. In reading the article by Monica McGoldrick, I became to know a kindred spirit, someone searching for “home” or as she so perfectly put it, “The Ache for Home”. Bowens Family Systems Theory (Bowerian Theory) Bowen stressed in his concept that the individual must first deal with their own issues, personal and family, before they would be able to become a mature, healthy person. (Charles 2001) He also believed that a majority of people’s emotional issues were in...
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...places, and things, loss of energy, loss of appetite, and much more. Because depression has so many different facets, it stands to reason that there are just as many ways to effectively treat the disorder. Psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, humanistic, and family systems are clinical psychological approaches to depression. Each one uses a different approach and in some areas there are overlaps. The information in this paper addresses origins, goals, and techniques of the approaches. Also, an explanation of how each approach affects the treatment strategies of the selected disorder, and the effectiveness of each approach. Major Approaches to Clinical Psychology Psychodynamic therapy is talk therapy like what a person sees depicted on television or in the movies. This type of therapy allows patients to examine emotions, feelings, thoughts, and memories ("Web Md", 2005-2012). Cognitive-behavioral therapy is the “…form of psychotherapy that emphasizes the important role of thinking in how we feel and what we do…” ("National Association Of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapist", 1996-2010). Cognitive-behavioral (CBT) is based on the theory, that one’s beliefs effect, his or her emotions and actions, not exterior things, like family, circumstances, and proceedings. The advantage of this information is that a person can alter the way he or she thinks, feels, and acts, even if the state of affairs does not...
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...Family Tradition and Theories Author’s Name Institution Family Tradition and Theories My family lives in the middle East and it consists of my grandfather Mansour, grandmother Fahiama, my father Amer, my mother Nada, my 17 years old sister Mariyah, my 23 years old brother Abdullah, my aunt, uncle and I. Our family tradition is taking breakfast together every Friday. Every member of the family ought to be present at the breakfast table no matter the time he or she slept last night. Even if one member of the family is mad at the other, he or she must be present at the table at 10 a.m. and none is supposed to leave the table until all the family members are through with their breakfast and said our prayers. This is because most of my family members are preoccupied and so they are always busy and do not find time to sit together with the rest of us who are not busy and have meals together. This makes connecting as a family very difficult and that is why the Friday meeting is compulsory for all of us. When we take breakfast together as a family, we share more than just food. Taking breakfast together is a way of building protective assets that strengthen our health and development. When we take breakfast together, we catch up with one another and spend time together even if it is for two hours only. We chat, ask one another how they spent their night, week, how they are faring in their jobs and about their plans for the day. Therefore, when we take Friday breakfast...
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...Analysis of CK and the K Family Jane Doe Introduction Family nursing is a fairly new concept relative to the history of nursing practice. With any type of nursing process, assessment is the first (and ongoing) part of the process, followed by care planning and intervention. In delivering comprehensive care, the nurse must incorporate assessment of the family unit, or lack there-of, associated with the identified patient. Many family assessment tools have been devised to assist the nurse in gathering accurate data while opening up lines of communication and reflection for all members involved in the process. Selection of the appropriate tool for the identified family is crucial. Effective tools must be easy to administer in a fairly short amount of time and the data collected needs to be immediately available and useable. Family members need to see the relevance of the information gathered, and how it assists in improvement of their care- ideally soon after discussion, either by the nurse or a clinician. An initial interview and follow up discussion with the K family was completed over the course of 3 sessions. The first encounter involved only the identified patient (IP). The second was the remainder of the family, and a third was with CK’s perceived family. After an initial assessment and evaluation of the K family a suggested direction of care emerged, but was re-evaluated after the second interview. This development was then paired with...
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...Family Systems Therapy Alexis M. Foote Texas A & M University-Corpus Christi Family Systems Therapy There are a number of theories under the Family Systems Therapy group that focus on communication patterns within the family unit. Systems theory is based on the family’s response to feedback from one another and the desire of the group to make changes to maintain the status quo. In the family system we discover who we are, we grow and change, and we give and receive support that is necessary for survival (Corey, 2013). A number of theories exist based on various approaches, but the theory behind them is that families are SYSTEMS of interconnected and interdependent individuals and to understand the individual, we must understand the family system. The family systems perspective is rooted in the idea that the client’s behavior may do four things, the behavior may serve a purpose of function for the family, the behavior may be unintentionally maintained by the family, be a function of the family’s inability to operate productively, and lastly the behavior could be a symptom of dysfunctional patterns that have been handed down across generations (Corey, 2013). Alfred Alder was the first therapist to use family therapy in a systemic approach. Following him, Murray Bowen developed his Multigenerational Family Therapy approach to resolving problems in the family unit. He focuses on differentiation of self for individuals to reduce the chance for entanglement, which...
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...Journal of Business Studies Quarterly 2010, Vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 65-82 ISSN 2152-1034 Gender Compensation Discrimination: An Exploration of Gender Compensation Gap and the Higher Education Connection Judith E. Grey-Bowen, Miami-Dade County Public Schools Donovan A. McFarlane, The Donovan Society LLC and Frederick Taylor University Abstract The purpose of this paper is to examine the gender gap and the potential factors that contribute to income inequality. Since the passing of the equal pay act, the median weekly earnings of women is still just seventy eight cents on each dollar that men earn (Center for American Progress, 2010). To put this in context, the pay gap in 1970 was sixty two cents and in 1992 it was seventy five cents (Institute for Women’s Research, 1993). Undervaluation of women’s work, occupational gender segregation, and discriminatory treatment in the workplace continue to hamper efforts to reduce the gender pay gap. A pay check is women’s and men’s most important source of income. Therefore, it is surprising, discriminatory and unfair to know that after both genders have worked satisfactorily on the same job; they do not receive the same pay. The gender pay gap is the best way to measure pay inequality between men and women. The authors discuss Gender Compensation Discrimination and examine the historical trends in pay difference, the various causes and the methods and paths considered for closing the Gender Compensation Gap. Key words: Gender Compensation...
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...understand and know one another. This would also help one of them to view the world from the viewpoint of the other. The pattern and frequency of communication change according to several factors especially time and familiarity. Yet, effort towards an effective communication should be present in both the entities involved in the relationship. In this particular case of study these entities are the husband and the wife. The purpose here is to show how the communication between husband and wife helps in shaping their relationship and deciding the direction and outcome of family systems and decision-making. While studying the family structures, we have considered mainly a couple and one child framework (that is a triangle structure) for most of the analysis. At the same time, the paper also involves in studying the different factors, which affect such communication, and how these may influence the entire family orientation and structure. Introduction Communication refers to the exchange of ideas and information among two or more organisms via certain medium or means. Communication may occur with the help of words or through signs and gestures. The idea is to share some message and communication is effective when the message is shared successfully or the thoughts can be transferred to the concerned entity. Communication has become more and more important in the global scenario as the markets have opened up and the notion of competition brings on new challenges. In this fast...
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