Family Therapy paper
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ExperientialFamilyTherapySpring2019-1.pptxExperiential Family Therapy
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Experiential Family Therapy
Michelle Washburn-Busk
Origins & Main Ideas
Here and Now
Humanistic wing of psychology
Origin of Problem & Change Vehicle
Root of family problems is emotional suppression (denial of impulses, suppression of feelings)
Dysfunctional families are locked into self-protection and avoidance
Want to promote people to relax defensive fears so that deeper and more genuine emotions can emerge
Choose: 1) pursuit of connection or 2) self-protection
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What Promotes Change?
Change mechanism: honest emotion
Arose out of the emphasis on behavior and cognition in some problem-solving approaches
Executed through 1) challenging emotional defenses, and 2) aggressively attacking defenses to promote emotional expression
“You make me mad” vs “I’m hurt”
Experientialists
Systemic therapists see roots of symptoms in the dance of family interactions
Experientialists view those interactions as a result of family member’s shadow dancing with the projections of each other’s defenses
Rather than facilitating insights that new behaviors, or prescribing new behaviors that can new perspectives/insights, experientialists believe that new behaviors and new perspectives evolve out of new experiences
Order of Operations
1. Help individuals uncover their honest emotions
By relaxing defensive fears so deeper and more genuine emotions can emerge
2. Forge more genuine family ties out of this enhanced authenticity
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Trained psychiatrist
Most irreverent and whimsical of the founding figures
Called his approach “therapy of the absurd” by driving a family sane by appearing more crazy than them
1943 started bringing spouses into session with patients
1946 Chief of Psychiatry at Emory University
Inventor of co-therapy
1978 wrote the book “The Family Crucible”
Experiential Family Therapy
Authenticity vs. Theory
“My theory is that all theories are bad except for the beginner’s game playing, until he gets the courage to give up theories and just live. Because it has been known for many generations that any addiction, any indoctrination tends to be constrictive and constipating (Whitaker, 1976, p. 154)”
Concepts
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Battle for Structure
Battle for Initiative
Use of “craziness”
Creativity
Growth through shared experience
Experiential Family Therapy
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Only woman pioneer and only one with social work background
Responsible for popularizing the family therapy movement
Was charismatic and genuine
Believed all individuals all autonomous,
interdependent, and unique.
Experiential Family Therapy
Assumptions
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Experience is more important than intellectual thought
Important to experience a full range of affect
Therapist as a real person
Importance of spontaneity and creativity
Freedom of choice
Inherent ability of families to heal themselves
Experiential Family Therapy
Role of the Therapist
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Involved
Self disclosing
Not to be used for creating connection or showing empathy
Used as a teaching moment, and relevant to current situation
Responsive, positive, warm
Alternate between provocation and support
Consultant , inconsistent with the family
Experiential Family Therapy
Theory of Pathology
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Patterns of inauthentic communication present in 4 ways: 1) blaming, 2) placating, 3) being irrelevant, 4) being super reasonable
Behind these patterns of inauthentic communication is low self-esteem
“scapegoat” provides relief from anxiety
Intolerance of interpersonal distress
Rigidity in roles
Symptoms are nonverbal messages
Experiential Family Therapy
Theory of Change
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Shared experience leads to growth
Increase in the family’s ability for creativity, spontaneity, and play
Readiness for change – no one presents “not willing” to change, just believing that they’re not capable of it.
Experiential Family Therapy
Communication Shorthand
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Identified five basic ways of communicating (page 134)
Placating (go along to get along)
Blaming (“you” statements)
Super reasonable (denies others emotion)
Irrelevant (joke, change subject)
Functional coping stance (attempts at congruence)
Experiential Family Therapy
Blaming Stance
Placating Stance
Super-Reasonable Stance
Irrelevant/Distracting Stance
Communication Roles
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In-class journal #5
What did it FEEL LIKE for you to be in the blaming stance?
What did it FEEL LIKE for you to see someone blaming you?
What did it FEEL LIKE for you to be in the placating stance?
What did it FEEL LIKE for you to see someone placating to you?
In-Class Journal #5
Which Satir Communication stance did/do you take in your FOO most often?
Does your go-to stance change depending on the context? How so?
What does a congruent coping stance look like for you?
Interventions
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Metaphor
In-session experiences/interaction
Sculpting (Satir) – illustrates perceptions
Parts party (Satir)
Experiential Family Therapy
Sculpting Activity
In-Class Journal #5
Which of Satir’s stances do you see occurring in your family case in class? (the family you’re doing therapy on)
What function do you think each of these stances serve given the family’s presenting problem(s)?
Therapist use of Self
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Experiential Family Therapy
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In-Class Journal #5
Which coping stance do you foresee yourself struggling with as a therapist?
Which coping stance do you tend to use during:
school-related stress?
Romantic relationship-related stress (if you haven’t been in a romantic relationship, you don’t have to answer this)?
Friend-related stress?
Work-related stress?
Lum, 2002
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“If therapists are to promote health and wellness of their clients, then they must also be actively pursuing health and wellness within their own lives”
Experiential Family Therapy
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Risks for not dealing with personal issues
Reaction to client’s problems
Getting stuck
Avoiding the issue
Skewing the information
Losing focus
