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Experiential Family Therapy EPSY 6393 Marriage and Family Therapy Dr. Scott Sparrow EPSY 6393...
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Transcript of Experiential Family Therapy EPSY 6393 Marriage and Family Therapy Dr. Scott Sparrow EPSY 6393...
Experiential Family Experiential Family TherapyTherapy
Experiential Family Experiential Family TherapyTherapy
EPSY 6393 Marriage and Family TherapyDr. Scott Sparrow
EPSY 6393 Marriage and Family TherapyDr. Scott Sparrow
Founding FiguresFounding Figures
Carl Whitaker
originally interested in the psychotic mind
iconoclastic
Virginia Satir
originally a member of the Palo Alto Bateson team
highly charismatic, a style hard to imitate
Carl Whitaker
originally interested in the psychotic mind
iconoclastic
Virginia Satir
originally a member of the Palo Alto Bateson team
highly charismatic, a style hard to imitate
Founding PrinciplesFounding Principles
Emotional suppression is the heart of family problems
Dysfunctional families are less tolerant of individualistic emotions
Families will improve if family members get in touch with their real feelings and express them
Family therapy works from the inside out, so it focuses on the private, unexpressed lives of the individual members of the family
Emotional suppression is the heart of family problems
Dysfunctional families are less tolerant of individualistic emotions
Families will improve if family members get in touch with their real feelings and express them
Family therapy works from the inside out, so it focuses on the private, unexpressed lives of the individual members of the family
Theoretical BasisTheoretical Basis
Despite its “anti-theoretical” stance, Experiential Family Therapy is part of the existential-humanistic traditions.
They emphasize free will and individual freedom over determinism
They focus on the here-and-now, immediate experience
Self fulfillment depends on family cohesiveness (Whitaker)
Good communication is essential (Satir)--getting beyond blaming, placating, irrelevancy, and being super reasonable.
Despite its “anti-theoretical” stance, Experiential Family Therapy is part of the existential-humanistic traditions.
They emphasize free will and individual freedom over determinism
They focus on the here-and-now, immediate experience
Self fulfillment depends on family cohesiveness (Whitaker)
Good communication is essential (Satir)--getting beyond blaming, placating, irrelevancy, and being super reasonable.
Emotionally Focused Couples TherapyEmotionally Focused Couples Therapy
The exception to EFT’s de-emphasis on theory is Greenberg and Johnson’s “Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy.”
based on attachment theory
We want to get close, but we are afraid to get close
helps people relax defensive fears so that more genuine emotions can emerge.
The exception to EFT’s de-emphasis on theory is Greenberg and Johnson’s “Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy.”
based on attachment theory
We want to get close, but we are afraid to get close
helps people relax defensive fears so that more genuine emotions can emerge.
Emotionally Focused Couples TherapyEmotionally Focused Couples Therapy
Attachment provides a secure base--the ability to regulate emotions and to explore the world
When attachment is threatened,
1. anger and protest (baby cries)
2. clinging
3. despair
4. detachment and separation (emotional cutoff)
Attachment provides a secure base--the ability to regulate emotions and to explore the world
When attachment is threatened,
1. anger and protest (baby cries)
2. clinging
3. despair
4. detachment and separation (emotional cutoff)
Emotionally Focused Couples TherapyEmotionally Focused Couples Therapy
Attachment is circular
When it is fulfilling, the more likely relationships will confirm sense of worth, and encourage more healthy attachment.
When a person has been hurt, and is afraid to express attachment needs, then they become stuck
Attachment is circular
When it is fulfilling, the more likely relationships will confirm sense of worth, and encourage more healthy attachment.
When a person has been hurt, and is afraid to express attachment needs, then they become stuck
Emotionally Focused Couples TherapyEmotionally Focused Couples Therapy
A healthy relationship is a secure attachment bond, characterized by emotional accessibility and responsiveness.
Traumatic injuries are traumatic occurrences that damage the bond between partners, and if not resolved, maintain negative cycles and attachment insecurities.
A healthy relationship is a secure attachment bond, characterized by emotional accessibility and responsiveness.
Traumatic injuries are traumatic occurrences that damage the bond between partners, and if not resolved, maintain negative cycles and attachment insecurities.
Normal Family DevelopmentNormal Family Development
Problems arise when the innate tendency to actualize oneself is suppressed by social forces.
family myths (Ferreira), tendency of families to assert a false reality (i.e. harmony) and then to focus on one “bad” member.
surplus repression (Marcuse), the tendency of society to tame instincts through repressing them
mystification (R.D. Laing), the process of distorting a child’s experience by denying it or labeling it.
Problems arise when the innate tendency to actualize oneself is suppressed by social forces.
family myths (Ferreira), tendency of families to assert a false reality (i.e. harmony) and then to focus on one “bad” member.
surplus repression (Marcuse), the tendency of society to tame instincts through repressing them
mystification (R.D. Laing), the process of distorting a child’s experience by denying it or labeling it.
Goals of therapyGoals of therapy
Each person reports honestly
Each person is related to in terms of his or her uniqueness
Differences are openly acknowledged and used for growth
Each person reports honestly
Each person is related to in terms of his or her uniqueness
Differences are openly acknowledged and used for growth
Conditions for ChangeConditions for Change
A vital existential encounter between client and therapist is the fundamental key to therapy
therapist is fully present and fully human
shows caring and acceptance toward clients
It’s not what you do or say, it’s who you are.
A vital existential encounter between client and therapist is the fundamental key to therapy
therapist is fully present and fully human
shows caring and acceptance toward clients
It’s not what you do or say, it’s who you are.
Conditions for ChangeConditions for Change
Breakthroughs involve therapist using force of his/her personality to provoke therapeutic encounters. (Safer in a group context)
Members must risk becoming “more separate, divergent, even angrier”
Members must risk becoming closer and more intimate, as well.
Breakthroughs involve therapist using force of his/her personality to provoke therapeutic encounters. (Safer in a group context)
Members must risk becoming “more separate, divergent, even angrier”
Members must risk becoming closer and more intimate, as well.
TechniquesTechniques
Active, whether provoking or supporting
Family sculpting, drawing, puppet interviews, animal attribution storytelling
Role Playing and empty chair technique (similar to Perls)
Touch (Satir) and proximity
Active, whether provoking or supporting
Family sculpting, drawing, puppet interviews, animal attribution storytelling
Role Playing and empty chair technique (similar to Perls)
Touch (Satir) and proximity
TechniquesTechniques
Co-therapy in order to balance Whittaker’s intense involvement; one therapist could remain relatively objective while the other entered the emotional “field” of the family.
Sharing feelings openly to minimize countertransference
Co-therapy in order to balance Whittaker’s intense involvement; one therapist could remain relatively objective while the other entered the emotional “field” of the family.
Sharing feelings openly to minimize countertransference
Modern ApproachesModern Approaches
Emotionally Focused Couples therapy
uncovers hurt and longing beneath defensiveness
helps couples understand how these feelings are played out
focuses on common experience of deprivation, isolation, sense of loneliness, rather than on grievances
Emotionally Focused Couples therapy
uncovers hurt and longing beneath defensiveness
helps couples understand how these feelings are played out
focuses on common experience of deprivation, isolation, sense of loneliness, rather than on grievances
Modern ApproachesModern Approaches
Internal Systems Family therapy
helps people get in touch with the fact that the conflict they are experiencing in relationships is actually an internal conflict
uses dialogue between “parts” of oneself, which represent different sides of conflicts.
based on the premise that underlying the various parts is a unified, core personality.
Internal Systems Family therapy
helps people get in touch with the fact that the conflict they are experiencing in relationships is actually an internal conflict
uses dialogue between “parts” of oneself, which represent different sides of conflicts.
based on the premise that underlying the various parts is a unified, core personality.