Counselcarecanada.orgBowen Family Systems Theory

Relevant for more than half a century

By PresenterMedia.com

Bowen Family Systems TheoryAn Overview

Dr. Murray BowenGeorgetown Family Center, 1975

Multigenerational Transmission of Family Problems An Eight-Factor Theory

Looked at Multigenerational Trends

By Examining Eight Concepts of Family Functioning

Who

What

How Much

Why

How

Created an Objective Theory for taking Intuitiveness out of Therapy

A way of thinking about the emotional functioning of people who belong to multigenerational, self-perpetuating systems

• Nuclear family rather than the individual is viewed as the emotional unit to be treated.

• Since change in one family member creates change in the others in this emotionally interdependent system, it is possible to do some level of family therapy with only one persont.

Basic Tenets of the Theory

Tied together in THINKING, FEELING, &

BEHAVIOUR

Family : Emotional unit-network of interlocking relationships

DIFFERENTIATED FAMILY

• Members of healthy family can differentiate between own thoughts and feelings and those of others;

• The opposite of differentiation is Fusion;

• The greater the fusion between individual members, the poorer the functioning.

• Un-differentiated person unable to distinguish between intellectual processes and the feeling process he or she is experiencing.

• a conglomerate emotional

oneness.

UN-DIFFERENTIATED FAMILY

Eight interlocking concepts are embedded in the basic ideas represented by this theory

Ask about the ‘scale’

• Two members experience stress, and bring in another family member to relieve the tension, and a Triangle is formed

• During intense stress, the triangle gets bigger and will bring in interlocking relationships with other triangles

• When anxiety increases people need increased closeness (fusion) or distance.

Triangles

• Anxiety Increases• Need for distance or closeness increases

• Anxiety Decreases

• Need for distance or closeness decreases

TrianglesDysfunctional response to increased stress and anxiety

Fusion in Partner Relationship

Dysfunction of a Partner

Couple Conflict

Projection to one or more children

Dysfunction of partner can take a number of forms, including physical, emotional or social dysfunction and can include substance abuse or other acting out behaviours.

The other partner is often unaware of the problem, and becomes stronger as the other experiences dysfunction..

Nuclear Family Emotional System

Distant Spouse

Rejected Parent turns to children,

especially one

Anxious attachment to

them, especially one

Most infantile of children

Child does not differentiate—

fused to anxious parent

Family Projection Process

Multigenerational Transmission Process

Transmission of anxiety

from generation to

generation

Dysfunctional Processes and Roles

transmitted from

generation to generation

More anxiety focused on

children, lesser differentiation

Child most fused with

anxious parent has lowest

differentiation

Emotional Cut-Off

The greater the fusion, the greater the cut-off

A way of dealing with

intense fusion & anxiety

Distances self physically and emotionally

A Way of Getting Away--

Escape

• Sib-line positions share common characteristics

• Sibling roles complement each other

• Research indicates positions people take on in relationships

Sibling Position

• Coping strategies for life are passed down through generations

• More highly differentiated people cope better with life’s stresses

• How families deal with social expectations passed down.

Societal Emotional Process

• Promote greater understanding of family as system

• Focus on the Unit

• Decrease Anxiety• Understand triangulation patterns

Working with Families to…….

• Reduce triangulation• Reduce emotional cut-off

• Genogram the family’s story• Teach healthy communication patterns

and to…

That’s just the ‘nuts and bolts’

Invest in familiesInvest in life!

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