Family systems theory by patricia & salvador minuchin

• Patricia Munichin - helped develop family therapy and pioneered the field of structural family therapy
• Salvador Munichin - developmental psychologist with clinical training have focused on the growth and functioning of children in the a setting.
• family systems model - family functioning believed to be true for all families. larger developmental systems theory orientation.
• key points

  1. family systems are organized whole and the elements within them are interdependent
  2. patterns in a family are circular rather than linear.
  3. family systems maintain stability in their patterns of interaction
  4. family change over time
  5. individuals in families are simultaneously members of many subsystems
  6. boundaries reflect the implicit rules that govern family subsystems interaction.
• family therapy - treatment help with issues that affect families' mental health and functioning.
• structural family therapy - type of family therapy. psychotherapy that focuses on the family as a whole and isolate dysfunctional subsets and remap them into more harmonious
• family mapping - a technique used to understand patterns of behavior and family interactions
• joining - technique involves therapist developing a sharing to join the family
• boundary-making - technique in which the therapist help the family identify and adopt clear boundaries within the family
• role-play - involves acting out scenarios with the therapist's guidance to look at certain patterns of behavior.
• reframing - think about situations in different ways or see experience more positively.
• family system

  • parental subsystems
  • partner subsystems
  • siblings subsystems