| The school of Extended Family Systems Therapy | | | | expressive and inclined to self-disclose in individual |
| (Bowen; Bowenian) family therapy extends General | | | | therapy, thus limiting material that could be used for |
| Systems Theory beyond the nuclear family and | | | | group therapy. Yalom states that prescreening and |
| views dysfunction as part of an intergenerational | | | | post-selection preparation can reduce premature |
| process. Thus, therapy often starts with the | | | | termination from group therapy and enhance therapy |
| construction of a genogram. The primary goal of | | | | outcomes. Of the many factors found to influence |
| Extended Family Systems Therapy is to encourage | | | | the behavior of a therapeutic group, most experts |
| Differentiation of self, which is one's ability to | | | | believe Intelligence is the most important for the |
| separate their intellectual and emotional functioning. | | | | therapist to consider is, arguing that clients should |
| According to Extended Family Systems Therapy, | | | | have similar intelligence levels to encourage greater |
| Triangulation occurs when two family members in | | | | group interaction. The ideal size of a therapy group is |
| conflict involve a third person, which usually | | | | 7 to 10 members. 5 or less limits learning and creates |
| immobilizes the third person. | | | | too much client-therapist interaction, while more than |
| A practitioner of Extended Family Systems Therapy | | | | 10 lead to alienation and lack of cohesiveness. |
| often joins a dyad, creating a Therapeutic triangle, in | | | | Research by Guy, Poelstra, and Stark (1989) found |
| an attempt to reduce the original level of fusion and | | | | that (1) therapists find Suicidal statements to be the |
| achieve higher self-differentiation. The 3 formative | | | | most stressful client behavior; (2) therapists consider |
| stages therapy groups usually pass through, as | | | | a lack of therapeutic success to be the single most |
| proposed by Yalom are: (1) Hesitancy, search for | | | | stressful aspect of their work; and (3) issues related |
| meaning, and dependency; (2) conflict, dominance, | | | | to confidentiality constitute the most frequently |
| and rebellion; and (3) cohesiveness. Cohesiveness is a | | | | encountered ethical/legal dilemma. The Strategic |
| characteristic of a therapy group does Yalom believe | | | | Family Therapy (Haley) approach to family therapy |
| is most important and is most similar to the | | | | focuses on transactional patterns and views |
| therapist-client relationship in individual therapy. Yalom | | | | symptoms as interpersonal events that serve to |
| believes that Transference is inevitable in a group and | | | | control relationships, views therapy as a power |
| must be resolved in a way that benefits the group. It | | | | struggle between the client/family and the therapist, |
| is appropriate for co-therapists to openly disagree | | | | and was influenced by structural family therapy, |
| during a group session, but not until the group has | | | | communication/interaction therapy, and Milton |
| developed some cohesiveness (6+ sessions). Yalom | | | | Erickson. A strategic family therapist might instruct a |
| ranks Interpersonal learning, catharsis, and | | | | client to engage in the symptomatic behavior in an |
| cohesiveness the most important factors of group | | | | attempt to harness the energy of resistance in the |
| therapy. However, higher-functioning group members | | | | service of change, which is called Paradoxical |
| rate universality and interpersonal learning, while | | | | directive. According to Strategic Family Therapy, |
| lower-functioning members believe instillation of hope | | | | Reframing involves relabeling a behavior to make it |
| is most important. | | | | more amenable to change and giving a new or |
| Since concurrent individual and group therapy allows | | | | altered meaning to a situation. Circular Questioning is a |
| for both extensive intrapersonal exploration and | | | | Strategic Family Therapy "strategy" involves asking |
| external support, it can be helpful for people | | | | each family member to describe relationships within |
| presenting with Borderline and narcissistic personality | | | | the family system and note the differences, the goal |
| disorders. One problem with concurrent group and | | | | being to help family members view problems in a |
| individual therapy is that a client may be more | | | | new light and make them more amenable to change. |