Family Systems Theory

Paper Summary:

Discusses Murray Bowen's groundbreaking family systems theory & concepts. Bowen's discoveries as a psychiatrist that led to the deelopment of his theory. Treating the client as a system (a family) rather than as an individual in isolation. Emotional process that drives individual behavior & concept of differentiation of the self. Therapy & interpersonal conflicts. Therapeutic application of the theory.

From the Paper:

"Murray Bowen (1913-1990) was the originator of family systems theory in which the "differentiation of self" in the face of the emotional unit of the family was the core concept (Hutten, 2001). This Bowenian conception originated in Bowen's psychoanalytic training, but psychoanalytic notions were modified by his incorporation of systems-theory and evolutionary ideas subsequent to his observation of family members' effects on each other's emotional states. Bowen's discoveries and his theory were groundbreaking efforts, opening the way to a novel approach to therapy. Prior to his innovations the individual had always been the focus of attention from analysts and psychologists, but Bowen's theoretical proposals and the effectiveness of therapy based on them, led the way to a new chapter in psychotherapy. His original ideas have been reinterpreted and modified by..."

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