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.