Family Systems Therapy is an approach to family counseling founded by Psychiatrist and Researcher Dr. Murray Bowen in the 1960s. It relies on Bowen’s Family Systems theory, which states that systems, like families, consist of parts affected by one another. This structure means that each family member affects the behaviors of others.
Family Systems Therapy aims to identify these interlocking systems that might result in negative relational patterns and address the causes so family members can relate better to one another.
Family System theory posits that every person can benefit from examining the patterns from their family of origin or the family they grew up with during their formative years. For some people, this could include their biological family, their adoptive family, or other key caregivers present in their early childhood.
While most commonly used in family counseling, counselors also can use Family Systems Therapy in individual or couples counseling.
Your therapist will ask questions about your family of origin and might even ask you to complete a genogram, which is a diagram of your family relationships going back as far as possible. The genogram ranges in detail but usually includes names of ancestors and family members, births, marriages, deaths, and sometimes mental illnesses if known. From there, your counselor might ask you to recall your relationships with your parents and siblings.
Family Systems Therapy helps you understand how your family relationships from childhood impact you today. By identifying emotions you experienced when you were younger regarding the way your family dealt with life, you may begin to get more clarity about the patterns you currently maintain while relating to your family, friends, significant other, or other loved ones. Your therapist then will help you establish more positive, adaptive ways of relating to others, which ultimately leads to growth and healing.
Therapists Who Specialize in Using Family Systems Therapy
As a marriage and family therapist, I have been successful in helping individuals re-create and maintain enjoyable relationships throughout their lives. My goal as a clinician is to help you and your loved one(s) learn to build loving, trusting, understanding and safe environments and relationships that enable recovery, moving forward and healing. I love to see you and your loved one(s) smile...
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Victoria Alberini
San Francisco
California
Victoria Alberini
San Francisco
California
In 2015, I left my job at Google to pursue a career that better catered to my lifelong passion for human interaction and relationships. My background in tech tailors my practice to those working in Silicon Valley, but my clients yield from all walks of life. I specialize in working with couples, adult individuals, those who have experienced trauma, those struggling with questions about their...
Hello there! I am trained in EMDR, Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Trust Based Relational Interventions, all are evidence based models. In addition to that, I integrate tools from many different modalities (e.g. psychodynamic, behavior, cognitive, systems, & solution focused) to provide the most efficient and effective services to each individual client. I enjoy providing...
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Kristen Spell
Charlotte
North Carolina
Kristen Spell
Charlotte
North Carolina
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Greetings, my name is Grenisha Holmes, I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker specializing in Trauma, Minority Populations, Geriatric Population, Crisis Intervention, Family Systems, Couples and Group Therapy Modules, Families of the Incarcerated, as well as LGBTQIA+ individuals. My approach to therapy is derived from a holistic, multicultural, strength and relational based perspective, while...
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