Family System Theory

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INTRODUCTION TO THE APPROACHES CHOSEN: According to Bowen (1978), the purpose of the family systems theory is to establish a better level of differentiation with your family of origin, which means you have a better level of resolved emotional issues with them. The Differentiation of Self Scale is an important concept in this theory. The two extremes of this scale are people with low levels of differentiation or people with high levels of differentiation. People who are less differentiated from their family of origin have their identities intertwined with their family, whereas people who are more differentiated have their own sense of self. The Christian model of counselling used in this interview is a product of the work of Selwyn Hughes and Larry Crabb. At its…show more content…
In light of the ideas of Jenkins (1994) and Nichols (2013), the aim of the interview using these approaches was to assess the transactional patterns of relating to his wider community context, and particularly his way of relating to Becca, by drawing a genogram of at least three generations. Thus, using the genogram as a visual representation to trace family patterns, as well as carefully constructed process questions to bring to light the intergenerational patterns of interaction by referring to Grant’s family of origin, thereby revealing his transactional style of relating to Becca by analysing their subsystem and role structure, their sense cohesion (which is essentially their sense of identity) and their boundaries, their style of communicating and his ability to adapt to stressors. According to Hughes (2003), the aim of the Christian approach is to identify the goals that drive Grant’s repeated behaviour patterns, which reveal where his security, significance and self-worth (his identity) is
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