Structural Family Therapy

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Nichols (2013) says that “Salvador Minuchin’s structural model is the most influenitial approach to family therapy” (p.123). He was the pioneer behind structural family therapy. Structural Family therapy is therapy that focuses on bringing family together. It then takes the time to review the structure, subsystems and boundaries of the family. Nichols (2013) notes that family structure is “the way a family is organized into subsystems whose interactions are regulated by interpersonal boundaries” (p.124). When I read this in the text I interpreted it to mean that the subsystems are where the problem and is and resides. You won’t be able to identify the boundaries until you explore the role that the subsystems play in the problem. Nichols (2013)…show more content…
This change will help the experience of the family to be different. One of the ways to change the structure in the family is by joining the family together. Joining is a key component in family therapy. Nichols (2013) notes that “joining” the family as the empathetic connection… opens the way for family members to begin listening to each other” (p.133). Joining is important to the family because it helps the lines of communication among family members to be established and used. When a family is in conflict it is normally due to a miscommunication. Nichols (2013) notes that “Everyone has a story to tell and in unhappy families almost everyone feels misunderstood” (p.133). Sometimes being misunderstood and having miscommunication can really impact the relationship among the family members. Minuchin (1974) notes that “joining operation is used to restructure, it does do without confronting the family.. The therapist becomes the actor but he functions as the director and the actor”. (p. 138). I interpreted this statement in the article to mean that the therapist facilitates the joining of the family. However, once the family is beginning the process of joining whatever path the family takes he therapist will go with hat path. It keeps the responsibility less on the therapist and more on the family. This is how joining is

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