1 / 20

Experiential Family Therapy

Experiential Family Therapy. Alice Garcia-Irvine, Kathy Findley & Laura Rocha. History of Experiential therapy. Emerged from humanistic-existentialist movement of the 1960’s Drew from Gestalt Therapy Psychodrama Client-centered Encounter-group movement. Main premises.

Download Presentation

Experiential Family Therapy

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Experiential Family Therapy Alice Garcia-Irvine, Kathy Findley & Laura Rocha

  2. History of Experiential therapy • Emerged from humanistic-existentialist movement of the 1960’s • Drew from • Gestalt Therapy • Psychodrama • Client-centered • Encounter-group movement

  3. Main premises • “The root cause of family problems is emotional suppression” and denial of impulses • Individuals-fulfilling roles • Bridging the family-second priority

  4. Theoretical Key Concepts • Emphasis on freedom • Emotional experiences • Here-and-now • Honest emotion • Individual before the family

  5. Theoretical Philosophy • Humanistic • People are good • Honest emotions • People are resourceful, energetic, creative • Existentialist - freedom of choice

  6. Innovators and History • Carl Whitaker (1912-1995) • Anti-theoretical • Be yourself • Intuition • Virginia Satir (1916-1988) • Communication • Individual self-expression

  7. Resurfacing • Experiential family therapy lost popularity • Then resurgence of trends of therapy • Key figures • Leslie Greenberg and Susan Johnson • Richard Schwartz

  8. Emotionally focused couples therapy • Greenberg and Johnson (1985) • Attachment theory • Emotion as communication • Defenses • Deeper emotions

  9. Richard Schwartz • Internal Family Systems model • Clients confront sub-personalities • “parts” • “disowned selves” • Conflict in others (family, friends) • Conflicts with/within self

  10. “Problem” Families • Confuse instrumental & expressive functions of emotions • Control emotions of children • Dull emotional experience • Not tolerant of individuality • Victims (children of these families) • Boredom, apathy and anxiety later

  11. Satir and “problem” atmospheres • Satir’s observations • Emotional deadness • Cold affect • Don’t enjoy the family • Lack of warmth • Avoidance by work/school

  12. Satir continued • Destructive communication in smothering feelings: • Blaming • Placating • Being irrelevant • Being super reasonable. • All are due to low self-esteem

  13. Satir’s approaches • Spontaneous • Did not allow complaining • Used positive connotation • Taught affection • Loving, yet forceful • Use of touch as communication • Was present and supportive

  14. Normal Family Development • Innate inclination toward self-actualization • Conflicts with social structure • Not a lot of parental control • No restriction of child’s emotions • Sharing experiences • Open, natural, spontaneous

  15. Problematic Behaviors • Suppression of feelings • Denial of impulses • Lack of warmth • Avoidance • Security rather than satisfaction

  16. Qualities of therapist • Creative and spontaneous • Unblock awareness • Support individuation • Force personality on family • Caring and accepting • Increase experience levels • Increase affect • Don’t diagnose

  17. Goals of therapy • Personal integrity • Expand experience • Liberate affect and impulses • Little focus on presenting problem • Promote communication • Promote interaction

  18. Primary Techniques • Family Sculpting • Family Puppet Interviews • Family Art Therapy • Conjoint Family Drawings • Animal Attribution • Play Therapy Techniques • Role-Playing • Gestalt Therapy • Psychotherapy of the Absurd (Whitaker)

  19. Nonconformists • Gus Napier • Carl Whitaker (3 generation rule) • Two therapists • Personal encounter • Joined family • Confrontational • “to overemphasize either the individual or family connectedness is to distort the human condition” (David Keith)

  20. References Goldenberg, I., & Goldenberg, H., (1991). Family therapy an overview (3rd ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole. Nichols, M., (2008). Family therapy concepts and methods (8th ed.). Boston: Pearson Education. Piercy, F., & Sprenkle, D., (1986). Family therapy sourcebook. New York: Guilford Press

More Related