Transcript Experiential Family Therapy - California State University

Alice Garcia-Irvine, Kathy Findley
& Laura Rocha
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Emerged from humanisticexistentialist movement of the 1960’s
 Drew from
◦ Gestalt Therapy
◦ Psychodrama
◦ Client-centered
◦ Encounter-group movement
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“The root cause of family problems is
emotional suppression” and denial of
impulses
 Individuals-fulfilling roles
 Bridging the family-second priority
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Emphasis on freedom
 Emotional experiences
 Here-and-now
 Honest emotion
 Individual before the family
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Humanistic
◦ People are good
◦ Honest emotions
◦ People are resourceful, energetic,
creative
Existentialist - freedom of choice
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Carl Whitaker (1912-1995)
◦ Anti-theoretical
◦ Be yourself
◦ Intuition
 Virginia Satir (1916-1988)
◦ Communication
◦ Individual self-expression
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Experiential family therapy lost
popularity
 Then resurgence of trends of therapy
 Key figures
◦ Leslie Greenberg and Susan Johnson
◦ Richard Schwartz
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Greenberg and Johnson (1985)
 Attachment theory
 Emotion as communication
 Defenses
 Deeper emotions
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Internal Family Systems model
 Clients confront sub-personalities
◦ “parts”
◦ “disowned selves”
 Conflict in others (family, friends)
◦ Conflicts with/within self
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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
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Satir’s observations
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Emotional deadness
Cold affect
Don’t enjoy the family
Lack of warmth
Avoidance by work/school
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Destructive communication in smothering
feelings:
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Blaming
Placating
Being irrelevant
Being super reasonable.
All are due to low self-esteem
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Spontaneous
Did not allow complaining
Used positive connotation
Taught affection
Loving, yet forceful
Use of touch as communication
Was present and supportive
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Innate inclination toward selfactualization
 Conflicts with social structure
 Not a lot of parental control
 No restriction of child’s emotions
 Sharing experiences
 Open, natural, spontaneous
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Suppression of feelings
Denial of impulses
Lack of warmth
Avoidance
Security rather than satisfaction
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Creative and spontaneous
Unblock awareness
Support individuation
Force personality on family
Caring and accepting
Increase experience levels
◦ Increase affect
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Don’t diagnose
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Personal integrity
Expand experience
Liberate affect and impulses
Little focus on presenting problem
Promote communication
Promote interaction
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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)
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Gus Napier
Carl Whitaker (3 generation rule)
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Two therapists
Personal encounter
Joined family
Confrontational
“to overemphasize either the individual or
family connectedness is to distort the human
condition” (David Keith)
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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
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