Bowenian Theory

• Balancing individuality and togetherness
• The ability to handly anxiety in stressful situations, think clearly in the midst of heightened emotion.

• Lacks ability to think before reacting to internal and external pressures
• Ruled by emotions and having no autonomy living life always in reaction to someone else

either combative or submissive emoational reactivity to those around them. Causes distance, dysfunction and unhealthy attachment to children in substitute for problematic rlx w/ spouse

• Where there is tension between a couple and they add a thir party into the relationship to try to calm things down/stabilize
• The most stable structure- lasts longer and harder to end

parental lack of differentiation/anxiety is projected onto child and those characteristics are carried foward through thenext generation in their adult rlx

• Psychoanalytic
• Theory is systematizing of psychodynamic theory focusing on nuclear family and past generations

The basic training groud you came from, immediate family

Describing the couples issues to them, but in reference to "another" client

encouraging couples to define how they feel for themselves, not letting partners speak for one another

Help cx learn to respond to anxiety without emotional reactivity

Examine/challenge intrapsychic and interpersonal relationships

• Lack of differentiation
• Emotional Triangles
• Emotional Fusion

• Undifferentiated self
• Harboring unresolved issues from FOO
• Emotional cutoff as a way to manage anxiety

• Who we are today in rlx has connection to our past.
• Helping past rlx heals present rlx
• FOO responsible for successful differentiation of children

• Undifferentiated self
• unresolved issues with FOO
• Individual will be either avoidant or dependant

• Insight from reflection.
• One takes responsibility for their role in dysfunction
• People can act differently once they are aware of their typical responses

• Well Differentiated and have low anxiety
• Resilient in the face of anxiety

• For Cx to take responsibility for their contributions to their problems
• Detriangulation
• Self-reflection
• Decreasing Anxiety
• Creating/re-establishing rlx with family members

• Facilitate self-reflection
• Facilitate ownership of one's contribution to the problem at hand
• Remains neutral
• Avoid triangulation

• Family history- genograms
• Process questions to examine intrapsychic/interpersonal rlx
• Recognizing triangulation

• Process questions
• Relationship experiements
• Taking the I-position
• Displacement stories

• conceptualizing "emotional reactivity" and attempts at reduction
• Conceptualizing "differentiation" and attempting to establish/enhance it in undifferentiated individuals

• Concentration on extended family
• Family members talk to therapists more than self