AN EXPERIENTIAL APPROACH TO FAMILY-OF-ORIGIN WORK WITH MARITAL AND FAMILY THERAPY TRAINEES

An experiential approach to family-of-origin work with marital and family therapy students is offered as a complement to didactic study. Recommendations are made for structuring courses to include family-of-origin work without blurring the roles of instructor and therapist.     

EXAMINING FAMILY-OF-ORIGIN INFLUENCES IN LIFE AT WORK*

Patterns of interaction to which people became accustomed in their families of origin often play largely unacknowledged roles in their lives at work and can contribute to unwanted pressures and stress on the job. This article describes a method that can be used by family therapists to assist people in identifying and examining the ways in which family-of-origin dynamics affect their lives at work. A rationale for this work is described, relevant literature is cited, and professional and ethical issues involved in conducting family-of-origin workshops in the work setting are discussed.     

Family-of-origin and service-member resilience

ABSTRACT

Military research on family resilience has not examined the contribution of family-of-origin to resilience of service-members. In this study, researchers investigated the extent to which predeployed service-members’ perception of resilience was related to characteristics of family-of-origin. The sample consisted of 344 U.S. Army soldiers within 6 months of deployment to Afghanistan, contacted through their units and invited to participate. Soldiers completed a survey of perceived resilience, family-of-origin and immediate family variables, and social support. Data were also collected on age, income, ethnicity, number of deployments, and relationship status. Regression analyses were conducted to explain variation in service-member resilience scores. Sample demographics were compared with the active duty soldier population and correlations among the key family-of-origin and social support variables were reported. Family-of-origin satisfaction was moderately related to service-member resilience for the full sample (β = .176, p = .001) and married sample (β = .260, p = .000). It was weakly related in the unmarried sample (β = .147, p = .226). Family social support explained the most variation in resilience across all samples. Study limitations and guidelines and resources for social work practice, education, and research to strengthen family-of-origin and service-member resilience are provided.     

Termination of foster care for the older adolescent: Issues of emancipation and individuation

Adolescents currently constitute almost one-half of the foster care population and social work with this population now often includes helping the adolescent make the often fairly abrupt transition to independent living. The authors suggest that this process can be productively viewed as a microcosm of the first individuation process, analogous to the early individuation of self from mother with opportunities for individuation and further growth. The effect of the worker's own level of individuation and self-awareness on this process is discussed.is also in private practice.National Catholic School of Social Service, is also Principal Researcher and Program Consultant, Project Stepping Out of Foster Care Into Independent Living.     

A crisis intervention perspective on the termination process

Recognition of termination as a crisis of separation/individuation supports a crisis intervention approach to work during this phase, with guidelines derived from Mahler's theory of separation/individuation, Bowlby's theory of attachment and loss, and James Mann's notion of the subjective meaning of time. The social work literature on the topic is reviewed, and case examples illustrate varying responses to termination depending on the perception of the experience as a threat, loss, or challenge.An earlier version of this paper was presented at the NASW Professional Symposium Washington, D.C., November 1983.     

THE SOLUTION-ORIENTED GENOGRAM: A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH

Developed primarily by Bowenian intergenerational therapists, genograms have evolved into largely atheoretical tools used by many therapists. Given that constructivist-based therapies have become the most popular genre of contemporary family therapies (Sprenkle & Piercy, 1992), the author examines how genograms can be used to augment a solution-oriented approach. Specific interventions, case examples, and potential problems associated with such an approach are discussed, along with potential implications for family-of-origin work.     

Family-of-origin frames in couples therapy

Six types of family-of-origin frames—coping, modeling, role, definition, reversal, and loyalty frames—are utilized in understanding three common couple interactional situations: pursuing/distancing, overfunctioning/underfunctioning, and blaming/placating. Clinical examples are used to illustrate the process of constructing family-of-origin frames in couples therapy.     

A FAMILY-OF-ORIGIN SCALE*

While family-of-origin interventions are widely used, the theoretical assumptions upon which these techniques are based are largely without empirical validation. This paper reports on the development of a family-of-origin scale that may be used in such research as well as employed as an adjunct to therapy. The resultant scale attempts to measure self-perceived levels of health in one's family of origin. Presented are data pertaining to the scale's validity, reliability, and normative sample.     

PARENTAL DEATH AS A PRECIPITANT OF MARITAL CONFLICT IN MIDDLE AGE*

When a long-standing marriage suddenly becomes conflictual, one precipitant can be the recent death of the parent of one of the partners. The bereaved spouse can identify with the deceased parent, attacking or withdrawing from his or her partner; or he/she can become irrationally angry because the partner cannot replace an idealized parent. The main goal of therapy is to facilitate the bereaved partner's mourning of the dead parent. Choosing an effective therapeutic method depends on the couple's capacity for mutual empathy and support and their need for insight. Without marital therapy, unrecognized mourning may contribute to the breakdown of long-standing marriages.     

SELF ISSUES FOR FAMILY THERAPY EDUCATORS

Family therapy educators frequently encourage self-reflection in their students and clients. However, little attention has been paid to the challanges and processes of the eudcators themselves. In this piece, four faculty members reflect individually and collectively on their lives and roles as educators. the describe family-of-origin influences, the intersections of their personal and academic lives, systemic factors in the professional setting, balancing work and family, hierarchy, gender, and coping strategies ot increase support and reduce competition. They recommend a deliberate process of self-reflection to other family therapy educators and offer suggestions for improving the organizational dynamic of family therapy training programs.     

Assessment of the Familial Relationships of Young Adult Children of Separated Parents

The aim of this work was the psychometric study of six scales designed to assess the familial relationships of young adult children of separated parents. The analyzed constructs are interparental conflict, loyalty conflict, coalition, parentification, children's perceptions of the parent–child relationships, and young adult perception of the separation–individuation process. Internal consistency and factorial validity was studied through a sample of 535 Spanish young adults from disrupted and nondisrupted families who were between 20 and 30 years old. The confirmatory factor analyses showed a certain acceptability of the original structures of all scales, with Bentler–Bonett Nonnormed Fit Index, Bentler–Bonett Normed Fit Index, and comparative fit indexes above .90 in all cases, and root mean square error of approximation below .05 in the multifactorial scales and slightly higher in the unifactorial ones. The internal consistency values were between .89 and .94 in the unifactorial scales, and between .70 and .92 in the multifactorial ones. The estimations found for the factor saturation supported the acceptability of the original structures. It is concluded that all the scales within this set present acceptable properties, in terms of dimensionality and internal consistency. The limitations are pointed out.     

Mahler applied

Conclusion It is crucial to recognize that individuation is not a smooth or painless process. Indeed, some of the pressures on the individuating client as a member of a family come from his spouse and the family system. Marriage itself is a partial symbiosis out of which one or both members individuate, with the ideal being an optimal distance between them. The developmental approach to the family notes that there is a crisis in the life cycle whenever there is a passage from one stage to the next, i.e., birth of the first child, the last child beginning school, the last child leaving home. The adolescent's attempt to separate from his family is another well-known crisis situation, at times being expressed through schizophrenic breakdown in the family. The extreme on the continuum of resistance to individuation comes from the schizophrenic family, where individuation creates excessive anxiety, as differences among members upset the homeostatic balance. It is the task of the therapist to avoid being drawn into the family's symbiotic system, and instead to aid the client in achieving a higher level of differentiation.What is apparent in studying Mahler's work is the complexity of the entire process of becoming an individual. Working with clients who are striving for mastery in this area, and with those who fear it, is further dramatic proof that separate functioning demands great psychic investment as well as a significant amount of time. Mahler has provided clinicians with a valuable framework for intervention and guidelines for assessment of individual growth.     

The Internalization of the “Father” Object Among Young Men and Its Relation to Separation–Individuation Patterns, Anxiety and Depression

While the father’s influence on his offspring’s personalities and well-being has historically been neglected, literature on this topic has recently been accumulating. The father’s influence is touches upon numerous practical and ethical implications for social work, psychotherapy, and psychodiagnosis. The present study draws from Mahler’s (Mahler, Separation individuation. The selected papers of Margaret S. Mahler, 1963, 1967, 1974; Mahler et al., The psychological birth of the human infant. Symbiosis and individuation, 1975) theory of the psychological birth of the child and offers a novel focus on the pivotal internal representation of the father. According to this theory, hindered developmental processes lead to depression and anxiety. 130 students took part in the current study, in which the internal father object was examined with regard to separation–individuation processes, and the levels of anxiety and depression were recorded. The study’s results show a significant negative relation between the quality of the paternal object and levels of anxiety and depression. A theoretical model was constructed to illustrate the similarities and discrepancies in the development of depression and anxiety in light of the father object as mediated by the separation–individuation processes that were examined.     

AGE-OF-RECALL EFFECTS ON FAMILY-OF-ORIGIN RATINGS

Family rating scales, particularly those tapping one's view of family of origin, rely heavily on one's summary impressions, perceptions, and recall of the family. Previous research has demonstrated that fairly consistent age, gender, and parent/offspring differences exist in ratings of current family functioning, but little information exists on such differences in rating one's family of origin. The present study had college-age subjects rate current family, family when they were elementary-school age, and family when they were 16 years old. Subjects were 141 college students (93 women, 48 men) who completed the self-Report Family Inventory (SFI) of the Beavers Systems Model of Family Functioning separately for the three specified recall periods (age 10, age 16, and current family). Significant differences were found between age-of-recall groups, with recall ratings from age 10 significantly more competent, cohesive, and less conflicted than those from age 16; current family ratings were intermediate. Relatively few gender by age interactions were significant. Implications for the use and interpretation of family ratings and family-of-origin scales are discussed.     

Salvete et Valete: On Saying Goodbye to a Deceased Former Parent*

Following Bowen's lead, a number of family therapists have shared accounts of their efforts at defining themselves in their families-of-origin. Some reports have been anecdotal in form, while others have been research oriented, with considerable theoretical exposition as to strategy and tactics. This report is neither. With a style more akin to that of the memoir, the paper deals with contacts between the writer and his family-of-origin over many years, the death of the writer's father providing the initial impetus.     

‘Why Were You Drawn to Each Other?’— Some Implications of the Couple Bond for Couple Therapy

Some themes in couple therapy are explored by introducing a case study of a couple in distress. The question, ‘Why were you drawn to each other?’ helps to unravel the relationship story, its dynamics and difficulties. Attachment theory as developed by John Bowlby is propounded as a useful model in understanding couple relationships. The importance of exploring family-of-origin attachments is reiterated, as well as helping each spouse to change in themselves rather than to blame their partner for their difficulties, with the ultimate aim being the enhancement of the relationship.     

Being missed and missing: An interactional element of separation/individuation

The intent of this paper is to demonstrate as a therapeutic use of self the selective communication of the therapist's own feelings as enabling a patient to experiencemissing. I focus here on work with a patient who urgently and primarily presented unmourned (unintegrated) separation and loss in her history, in her self and object relations, and thus in her relationship with me. I propose that the therapist's feelings, in so far as they reflect an interactional aspect of the normal separation/individuation process may serve as a basis for expressive, interactive participation by the therapist.     

Loss of mate—A third individuation process

Summary and Conclusions The concept of a third individuation process following the loss of a mate focuses on the structural psychological dynamics which may impede or foster a successful adaptation to such a loss. When adequate individuation has been impaired during adolescence, marriage may serve as an ego support which impedes further development. With the death of the mate, there exists the possibility of a third chance at individuation. This understanding of the underlying dynamics suggests a treatment focus with an emphasis upon structural rather than behavioral change. The bereaved mate must be helped to dissolve the tie to the internalized infantile object and so gain a more advanced level of separation-individuation.While this paper has focused on the loss of a mate through death, the concepts would seem to be equally applicable for some divorcees. For some, divorce may represent a self-initiated third individuation process.This paper was presented at the Spring 1975 Educational Institute of the New York Society for Clinical Social Work.     

Problematic Domains of Romantic Relationships as a Function of Attachment Insecurity and Gender

Theoretically, securely attached adults view the world as safe and see their romantic partners as emotionally available, supportive, and non-threatening. Little is known, however, about which relationship domains are most problematic for securely (versus insecurely) attached adults. To fill this gap, we asked 62 adults in committed relationships to complete the Marital Satisfaction Inventory-Revised (MSI-R; Snyder, 1997), a measure of the frequency and severity of 10 kinds of couple problems, and the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised (ECR-R; Fraley, Waller, & Brennan, 2000), a measure of attachment insecurity. High Avoidance and Anxiety were associated with numerous relationship problems being rated as frequent and severe. A canonical correlation showed that 26.5% of the variance in the set of relational problem areas was accounted for by attachment insecurity and gender. While greater attachment security was associated with fewer perceived difficulties in affective communication, irrespective of gender, greater Avoidance and Anxiety were associated with more difficulties in this area. Female participants with high Anxiety (and low Avoidance) reported more global relationship and family-of-origin distress, but fewer financial disagreements and less difficult problem-solving communication; conversely, male participants with high Avoidance (and low Anxiety) reported more financial disagreements and difficult problem-solving communication, but less global relationship and family-of-origin distress. These results have implications for practice by suggesting ways in which couples’ attachment dynamics can become manifested in specific kinds of relational difficulties.