San Diego Marriage Counseling and Couples Counseling: Brief Overview of Theory of Change

San Diego Marriage Counseling and Couples Counseling: Brief Overview of Theory of Change

Underlying Philosophy and Theoretical Assumptions

My guiding principle as a clinician is Bowen family systems theory (BFST). I believe that family dysfunction is rooted in the extended family system. Unresolved conflicts from past generations and from childhood continue to be acted out in relationships in the nuclear family. It is assumed that external systems often determine intrapsychic feeling states, and that it is important to understand both the ". . .historical process in the family and the larger social context in order to transform family relationships in the present" (McGoldrick & Carter, 2001, p. 282). Furthermore, it is assumed that ". . . if one person changes her or his emotional functioning in the family, the system will eventually change. In this framework, family relationships are forever, and it never makes sense to write off a family member once and for all" (McGoldrick & Carter, 2001, p. 282).

My thinking has also been influenced by psychodynamic concepts. BFST and psychodynamic modalities share the assumption that the past is important. I believe that a close examination of past emotional processes in self (psychodynamic) and in one's family over at least three generations (BFST) is a route toward making conscious what was previously unconscious.

Finally, humanistic existential thinking influences the way I think about change. Like BFST and psychodynamic models, humanistic existential therapists privilege the experience of the relationship as a route toward change (Buber, 1970). While BFST and psychodynamic models are deterministic with an emphasis upon the past and upon insight, the humanistic existential therapist emphasizes the fluidity of life and the human potential for growth (Rogers, 1961; Yalom, 1980). Though personal choices may be limited by external circumstances, the existential therapist rejects the idea that people are victims of circumstance. Since there is a focus upon ". . . development of potential. . . awareness. . . peak experiences. . . oceanic oneness. . . self-realization. . . [and the] I-thou encounter" (Yalom, 1980, p. 19), humanistic existential ideas are saturated with hope. No matter how intense the family history, it is possible that an individual can make positive meaning out of any situation, and it is up to him/her to discover this meaning (Frankl, 1963). To create a therapeutic environment that fosters such growth, it is incumbent upon the therapist to develop the ability to have accurate empathy, congruence, and offer unconditional positive regard to clients (Rogers, 1975).

In embracing these divergent ways of thinking, I am aware that underpinning my theory of therapy and change is a "both/and kind" of thinking. I resonate with Watzlawick's (1964) idea that "Whoever is conscious of being the architect of his own reality would be equally aware of the ever-present possibility of constructing it differently" (p. 327). I believe that an important marker of emotional maturity is the ability to hold complexity and tolerate the ambiguity that is part of the human condition. In this spirit, I pick up common theoretical threads that allow me to practice therapy from multiple perspectives in a congruent way. These divergent ways of thinking come together around emphases on theory over technique, insight over strategy, experience over empiricism, process over content, and strength over pathology.

Additionally, I look to developmental theory as a guide to understanding the family and the individual in the context of the individual and family life cycle (Carter & McGoldrick, 1980). I often educate clients about the tasks of each developmental stage and normalize the crises marking their current stage in the individual and family life cycles. My theory of therapy and change is informed by the notion that although ". . . each of us is embedded in systems, we are also separate. . . . Neither a psychology of separateness nor one of embeddedness alone is fully adequate to explain human behavior or to serve as a guide for clinical practice. Working with the whole system means not only considering all the members of the family, but also taking into account all of the personal dimensions of their experience" (Nichols, 1987).

In order to learn moreabout my model of practice, visit me at http://www.cunninghamtherapy.com

POST COMMENT

The 5 Signs That Show You Need Marriage Counselling The and also other diamonds diamond jewelry lines are designed in the path for each women and gentlemen Womens Hairstyles Tips Wholesale womens clothing— Get a smart look without hefty spending How To Make Your Marriage A Stronger Union Women take advantage of five finger shoes to focus in summer How to Fix My Marriage After an Emotional Affair why women live longer than men Saving Your Marriage When Spouse Wants to Call It Quits How To Get A Kiss From A Woman! 4 Tips That Will Make It All Extra Easy For You Discounts for ShoeMall - Women's Shoes Girls Ice Skates – Is there Any Major Difference? Moncler down jacket may be a delicate existing for women