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Tracking Emotional Process in Relationship Interactions Using Sequences
Abstract
This paper will explore the clinical application of tracking sequences in family therapy with a particular focus on Bowen family systems theory. It considers how sequences can be used to track the emotional process occurring in relationship interactions, and the similarities and differences of a Bowen theory‐informed approach compared with dialectical behaviour therapy and both classic and contemporary family therapy models. Case examples are utilised from the author's clinical practice to raise ideas about the therapist joining the client as a co‐researcher in this exercise and facilitating a process that helps assist the client develop their own self‐awareness and problem‐solving resources in the context of their relationships.
... The central activity (skill) that emanates from the theory's focus on emotional process is tracing the 'who, what, when, how and what next' with family members in an effort to tease out observable facts rather than subjective opinions (Bowen, 1978, p. 360). This enables the client and therapist to think together about their repeated responses to symptoms and issues that are not helpful and to consider what they can adjust to serve the progress of the family (Bowen, 1978;Brown, 2020;Errington, 2022). ...
This paper overviews Bowen family systems theory and its approach to family therapy. It aims to introduce this influential approach and a sample of developments in theory and practice since Bowen's first publications of his research and theory. This paper is the second edition of a 1999 article with the same title (Brown, Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy , 20, 94 and 1999) and, 25 years later, offers new insights from the original author's ongoing research into the theory. This new edition is in collaboration with a second author and Bowen theory scholar, bringing fresh perspectives on the theory's applicability to family therapy practice. The core concepts are presented briefly, and a case example with a parent and symptomatic adolescent demonstrates how theory informs the role of the therapist and the therapeutic work. Examples of criticisms of Bowen theory are also discussed, including the misinterpretation around the idea of emotion in Bowen theory that is communicated in Gottman's training. Differentiation of self is clarified as the integration of emotion and intellect rather than privileging one over another, which affords the opportunity for individuals to avoid being governed by the invisible strings of sensitivities in relationships and instead be themselves in good emotional contact with the other person.
Dr Murray Bowen, developer of Bowen family systems theory (BFST), had this to say to clients about working in family systems: if you get bogged down in one area, move into another (Bowen & Kerr, 1985). This statement, along with the knowledge of BFST, offered an inspiration for thinking about a method of therapy. This article highlights a method of working with an individual through a systemic lens. Two ideas are integral to this focus. One is that a client can move more easily into observing self within the system when they are not just observing self in one context or relationship but rather looking at how they function in different contexts or relationships. And second, by moving into different contexts of the system, the therapist is better able to manage the tendency towards symptom focus and stay centred on the work of differentiation. A therapist can truly have a stadium view of the system when speaking with the client about how they function in different areas of life. This method defined happens in three phases: in phase 1, the client observes themselves in their system in different contexts and looks for patterns in their functioning; in phase 2, the client takes this new self‐recognition and experiments with different ways of being in one context; and in phase 3, the insights gained from experiments in one context are applied in other contexts. Both client and clinician will benefit from less symptom focus and increased ability to observe patterns in relationships, both of which are core tenets of the work of differentiation in BFST.
This paper explores the common parenting style tension around nurture versus limit‐setting often evident when working with families with a symptomatic child. Firstly it will delve into the parenting ‘soft/hard split’ with an overview of the literature on parenting styles. Next, it summarises the appearance of this phenomenon in the family therapy literature during its formative days, noting how Bowen, Minuchin, Haley, MRI (Bateson), and the Milan associates respond to this parent presentation in their approaches. Next, the paper outlines recent iterations of these family therapy interventions. An expanded discussion follows on Bowen theory's understanding of the parenting tension triangle. The article then outlines elements of the author's qualitative research study of parents' experience of adolescents' mental health treatment where the ‘soft/hard split’ emerged as a repeating theme. Finally, a clinical intervention based on Bowen theory, the Parent Hope Project, is outlined for how it addresses the parenting ‘soft/hard split.’ The goal is to contribute to understanding this phenomenon and its implications for clinical practice.
Background Circular questions are used within systematic family therapy as a tool to generate multiple explanations and stories from a family situation and as a means to stimulate the curiosity of the therapist while avoiding their temptation to seek a one definitive explanation. Aim To consider the potential for using this approach in qualitative research, with researchers using carefully crafted questions to invite respondents to provide information about the meanings behind a phenomenon or consider how relationships between people contribute to it. Discussion Drawing on examples from a study into children's mental health services, this paper discusses the application of the technique of circular questioning from systemic family therapy to qualitative research. Conclusion The use of circular questions is a technique that qualitative researchers could employ in the field when conducting interviews with individuals or groups, or when engaged in participant observation as a means to obtain rich sources of data. Implications for practice Circular questioning can help to promote curiosity in the researcher and invite responses that illuminate relational issues between participants in a study.
Three related models of therapy are often grouped together as the strategic therapies. These are brief therapy model associated with the Mental Research Institute, approaches developed by Jay Haley and Cloë Madanes, and the model developed by the Milan associates. Controversy exists, however, as to whether the Milan model should be included as a strategic therapy. It appears that the similarities among the three models can mask deeper differences, thus confounding the confusion. This paper contrast the models in their development, theory, and practice.
Behavioral chain analyses, which are common in behavioral and cognitive-behavioral treatments more broadly, are the primary assessment tool in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). As such, they are conducted in nearly every DBT session. Despite their importance in the treatment, very little has been written about the “how-tos” of chain analyses in DBT or how to improve therapist skill in this area. This article describes the rationale and proposed functions of chain analyses, provides details about the various components of the chain analysis, and includes common problems that arise in conducting chain analyses. A case example of a detailed chain analysis is provided.
Presented here is a family theory of emotional illness and its component system of family psychotherapy, which is one of several different theoretical approaches to the family, and one of many different kinds of “family therapy” that have come on the psychiatric scene in little more than one decade. A brief review of the family movement attempts to put this system into a kind of perspective with the overall family movement. Since this system places maximum emphasis on “family” as a theoretical system, the theory has been presented in some detail. The shorter section of family psychotherapy presents both broad principles and specific details about the usefulness of family concepts in clinical practice.
This paper presents a conceptual framework that is designed to help clinicians and researchers organize their observations of the complex network of interconnected sequences of behavior and thinking that constitute family interactions. This framework distinguishes four classes of recursive sequences, each of which is defined by its period, i.e., the amount of time it takes for a sequence to complete one cycle. The shortest sequences (S1) are those face‐to‐face interaction patterns that range in length from seconds to an hour. S2 sequences are played out over one day to one week, often depending on the routines of the family. S3 sequences range from several weeks to a year, and S4 sequences are those patterns of interaction and thought that repeat from generation to generation.
In addition to outlining this framework, the paper contends that in many families with a problem, pertinent sequences from each class may be related to the problem and to each other in a cybernetic manner. Suggestions are offered for identifying pertinent sequences from each class and for selecting interventions that best address the targeted sequence. We have found that this conceptual framework has enabled us to use techniques from many different schools of family therapy while avoiding the conceptual contradictions inherent in previous attempts to integrate approaches.
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