Experiential Family Therapy
Experiential Models
Philosophy
* Product of the existential-humanistic tradition * Shift away from determinism to freedom * Emphasis on the inherent goodness and growth potential of all humans * Focus not merely on symptom reduction but on fulfillment of individual family members
View of problem foundation * People’s natural tendency is toward self-actualization, but this can be interrupted by social pressures * The root cause of dysfunction in families is emotional suppression * Parents try and regulate emotions in order to curb certain behaviors * Children grow up with a disconnect from their own emotions * Children seek safety rather than satisfaction * Goal: Help family members uncover their genuine emotions to form more authentic family relationships * Reduce defensiveness
Primary Characteristics * Uncover deeper levels of experiencing * Emphasize the here-and-now experience * Have family members role play experiences so that they can see how they feel during the situation * Emotional confrontation * Emphasize emotions * Importance of self as therapist * Active therapists * The therapist is not objective * De-emphasis on theory & assessment * Value experience rather than theory * Change happens based on experience, therefore one won’t follow any particular theory
Three Experiential Models * Symbolic-Experienctial Family Therapy (Whitaker) * The Human Validation Process (Satir) * Emotionally-Focused Couple Therapy (Greenberg and Johnson)
Symbolic-Experiential Family Therapy * Key figure: Carl Whitaker (from the Family Crucible!!) * Thinking about allowing clients to open up to themselves * Self of the therapist * Be able to be real and spontaneous and allow changes to come about through that * Relies heavily on one’s own personality * Really believed that if the
Philosophy
* Product of the existential-humanistic tradition * Shift away from determinism to freedom * Emphasis on the inherent goodness and growth potential of all humans * Focus not merely on symptom reduction but on fulfillment of individual family members
View of problem foundation * People’s natural tendency is toward self-actualization, but this can be interrupted by social pressures * The root cause of dysfunction in families is emotional suppression * Parents try and regulate emotions in order to curb certain behaviors * Children grow up with a disconnect from their own emotions * Children seek safety rather than satisfaction * Goal: Help family members uncover their genuine emotions to form more authentic family relationships * Reduce defensiveness
Primary Characteristics * Uncover deeper levels of experiencing * Emphasize the here-and-now experience * Have family members role play experiences so that they can see how they feel during the situation * Emotional confrontation * Emphasize emotions * Importance of self as therapist * Active therapists * The therapist is not objective * De-emphasis on theory & assessment * Value experience rather than theory * Change happens based on experience, therefore one won’t follow any particular theory
Three Experiential Models * Symbolic-Experienctial Family Therapy (Whitaker) * The Human Validation Process (Satir) * Emotionally-Focused Couple Therapy (Greenberg and Johnson)
Symbolic-Experiential Family Therapy * Key figure: Carl Whitaker (from the Family Crucible!!) * Thinking about allowing clients to open up to themselves * Self of the therapist * Be able to be real and spontaneous and allow changes to come about through that * Relies heavily on one’s own personality * Really believed that if the