Structural Family Therapy is a therapeutic approach that recognizes that families have got many strengths and it attempts to go family's beyond dysfunctional patterns of interactions. Structural Family Therapy method was developed by Salvador Minuchin in the 1960's which is the leading model in family remedy and is one of the most trusted models for family therapy (Powell & Dosser, 1992). Its focus is on family structure; subsystems; boundaries. Its goal is to focus on problem presented and structures displayed and improve or restructure the family structure then realign the family subsystems.
The established family patterns is described by family structure which is these patterns that regulate how, why, who and when family members react to and react with each other. The traditional family structure in america is considered a family support system involving two-parent household that provides provisions because of their children. However, the two-parent, family is becoming less customary, and the unconventional family system has become more prevalent. The family is formed at birth and generations are formed. Those generations are known as the extended family or subsystems; aunts, uncles, grandparents, and cousins, and of these members of the family anyone can take major emotional and financial roles for the family. Minuchin is a follower of the communication theory, which is the discipline that studies the principles of transmitting information and the methods by which it is delivered. An important attribute of Structural Family Therapy is that the family system is utilized as a facilitator for positive transformation.
Every family has a structure. A family's structure is the invisible or covert set of functional demands that dictate or organize the way family members interact (Minuchin, 1974). Family dynamics is the term used for the way that families communicate and exist together. Every family has a definite pattern of associated with one another, which can be positive or negative. Family structure influences the dynamics of the family. For instance, the cultural background and personalities of every member in the household, the number of children in the family, if the family is made up of two parents and children or an individual parent and children. They are all examples of contributions that influence family dynamics. Minuchin believes families that contain an open and appropriate structure recovers quicker and functions better in the long run.
Structural Family Therapy outlines three basic subsystems which is often organized by gender or generation: The marital subsystem where the couple relationship, the parental subsystem, and the sibling subsystem. Each subsystem is identifiable by the members who constitute that subsystem along with the task that they are assigned.
In Structural Family Therapy, family rules are defined as an invisible set of functional demands that persistently organizes the interaction of the family. Coalitions, boundaries, and power hierarchies between subsystems are important rules for a counselor to study (Minuchin, S. 1974). Ann Hartman (1979) has defined the boundary of a family group as "that invisible line that separates what is 'inside' the family and what's 'outside' the family. " This outside boundary is exactly what delineates the whole family in relation to other systems such as schools, churches, or other families, and outside individuals. The subsystems could involve, for instance, of these members who belong to the same generation (such as the children) or the same sex (the ladies of the family) or those people who have the same interests or functions. Individuals may participate in more than one subsystem. Over a period of time, rules are developed about how the subsystems connect to each other, and who is included in the subsystems, and how each participates. Quite simply, the kind of boundary that exists defines the relationship between and among the list of subsystems (Hartman, 1978).
According to Minuchin, "understanding a family requires identifying the processes and boundaries that operate the subsystems and coalitions for the reason that family. Minuchin defined three types of interpersonal boundaries (clear, rigid, or diffuse) that determine the overall ability of the family to adapt successfully to change": Clear boundaries define the authority of the parents while allowing the children to develop as appropriate for how old they are. Rigid boundaries imply disengagement between members of the family or subsystems and they're found in families where the members are isolated from one another and communication has divided. The prevailing non-communicative hinders support and confines effective adaptation. A diffuse boundary implies enmeshment where each individual is thinking about everyone else's business. These boundaries are located in overly involved families. In these families, there are a blurring of the line between parents and children. Parents act like their children's friends and children run the risk of becoming too involved with their parents. In cases like this, nobody person is in charge and effective guidance during times of change is incapable of occurring (Minuchin, 1974). In addition to structure, substructures and external and internal boundaries, Structural Family Therapy is also predicated on roles, rules and power. A family is organized in conditions of roles. Every family has to decide who will care for the child, who does certain household task, who will be your choice maker, and who'll be in charge of paying the bills. To function well, a family group must be on one accord with these rules. Nevertheless, roles can't be so firm and closely defined that they cannot be modified. Each member of a family group plays a substantial role in the family dynamics, in case a death or divorce occurs, the family structure is upset, which upsets family dynamics. People might blame each other or rely on the different relative more than before, which shifts the structure. The guidelines of a members role is influenced by factors such as culture, ethnic background, experience in the family where one grew up, life-style, and family size and composition.
Rules are developed over a period of time, which dictates who will make decisions, how problems are solved and exactly how people are expected to act feel and think. The rules are monotonous, expected, and unwavering. All families must have ways to resolve conflict and make decisions. Generally in most families each member wants and/or needs to have a certain amount of power or influences. Families develop distinguishing ways to make decisions and also to resolve conflict. All families must have ways to make decisions also to resolve conflict. In most families all members have, and have to have, a degree of power and influence in some areas. As Aponte (1976) has pointed out, "Members of the family will need to have enough power in the family to be able to protect their personal interests in the family at all times, while keeping the well-being of the other members, and of the family as a whole, in mind. " A lot of people feel that power and decision-making is vested primarily in adult family. However, there can be a great variation in how power is distributed and found in families.
There are various kinds of boundary problems - as many problems as there are families. Family systems therapists examine families for boundary problems along a spectrum, placing boundary problems between the following two extremes: Enmeshed families are entangled and it is difficult to be extricated or separated the boundaries. In enmeshed families, boundaries don't allow for individuation; they are too relaxed, and also have become overlapped and often misleading. Boundaries are constantly crossed in numerous ways. Disengaged which means to mentally separate yourself or somebody else from a situation or difficulty. Detached describes the individual that stands on its own and is not joined to another system. Families that share little to nothing, typically overly rigid families, are referred to as detached. There's little to no communication - no overall flexibility in family patterns to support effective support and guidance (Gladding, 1998).
Alignment identifies how "members of the family as individuals so that elements of subsystems relate to each other relative to other family members and subsystems" (Nelson & Utesch, 1990. P. 237). Alignments range from either joining or opposing one member or subsystem over another (Aponte & Van Deusen, 1981). A Coalition can be an alignment between two people in a system which excludes a third person. According to Minuchin coalitions are short-lived.
The structural family therapy has many therapeutic interventions such as Boundary making, Unbalancing, Joining, Enactments, Accommodating, Raising Intensity, and Reframing. Boundary making involves restructuring the family because it changes the rules within which the family functions (Colapinta, 1982). Boundary making is a restructuring maneuver since it changes the rules of the overall game. Unbalancing is to make something lose its balance or equilibrium. It is utilized create disequilibrium in the family structure which helps the systems to see their dysfunctional patterns and to most probably to restructuring and/or change. Joining methods to put or gather to be able to make continuous or form a unit. It's important for the therapist to determine this bond (Minuchin, 1974). Enactments will be the act or procedure for enacting something. According to Minuchin and Fishman enactment "constructs an interpersonal scenario in the session where dysfunctional transactions among family members are played out". This system allows the therapist to see how members of the family control their actions, and also to determine the problematic behavior within the sequence of transactions (Colapinta, 1982). Accommodating is a willing to please or even to be helpful. Intensity is the structural approach to changing maladaptive transactions by using strong affect, repeated intervention, or prolonged pressure. Intensity is most effective if done in a primary, unapologetic manner that is goal specific. The procedure of restructuring is at the heart of the structural approach. The goal of structural family remedy is to help make the family more functional by altering the existing hierarchy and interaction patterns so that problems are not maintained. It really is accomplished by using enactment, unbalancing, and boundary formation.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive-behavioral and psychodynamic therapy are the most commonly used psychotherapeutic treatments of mental disorders in adults (Goisman et al. , 1999). Cognitive Therapy (CT), or Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) originated by Dr. Aaron T. Beck, in the mid-1960s, and is also a kind of psychotherapy in which the therapist and the client interact as a team to recognize and solve problems conditions. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is usually more focused on the present, more time-limited, and much more problem-solving oriented. Indeed, a lot of what the patient does is solve current problems. The goals of cognitive therapy are to help individuals gain control an improved understanding and also to solve current problems. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy runs on the wide variety of techniques to help patients change their thoughts, actions, attitudes, and make-up. Its focus is on the way we perceive situations influences how we feel emotionally. Techniques may be cognitive, behavioral, environmental, biological, supportive, interpersonal, or experiential. Cognitive behavior therapy has been demonstrated to be a powerful treatment for a multitude of disorders. To name only a few, it's been found helpful for: psychiatric disorders such as depression, the entire selection of anxiety disorders, eating disorders, drug abuse, personality disorders, and (along with medication) bipolar disorder and schizophrenia; medical disorders with a psychological component, including several conditions involving chronic or acute pain, chronic fatigue syndrome, pre-menstrual syndrome, colitis, sleep disorders, obesity, Gulf War syndrome, and somatoform disorders; and Psychological problems such as anger, relationship difficulties, and compulsive gambling (Beck, 2012).
In Cognitive Behavioral Therapy clients learn certain skills they can use throughout their lives. These skills involve associated with others in different ways, and changing behaviors, identifying distorted thinking, and modifying beliefs distorted thinking or Cognitive distortions are exaggerated and irrational thoughts. You can find many types of Cognitive distortion: Emotional reasoning - is Feelings are facts; Anticipating negative outcomes -The worst may happen; All-or-nothing thinking-All good or all bad; Mind-reading - Knowing what others are planning; Personalization - Excess responsibility; and Mental filter - Ignoring the positive. The cognitive distortions theory was presented by David Burns in THE SENSATION Good Handbook in 1989. He studied under Aaron T. Beck. According to Beck eliminating these distortions and mental poison will improve mood and discourage disorders such as depression and chronic anxiety. The procedure of understanding how to refute these distortions is called "cognitive restructuring". Modifying Beliefs is a huge step and starts with pinpointing and acknowledging these beliefs exist. However, to be able to improve your attitude or behavior, you must get started to change these beliefs and adopt new healthy ones. When you have held to certain beliefs all of your life, the duty will be challenging. For you yourself to change any belief system, you must begin by questioning yourself about these beliefs - sort of a personal rebuttal to your own ineffective beliefs. When it comes to associated with others, most folks have been conditioned to think the best way, the win-lose way. Relating to others simply means interacting effectively with a wide range of people in a a variety of situations. Clients who relate well to others are open to new learning and able to take different roles in different situations. They are aware of how their words and actions affect others. They know when it is appropriate to compete and when it is suitable to co-operate. By working effectively together, they will come up with new approaches, ideas, and ways of thinking. Behavior change can make reference to any transformation or modification of human behavior and is also a rapid and involuntary when associated with mental disorders.
Ivan Pavlov, B. F. skinner, Joseph Wolpe, Albert Bandura, Arnold Lazarus, Albert Ellis and Aaron Beck are the contributors to the introduction of Cognitive Behavior therapy. You will find three main theoretical approaches Cognitive behavior therapy. The first approach is Behavior remedy which is situated after the principles of classical conditioning produced by Ivan Pavlov and operant conditioning developed by B. F. Skinner. Classical conditioning is a reflexive or automatic type of learning when a stimulus acquires the capability to evoke a reply that was actually evoked by another stimulus. The original exemplory case of classical conditioning is Pavlov's classic experiment with dogs, the neutral signal was the sound of the tone and the naturally occurring reflex was salivating in response to food. By associating the neutral stimulus with environmentally friendly stimulus (the presentation of food), the sound of the tone alone could produce the salivation response. Operant conditioning is a way of learning occurring through rewards and punishments for behavior. Through operant conditioning, an association is manufactured between a behavior and a consequence for this behavior. The original exemplory case of operant conditioning uses the Skinner box, the subject, a rat, is kept in the box and becomes conditioned to press a bar when you are rewarded with food pellets each time its early random movements caused it to press against the bar. The next theoretical approach is social learning theory is the view that folks study from observation, imitation and modeling. The social theory was coined by Albert Bandura's in the 1960s, and explains how people learn new behaviors, values, and attitudes. Arnold Lazarus is a pioneer in behavior therapy, cognitive-behavior therapy, and multimodal therapy. He originated the word "Behavior Therapy" in the professional literature and continued to develop Multimodal Therapy which has been recognized as one of the very most effective varieties of cognitive-behavior therapy. Arnold Lazarus expanded the scope of CBT to add physical sensations (as distinct from emotional states), visual images (as distinct from language-based thinking), interpersonal relationships, and biological factors. The third theoretical approach is cognitive therapy. Cognitive remedy seeks to help the patient overcome difficulties by identifying and changing dysfunctional thinking, behavior, and emotional responses. It was developed by Aaron Beck in the 1960's (Lazarus, 2010).
In summary Structural family therapy is the leading & most trusted model in family therapy and it places emphasis on the family structure as to the way the structure of the family relates to families being dysfunctional. Its assumptions is a family's structure is the invisible or covert set of functional authoritatively mandates that dictate or organize the way family interact and demeanor problems reflect inadequate family structure. The Goal of Structural family remedy is to change boundaries and hierarchies to make the family more functional. It really is accomplished through the use of enactment, unbalancing, and boundary formation. Whereas Cognitive behavioral remedy is a psychotherapeutic approach that addresses dysfunctional emotions, maladaptive behaviors and cognitive processes and contents through lots of goal-oriented, explicit systematic procedures.
The name identifies behavior therapy, cognitive therapy, and therapy based upon a combination of basic behavioral and cognitive principles and research. Cognitive behavior therapy simply attempts to ease suffering as quickly as possible by training your mind to displace dysfunctional thought patterns, perceptions, and behavior (without asking more about them) with more realistic or helpful ones in order to alter behavior and emotions. It really is relatively brief and time-limited (twelve weeks to six months. It really is highly structured and directed with the therapist setting the agenda for every session (predicated on mutually set goals) and its own targets the here-and-now only rather than a person's history.
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Miller-Keane Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health, Seventh Edition. 2003 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved
