Alice Garcia-Irvine, Kathy Findley

& Laura Rocha

 Emerged

from humanisticexistentialist movement of the

1960s
Drew from
Gestalt Therapy
Psychodrama
Client-centered
Encounter-group movement
2

 The

root cause of family problems is

emotional suppression and denial of
impulses
Individuals-fulfilling roles
Bridging the family-second priority

 Emphasis

on freedom
Emotional experiences
Here-and-now
Honest emotion
Individual before the family

 Humanistic

People are good

Honest emotions
People are resourceful, energetic,
creative
Existentialist

- freedom of choice

 Carl

Whitaker (1912-1995)
Anti-theoretical
Be yourself
Intuition
Virginia Satir (1916-1988)
Communication
Individual self-expression

 Experiential

family therapy lost

popularity
Then resurgence of trends of therapy
Key figures
Leslie Greenberg and Susan
Johnson
Richard Schwartz

 Greenberg

and Johnson (1985)

Attachment theory
Emotion as communication
Defenses
Deeper emotions

 Internal

Family Systems model

Clients confront sub-personalities
parts
disowned selves
Conflict in others (family, friends)
Conflicts with/within self

Confuse instrumental & expressive

functions of emotions
Control emotions of children
Dull emotional experience
Not tolerant of individuality
Victims (children of these families)

Boredom, apathy and anxiety later

10

Satirs observations

Emotional deadness
Cold affect
Dont enjoy the family
Lack of warmth
Avoidance by work/school

11

Destructive communication in smothering

feelings:

Blaming
Placating
Being irrelevant
Being super reasonable.

All are due to low self-esteem

12

Spontaneous
Did not allow complaining
Used positive connotation
Taught affection
Loving, yet forceful
Use of touch as communication
Was present and supportive

13

 Innate

inclination toward selfactualization

Conflicts with social structure
Not a lot of parental control
No restriction of childs emotions
Sharing experiences
Open, natural, spontaneous

14

Suppression of feelings
Denial of impulses
Lack of warmth
Avoidance
Security rather than satisfaction

15

Creative and spontaneous

Unblock awareness
Support individuation
Force personality on family
Caring and accepting
Increase experience levels

Increase affect

Dont diagnose

16

Personal integrity
Expand experience
Liberate affect and impulses
Little focus on presenting problem
Promote communication
Promote interaction

17

Family Sculpting
Family Puppet Interviews
Family Art Therapy
Conjoint Family Drawings
Animal Attribution
Play Therapy Techniques
Role-Playing
Gestalt Therapy
Psychotherapy of the Absurd (Whitaker)

18

Gus Napier
Carl Whitaker (3 generation rule)

Two therapists
Personal encounter
Joined family
Confrontational

to overemphasize either the individual or

family connectedness is to distort the
human condition (David Keith)

19

Goldenberg, I., & Goldenberg, H., (1991).

Family therapy an overview (3rd ed.).
Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.
Nichols, M., (2008). Family therapy
concepts
and methods (8th ed.).
Boston: Pearson Education.
Piercy, F., & Sprenkle, D., (1986). Family
therapy sourcebook. New York:
Guilford Press

20