• Complementarianism, a social theory of the "complementarity of

sexes" which is often invoked in anthropology by opponents of so-called

gender theory
• Interpersonal compatibility, the idea in social psychology that people
seek others with characteristics that are different from and complement
their own

 Complementarianism, a social theory of the "complementarity of sexes" which is

often invoked in anthropology by opponents of so-called gender theory
 Interpersonal compatibility, the idea in social psychology that people seek others
with characteristics that are different from and complement their own

• In systems thinking, it is a principle concerning the observability

of system behaviour. In systems theory, any description of a system
reflects the point of view of a particular observer. The principle of
complementarity states that, for any reasonably complex system, the
views of any two observers will be complementary – it will be
impossible to derive all the observations of one of the observers from
those of the other. The principle applies whenever we have partial
descriptions of the world from our observers, and may disappear if we
ask the observers to make increasingly detailed observations.

For Ackerman, a healthy family exhibits a “homeodynamic principle”, a term that combines the opposite notions
of homeostasis and change. Homeostatic balance refers to a complimentarity in the roles and relationships of the
family members that allows for structure and stability rather than uncertainty and family chaos. This homeostasis
is dynamic in the sense that it is adaptive in nature, changing as the family ages (causing a role reversal) and as
new situations arise for the family to adapt to. The dysfunctional family is not adaptive; its rigidity leads to
isolation or emotionally distant members, factions, demoralization, and the inability to fulfill various family
functions. While this failure to fulfill family functions may be seen in the presenting problems, such as learning
disabilities, acting out, parental abuse, etc, Ackerman defines a symptom either as “a unit of relational adaptation
that is irrational, inappropriate, automatized, and repetitive” or as pathologically loose, rapidly changing role
relationships that lead by stages to the disintegration of the family”. The sources of these pathological states are
the defenses used by individual family members, which create the transactional symptoms described above.

Given this formulation, it is not surprising that the therapist intervenes on the level of conceptulization and
interpretation. Ackerman is highly active during sessions, noting, exposing and interpreting defenses, so as to
neutralize imbalances and scapegoating, and to point out the effects of such symptoms on the emotional health of
the family members. As with “making the unconscious conscious,” the purpose of exposing defenses is to create
change by upsetting a heretofore automatic set of reactions, to imbalance dysfunctional homeostasis and allow it
to be examined rationally and thereby change to a new, more functional level of homeostasis. Change itself comes
about by the promotion of improved reality testing, heightened levels of awareness, leading to freer and more open
communication and improved problem-solving techniques among the family members.

Psychoanalytic training was also the starting point for Walter Kempler; he later became interested in existential
issues and family therapy. He worked for a time with Fritz Perls, and there is much overlap in their orientations.