This document provides an overview of Murray Bowen's family systems therapy. It discusses Bowen's background and the basic tenets of his approach, including differentiation of self, triangles, emotional cut-offs, and the multigenerational transmission process. The document also outlines Bowen's eight major concepts and describes techniques used in Bowenian therapy such as demonstrating differentiation and using genograms.

1. Christine Moran, M.A.
ICPPD
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2. BOWENIAN FAMILY
SYSTEMS THERAPY (1)
 Murray Bowen (1913 - 1990)
 He based his theory on two opposing life-forces:
Togetherness & Individuality
 He served in the U.S. army during World War II
and trained as a Psychiatrist in1946, in
Topeka, Kansas
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3. BOWENIAN FAMILY
SYSTEMS THERAPY (2)
 Biology was the chief influence on his thinking
and on his systemic approach to Family
therapy(which is one of the earliest and most
comprehensive of all approaches)
 As one of the founders of Family Therapy, he
had practiced extensively as a psychotherapist
with schizophrenic clients
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4. Basic Tenets of His Approach
 Evolution theory reappears in his speculations
as to how people arrive at their level of
"DIFFERENTIATION".
 This concept echoes Freud's hypothesis
concerning ego development
"where the id was, there the ego shall be"
 Bowen studied this concept over three
generations of the family and referred to this as
the
 "MULTIGENERATIONAL TRANSMlSSlON PROCESS"
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5. 8 MAJOR CONCEPTS
1. Differentiation of self
2. Triangles (triangulation)
3. Emotional cut-off
4. Nuclear family emotional system
5. Family projection process
6. Multigenerational process( as above)
7. Sibling position
8. Societal emotional process
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6. Basic Tenets cont’d
 His theory is often viewed as belonging to a
historical frame-work.
 This process showed most of all in the
communication between family members.
 Bowen believed that most children emerge from
their parents – with only a few developing
‘higher’ or ‘lower’ levels of differentiation than
their parents.
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7. DIFFERENTIATION of Self
 Bowen was less interested in communication
than the other theorists, viewing it as a by
product of "differentiation".
 He believed that 90% of people were not well
differentiated.
 Differentiation of Self forms the cornerstone of
his theory and is both intra-psychic and
interpersonal.
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8. DIFFERENTIATION of Self cont’d.
 The most involved child in a family system is
thought to have a lower level of differentiation
than that of the parents, whereas less involved
children are thought to develop slightly higher
levels than their parents.
 Bowen’s theory presumes that people tend to
marry people with similar levels of differentiation
(“like attracts like”)
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9. First Level Differentiation
 This level is intra-psychic, and describes the ability of
the person to separate thoughts from feelings.
 The goal of therapy is to bring this about to a functional
level - so that no one ends up being “swallowed up”
 Where a higher level of differentiation exists; people feel
more freedom around the choices they make in their
lives.
e.g. if someone moves to California to live they feel
comfortable about it, so that it is not a distancing
reaction.
 The attainment of this level of differentiation involves
reason, detachment and objectivity while retaining
spontaneity.
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10. Second Level Differentiation
 Most people's intellects are so flooded with
feeling that they are incapable of thinking or of
separating thinking from feeling, and as a result,
autonomous behaviour
 This level of differentiation is inter-personal
and refers to the degree to which an individual
manages across a lifetime to maintain
emotional autonomy with others.
 It refers to the ability to retain the ‘l’ position in
relationships and to remain clear about the
differences between thinking, feelings, needs
and wants. 10

11. Second Level Cont’d
 It also refers to the ability to obtain “objectivity”
instead of reactivity, and to be able to state what is
not tolerable in the presence of someone who
wants you to change for them.
 This involves autonomously acting on our own
beliefs rather than reacting;
 Interdependence as opposed to co-dependence
and intimacy as opposed to
reflexivity.
 To achieve this, most of us have to pull ourselves
out of the emotional chaos of F.O. and avoid
FUSION, CUTOFFS, and TRIANGUIATION.
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12. FUSION
 In particular Bowen was struck by the fusion
between schizophrenic patients and their
mothers.
 He coined the phrase “un-differentiated ego
mass” to describe this kind of reactivity.
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13. TRIANGULATION
 Bowen says that we are always attracted to triangulation
as a concept in almost all relationships (just as cats are
attracted to birds!)
 Since dyads are the least stable communication system
and prone to tension, couples and families tend to bring
in a third party, interest or influence when the going gets
too hot
 This happens at many different levels, since all
relationships go through cycles of distance and
closeness
 The partner who is feeling the most discomfort is usually
the one who pulls in a third party as a way of gaining an
ally.
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14. EMOTIONAL CUT-OFFS
 Emotional cut-offs may be real or intra-psychic
and are attempts at maintaining autonomy.
While this may insulate from the discomfort of
attachment (often from a parent) - it leaves the
person vulnerable to loss of autonomy.
 This occurs when a situation becomes so
emotionally intense, that family members can’t
separate their own thoughts and behaviours
from others.
 It also leaves them vulnerable to recreating the
same dynamic in other close relationships.
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15. Nuclear Family Emotional System
 Bowen focused on the impact of un-differentiation
on the emotional functioning of a
single generation family. He asserts that fusion
can cause symptoms which may manifest in
one of the following:
○ Marital conflict
○ Dysfunction in one spouse
○ lmpairment of one or more children
○ Emotional distance
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16. Family Projection Process
 Is described as the way in which parents
transmit their emotional problems to a child and
how in turn their negative projections can
damage the child.
 Often the most vulnerable or sensitive child is
effected most.
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17. Sibling Position
 Describes how people who grow up in the same
sibling position often demonstrate the same
significant common characteristics.
 Parents can identify with the child in the same
sibling position as themselves (and may triangle
them in to the marital relationship)
 A child can be aligned with a grandparent
against a parent and this gets repeated
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18. Societal Emotional Process
 Describes how the emotional system controls
behaviour not just in families but also at a
societal level, promoting both regressive and
progressive periods in a society.
 Family systems and social systems are linked
and often reflect each other
 Social expectations about race, class, sexual
orientation etc. effect the family.
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19. GOALS OF THERAPY
 To achieve differentiation and avoid
family members feeling swallowed -up.
 To decrease anxiety and bring about
relief from distressing symptoms.
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20. TECHNIQUES
 The therapist demonstrates differentiation by
maintaining the “I” position, which requires taking
responsibility for one’s own behaviour.
 Other techniques include:
○ Circular questioning
○ Tracking
○ Coaching
○ The three generational genogram (family tree).
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21. 21

22. Understanding Your Family Structure
Make a list of the siblings from oldest to youngest in
your family?
 Give a brief description of each (including yourself)
 What most stands out for each sibling?
 Which sibling(s) is/are most different from you, and how?
 Which is most like you, and how?
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23. A Balance of Being Separate
and of Belonging to a Family
 In what significant ways, if any, do you see yourself
as having a distinct identity and being
psychologically separate from your family of origin?
 At what age did you leave home physically?
 At what age did you leave home psychologically?
 And in what ways, if any, are you still
psychologically fused with your family of origin?
 Are there any aspects of this that you want to
change?
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24. Understanding the Rules of Your Family
Rules or messages that were delivered by our
parents and parent substitutes are often couched in
terms of
○ “Do this or that”
Consider the following “do” messages;
○ “Be obedient.”
○ “Be practical at all times.”
○ “Be the very best you can be.”
○ “Be appropriate.”
○ “Be perfect.”
○ “Be a credit to your family.” 24

25. Understanding the Rules of Your Family
At this point, reflect on the rules that seemed apparent in your
family
 What were some of the major rules that governed your family?
 What were some unspoken rules between the adults?
 What rules did you learn about appropriate sex-role behaviour?
 What did you learn about femininity?
 About masculinity?
 To what degree did you abide by all these rules?
 Were there any that you challenged?
 How did unspoken rules affect you?
 Were there rules surrounding what could not be mentioned?
 If there were secrets in your family, how did this affect the
family atmosphere?
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26. Understanding the Rules of Your Family
Consider some of the major “do's” and “don'ts” that you
heard growing up in your family and your reactions to them.
 What are a few messages or rules that you did accept?
 What were some rules that you fought against?
 Which of your early decisions do you deem to be most
significant in your life today?
 What was the family context in which you made these
decisions?
 If you grew up in your family thinking “I am never
enough”, how has this conclusion about yourself played
out in your current relationships in various aspects of
your life?
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27. Significant Developments in Your Family
You might find it useful to describe your family of
origin's life cycle.
Chart significant turning points that characterise its
development.
One way is to look at family albums and see what
the photos are revealing. Let these pictures
stimulate your memories, and see what you can
learn.
As you view photos of your parents‘, grandparents,
siblings, and other relatives' look for patterns that
can offer clues to family dynamics.
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28. Significant Developments in Your Family
In charting transitions in the development of your family, reflect on
these questions:
 What were any crisis points for your family?
 Can you recall any unexpected events that affected your family?
 Were there any periods of separation due to employment, military
service, or imprisonment?
 Who tended to have problems within the family?
How were these problems manifested?
How did others in the family react to the person with problems?
 In what ways did births affect the family?
 Were there any serious illnesses, accidents, divorces, or deaths in
your family of origin?
If so, how did they affect individual members in the family and
the family as a whole?
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29. Stages of Family Therapy
(Carr)
Stage 1 Planning
1.1. Planning who to invite
1.2. Planning an agenda
Stage 2 Assessment
2.1. Contracting for assessment
2.2. Managing engagement challenges
2.3. Completing the assessment and formulation
2.4. Alliance building
2.5. Formulation and feedback
Stage 3 Treatment
3.1. Setting goals and contracting for treatment
3.2. Participating in treatment
3.3. Managing resistance
Stage 4 Disengagement or Reconstructing
4.1. Fading out session
4.2. Discussing permanence and the change process
4.3. Relapse management
4.4. Framing disengagement as an episode in a relationship
4.5. Recontracting
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