#21 - SÉRIE 30 Dias com Sistêmica - Tema 21: Escolas da Terapia Familiar

Summary

In this video, Adriana Freitas, a couples therapist from Belo Horizonte, explores various schools of family therapy. She covers the structural therapy, developed by Salvador Minuchin, which focuses on family dynamics and hierarchies, and the strategic therapy, a brief approach targeting symptom elimination. She also discusses the Milan Group's psychodynamic approach, which emphasizes reflection and team-based therapy. Adriana highlights other influential theories, including individuation, family loyalty, life cycles, and communication. Her therapeutic practice integrates these diverse approaches to bring both short-term and long-term solutions to family and individual issues. She invites viewers to join her upcoming online course for a deeper dive into systemic therapy.

Takeaways

• 😀 Adriana Freitas is a couples therapist based in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, specializing in systemic therapy and psychology.
• 😀 The video series '30 Days with Systemic Therapy' aims to share knowledge on systemic theory for both personal growth and professional progress.
• 😀 Three main schools of family therapy are highlighted: Structural, Strategic, and Milan Group therapies.
• 😀 Structural Therapy (Salvador Minuchin) views the family as a hierarchical system, with dysfunction arising from disrupted hierarchies and alliances.
• 😀 Strategic Therapy (Jay Haley) is a brief and symptom-focused therapy that intervenes with specific techniques to eliminate problems quickly.
• 😀 The Milan Group (Mara Selvini Palazzoli and others) employs a less interventive, reflective approach, with therapists working behind a one-way mirror to observe and provide insights.
• 😀 Structural Therapy emphasizes understanding the family’s dynamic rather than focusing on individual symptoms.
• 😀 Strategic Therapy is centered on the elimination of symptoms through active intervention and structured techniques.
• 😀 Milan Group Therapy promotes insight and awareness through collaborative discussions, with therapists observing and offering suggestions rather than directly intervening.
• 😀 Adriana also integrates other theories, including the individuation theory (emotional separation from family of origin), family loyalties, life cycle challenges, and communication patterns, into her therapeutic practice.
• 😀 Adriana's therapeutic approach combines both brief and long-term strategies, understanding that profound changes in family dynamics require sustained efforts.
• 😀 Adriana is preparing an online course to dive deeper into these systemic theories, inviting those interested to follow her social media for updates.

Q & A

What is the main focus of structural therapy?

Structural therapy, developed by Salvador Minuchin, focuses on understanding the family as a system with hierarchies and subsystems. It addresses dysfunctions caused by disruptions in these structures and aims to restore balance by reorganizing the family dynamics, rather than targeting individual symptoms.

How does strategic therapy differ from structural therapy?

Strategic therapy, created by Jay Haley, is more focused on brief interventions and actively works to eliminate the presenting symptoms within the family. Unlike structural therapy, which looks at the family's dynamics as a whole, strategic therapy is symptom-centered and seeks to solve the problem as quickly as possible.

What is the Milan Group approach to family therapy?

The Milan Group, which includes therapists like Mara Selvini Palazzoli and Luigi Boscolo, integrates psychoanalytic influences into therapy. The approach emphasizes reflection and understanding, with therapists observing the family from behind a one-way mirror. They do not intervene directly but suggest hypotheses to the therapists in the room, who then discuss them with the family.

How does the Milan Group method of working with a team of therapists differ from other approaches?

The Milan Group method is unique because it involves a team of therapists observing a family session from behind a one-way mirror. This team generates hypotheses based on their observations, which are then discussed with the family. This collaborative process allows for a more reflective and less interventionist approach compared to other therapeutic methods.

What is the role of individuation in family therapy, according to Ray Moynihan?

Ray Moynihan's theory of individuation focuses on the emotional separation of an individual from their family of origin. This concept is crucial in helping individuals form their own identity and break free from emotional dependencies that may be present in the family system.

What does Ivan Boszormenyi-Nagy's theory on family loyalty and accounts involve?

Ivan Boszormenyi-Nagy's theory explores the idea of family loyalty and accounts, suggesting that individuals within a family system are bound by unspoken obligations and debts. These concepts influence how family members relate to each other and how the family dynamic can perpetuate certain patterns of behavior.

How does the concept of family life cycles impact family therapy?

The concept of family life cycles emphasizes how families develop and change over time, facing challenges at different stages of their existence. Understanding these cycles helps therapists identify issues related to transitions and change within the family, such as the arrival of children, aging, or other major life events.

What role does communication play in family therapy?

Communication is a key element in family therapy. Therapists focus on both verbal and non-verbal communication to improve interactions within the family. Addressing issues like double-bind communication—where conflicting messages create confusion—is essential for fostering effective communication and healthier family dynamics.

What is the importance of understanding family dynamics in systemic therapy?

Understanding family dynamics is crucial in systemic therapy because it helps identify how individual behaviors and symptoms are connected to the larger family system. By addressing dysfunctional dynamics, systemic therapy aims to create healthier relationships and improve overall family functioning.

Why does Adriana Freitas prefer long-term therapy over brief interventions?

Adriana Freitas prefers long-term therapy because deep, lasting changes in individuals and families often take time to achieve. While she uses strategic techniques when necessary, her focus is on long-term, meaningful transformations that require a more thorough, in-depth approach to therapy.