1 / 8

Helping Adult Clients “Grow Up” In Their Families of Origin

Helping Adult Clients “Grow Up” In Their Families of Origin. Ruth Wetherford, PhD June 28, 2011. Division 42 Virtual Happy Hour. Basic Concepts

vanna
Download Presentation

Helping Adult Clients “Grow Up” In Their Families of Origin

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Helping Adult Clients “Grow Up” In Their Families of Origin Ruth Wetherford, PhD June 28, 2011 Division 42 Virtual Happy Hour

  2. Basic Concepts Focus: Instead of trying to change family members, we change our own reactions to family interactions and situations. Our goal is personal authority in the family.

  3. Basic Concepts Personal Authority: A pattern of abilities which enables one to assume responsibility for the totality of his/her experiences with life; to experience and relate to all others as peers, not higher or lower on a hierarchy of authority; to initiate, receive or decline intimacy.

  4. PA = DS + I Personal Authority Combines Differentiation of Self with Intimacy Differentiation of Self in the family is the ability to know what one feels and thinks about every important thing in the family, separate from social pressure. Intimacy is the ability to share the meaning of one’s life experiences with another person, assuming the other is accepting and non-critical enough to be emotionally safe. Intimacy includes the ability to recognize when others are not safe and to choose when to not reveal. With personal authority we can be ourselves and stay connected to family members.

  5. THE METHOD: STUDY THE FAMILY, learning about client’s relationships with each member. IDENTIFY THE PATTERN of repeating sequences of interactions of client’s triangles. IDENTIFY THE GOAL for client’s emotional and behavioral change. PLAN THE STRATEGY for client’s de-triangulations, always moving toward the goal. ANTICIPATE/PLANforfamily pressure to change back. UTILIZE humor and compassion for self and others. Keep it positive.

  6. References • Murray Bowen, M.D. Family Therapy in Clinical Practice, Jason Aronson, 1978. • James Framo, Ph.D. Family-of-Origin Therapy: An Intergenerational Approach, Brunner/Masel, 1992. • Donald S. Williamson, Ph.D. The Intimacy Paradox; Personal Authority in the Family System, Guilford Press, 1991. • Donald S. Williamson, Ph.D., James H. Bray, Ph.D., Paul E. Malone, Ph.D. PAFS-Q: Personal Authority in the Family System Questionnaire. To order, contact James Bray, Ph.D. 3701 Kirby Drive 6th Floor, Houston TX 77098. (713)798-7751.

  7. References • Ellen Wachtel, Ph.D. and Paul Wachtel, Ph.D. Family Dynamics in Individual Psychotherapy: A Guide to Clinical Strategies. Guilford Press, 1991. • Patrick Gannon, Ph.D. www.peakperformance101.com for a description of “cardio imagery and rehearsal” • Rick Hanson, Ph.D., Richard Mendius, M.D.. Buddha’s Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love and Wisdom, New Harbinger, 2009, for conscious stress-reduction.

  8. THANK YOU DR. RUTH WETHERFORD 220 MONTGOMERY ST. SUITE 400 SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94104 www.drruthwetherford.com 415-397-2282

More Related