Genograms And Family Systems Theory

Making a genogram can enhance one’s training as a helping professional by laying out points in a person’s life and family that have caused distress and could affect practice in the future. By self realizing the crisis points in one’s family it can help to identify triggers that could lead to countertransference as well as resurfacing of old traumas during counseling or leading a group. Plotting out one’s life is a way to organize a family especially if there are multiple marriages of parents and non-traditional family ties within a standard family tree. By knowing where you come from and the experiences that shape your family you can better

How you ever feel that we, as sons or daughter tend to repeat our parent mistakes? I have always asked myself why and I still have not have the right answer. For example my mother grew up in a very strict environment when she was a child, with my grandmother and my great grandmother coming from a Japanese Culture; my mother grew up to be a very quiet and reserve young adult. She is really kind, strict, helpful and with a very big heart. Although we had our differences when I was growing up, we get along pretty well. One of the things that stand out from her, it is her stubborn personality. Although she is a really good listener, I always feel that it has to be her way. I believe she is more like her way or the

Nuclear family emotional system is a concept describing four primary relationship patterns of emotional functioning, which are matrimonial conflict, dysfunction in a spouse, impairment in children, and emotional detachment (Haefner, 2014). Family reactions to such are imitations of previous generations, as well as predictors of how future generations will react. The family projective process is when children inherit the strengths and weaknesses of their parents, such as emotional issues (Haefner, 2014). Multigenerational transmission is the progression of family ideals and traditions to multiple generations, which are either supportive or detrimental (Haefner, 2014).

A genogram is a type of family tree, but with more detailed information. It is often used as a diagnostic and assessment tool by physicians or counselors to obtain individual and family history in order to help in the establishment of a diagnosis and treatment plan.

Additionally, incorporating the emotional and relational components into the genogram and asking for input from each family member could elicit thought-provoking discussion and insight for each individual member of the family, in addition to the

Since all families are different, a diagram could potentially assist a client to become aware of many aspects of their family. They construct a diagram in which they are familiar with all of their biological family members or they could construct a diagram in which they are not familiar with their biological family. Although they may not be familiar with their biological family, their adopted family is their family. Being able to see the members represented within the digram can allow the client to understand how theories and therapies can influence knowledge of the client’s

Today genograms are used in psychology and medical settings to identify the connection between families and identify how members of the family communicate with one another. There are several types of genograms that created for many reasons such as ethical, career, and sexual. This genogram helps an individual map out the connection of their contextual history with their framework. My experience of creating a genogram was an amazing feeling and it helped me discover several factors that occur in life as an adult. The interview with mom helps me to identify a lot of unknown features that can be possible genetically transmitted to my children. During my genogram creation, a few explanations of conflicts were discussed according to family member’s characteristics and beliefs. Discovery of my genogram alerts me with the many personalities that I share with my family. While reading this book I was eager to finish the book because of the interested information that was listed to help me understand my developmental structures.

This paper offers a critical reflection and analysis of my genogram. My family consists of two completely different families thrown together who coexist together without much intermingling. When viewed as one unit, I would describe my family as a loose knit, hardworking, Black middle-class, southern, Christian family. I use the term loose knit because my family is not close at all. We can go months without talking to or seeing each other and there is nothing wrong with that. There have been many times I have been in conversation with family friends and find out information about my family because we do not interact with family members often. The anchor that each of us is close to is our mother, Sandra Smith-Graves.

The family system theory is a theory developed by Doctor Murray Bowen. It is a theory of human behavior that holds the view that a family is an emotional unit. The family system theory also uses system thinking to explain the complex interactions that exist in the family unit. According to Bowen, people have a tendency to feel disconnected from their families now and then. However, the feeling is just a feeling and not a fact. Bowne also acknowledges that family members have the potential to affect and influence each other to the extent that they appear to have the same emotional dispensation. Family members seek attention, approval, and support from each other thus the existence of a form of interdependence. Bowen, while developing the family system theory, looked at how families develop patterns so as to diffuse anxiety. According to Bowen, too much closeness or too much distance can trigger feelings of anxiety in the family (Titelman, 2014). External stressors and sensitivities can affect the family’s ability to think and respond to relationship dilemmas.

A main key concept of NT is that the problem a client presents with is viewed separate from the client. The problem is not the person; it is something the person has. Therefore, the goal of NT is to change the effects resulting from the problem and not the person themselves. To do this, NT uses the technique of externalizing the problem. To externalize the problem, the problem is first given a name and then it is explored and applied to the clients believes, values, behaviors, and ideals that has formed the clients identity. The negative aspects of these areas get rewritten into the new story. The process of externalizing the problem allows the client to see their problem separate from themselves so they can better

The family that is being observed for this assignment is headed by a married couple who has been together for a little over 40th years. Cliff Barnes a 61 year old male is married to Amy Barnes 66 years old. Their immediate household composition includes Amy Barnes’s 44 year son from a previous relationship, her 22 year old grandson and the couple’s 15 year old adopted daughter. I have included the immediate family members in the attached genogram because they play a major role in the family dynamics.

The objective of doing the genogram is to get to know the patient by gaining understanding of his/her family background. Assessing the family using systemic approach enables health care providers to learn about the ways in which family members interact, what are the family expectations and norms, how effective is the members communication, who makes decisions and how the family deals with life time stressors (Hockenberry & Wilson, 2007). This paper outlines the assessment and analysis of the three generation of Wits’ and Smiths’ families, its relationship, health pattern, habits, tradition and structure. It also provides a nursing teaching plan. The interview was conduced with Alina Wit, a second generation mother of three.

This image above, is a genogram of my family. It includes both my dad’s side of the family, the Zwanzigers, and part of my mom’s side of the family, the Pechotas. The communication patterns on the Zwanziger side of the family and the Pechota side of the family are different from one another. Both of my dad’s parents are deceased and his only sister lives in South Carolina so we do not get to see each other very much. When my grandpa and grandma were alive, they also lived in Iowa and my dad’s sister and her family lived in Illinois so they would come to Iowa more often to see my grandma and grandpa and my family. Now that my grandparents are no longer living and my aunt and uncle live farther away, we do not get to see them nearly as much as we use to. When we do get to see them though, a lot of times our communication between each other, is telling family stories. According to Galvin, Braithwaite, and Bylund (2015), family stories are told in order “to remember, to create belonging and family identity, to teach expected behavior and deeply held values to current and future members, to develop the family culture, to connect generations, to manage stress, and to entertain” (p. 100). When our families get together, we love to tell stories about our Grandpa and Grandma Zwanziger.

In many ways family systems theory can be seen as a broad field where there many different implications that make up the system, it is a system. A system is a set of objects that are bound together by a relationship, which are based around the attributes of the objects as drawn upon by (Janet.BB, 1982). Family systems theory addresses the many different ideals and values that make up a typical family, these include the roles each member of the family, the power relations either from the male of the family or both parents of the family, the boundaries that are set within the family to ensure that the structure of the family is secure, in both individualistic and collectivist families this can be seen (Fred Rothbaum, 2002).

. Family systems theory is one of many theories that can be used to describe and analyze families. The family systems theory thinks of the family as a whole, not just as individuals. Individuals form a family system through their interaction and communication patterns. When something with an individual changes, it impacts the entire family. This theory emphasized interdependence among family members and says that problems should not be blamed on one individual, but should be looked at in terms of the family context. Individual components join together within a family system to form a whole. When a change occurs, the whole family must adapt to the new situation. This theory is a great way to look at families as a whole. There are seven descriptive features that define a family system which are: interdependence, wholeness, patterns/self-regulation, interactive complexity/punctuation, openness, complex relationships, and equifinality. Using these seven pieces, I will relate them to the family from Pieces of April and how that family uses or fails to use the features.