1 / 29

Family Systems

Family Systems. Learning Objectives. To be able to define a family system. To be able to identify the key components within a family system. To be able to recognize the roles that exist within a family system. To understand how family dynamics at home impact the student at school.

reese-anderson
Download Presentation

Family Systems

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. Family Systems

  2. Learning Objectives • To be able to define a family system. • To be able to identify the key components within a family system. • To be able to recognize the roles that exist within a family system. • To understand how family dynamics at home impact the student at school. • To understand what is and what is not the behavioral interventionist role in supporting their student.

  3. Definitions • A system is defined as a whole made up of interactive parts. You can not add these parts together and get the total system. • The system is more than the sum of it’s parts.

  4. Family System • A family system is a social or biological set of people related by blood or intention. • Members interact with one another at different levels based on defined roles, intensity of relationships.

  5. Tension • The tendency of a system is to stay in a state of equilibrium. • The system also has to grow and change as needed. Stay the same Change

  6. Triangle

  7. Key Concepts in Family Systems • Conflicting human drives Autonomy versus Attachment • Differentiation of Self • Boundaries • Triangulation • Family Emotional System

  8. 1. Conflicting Drives Autonomy Attachment • SELF • Independence • Individuality • Control • Choices/Freedom • Self-reliance • OTHER • Connection • Intimacy • Belonging • Closeness • Affection

  9. 2. Differentiation of Self • Ability to separate intellectual and emotional system. • Think before acting. • Poorly differentiated self-acts automatically, rigid behaviors, reactive.

  10. 3. Three Boundaries • Where do ‘I’ and ‘you’ begin? • What do you have control over? (Able to say ‘no’, able to be your own self.) • 3. Are you able to own your own feelings? (It’s okay for me to be angry, even if you don’t like it.)

  11. Boundary Balance • No boundaries = totally vulnerable. • Rigid boundaries = No intimacy • Healthy boundaries = appropriate vulnerability and intimacy.

  12. Boundary Activity • Break up into 4 groups. • Discuss your students by answering the three questions: • Is the student accountable for the choices he/she makes? • Does the student own his/her opinions and feelings or are they swayed by others? • Does the student have a separate identity in his/her family or in his/her school group?

  13. 4. Triangulation • Normal-we all have a tendency to do it when under stress/anxiety. • Can make you feel better in the moment (venting)but has negative overall impact because: • Does not solve the problem. • Can form a pattern that could be harmful to the people involved. • Who do you turn to? • What has been the outcome-positive/negative?

  14. Triangulation Activity • Form groups of three • Define what the conflict is between 2 of you. The 2 of you hold both hands, making a line. • Act out realistically the conflict while pulling on the other persons hands, creating physical tension. Don’t pull hard enough to move the other person. • Next the third person holds his/her hand to each of the initial pair’s hand and forms a triangle. The initial pair focuses now on the 3rd person, not on the conflict you were having. • Rotate so everyone has a different role.

  15. Triangulation Activity Questions • What was the emotional tension like when having a conflict with one person? • What was the physical feel of that tension? • What was the emotional tension like when adding the 3rd person? • What was the physical tension you felt in a triangle versus a line.

  16. Questions (continued) • 5. What did the relationship feel like when having conflict with one person? • 6. What did the relationship feel like between the initial pair when the 3rd person was added?

  17. 5. Family Emotional SystemDysfunction or Not Depends on: • The stress a family encounters. • How the family adapts to the stress. • Families connection with extended family and social networks.

  18. Family Dysfunctional system: • 4 types of relationship patterns may be seen: • Marital conflict. • Dysfunction in one spouse. • Impairment of one or more children. • Emotional distance/emeshment Healthy System • Marital communication open. • Balance of strength and power between spouses. • Balance between meeting all children’s needs and marital needs. • Balance between closeness and sense of self.

  19. Children's Roles to Keep the Family Functional • Responsible Child or Hero • Scapegoat- Acting Out Child • Caretaker • Adjuster or Lost-Child

  20. Responsible Child or Hero • Child who is ‘9 going on 40.’ • Takes over parent role. • Very self-sufficient, and responsible. • Give the family self-worth because they look good on the outside. • Parents look to this child to prove they are good parents. • Hardest time accepting the fact that he/she needs help to heal. • Rigid. • Judgmental of others (can be subtle). • Judgmental of self. • Achieves success • Cut off emotionally. • Feels inadequate, insecure on the inside. Adult Characteristics Child Characteristics

  21. Scapegoat- Acting Out Child Child Characteristics Adult/Teen Characteristics • Family feels ashamed of this child. • Most emotionally honest child. • Acts out the tension and anger the family ignores. • Trouble in school looking for the same negative attention he/she is used to at home. • Pregnant-Addiction • Most caring and sensitive so also feel tremendously hurt. • Self hatred/self destructive. • Usually the first child who is in recovery programs.

  22. Child Characteristics Caretaker • Responsible for the emotional well-being of the family • Family’s social director and/or clown • Diverts family attention away from pain and anger.

  23. Adult Characteristics(Caretaker) • Valued for kind heart, generosity, ability to listen. • Sense of self is centered on others. • Does not know how to get their own needs met. • Gives love but not able to receive it. • Case-loads rather than friendships. • Involved in abusive relationships to ‘save’ the other person. • Helping professions like nursing, social work, therapists. • Very low self-worth, feel a lot of guilt they work hard to overcome by being ‘really nice.’ • People pleasers, co-dependent.

  24. Adjuster: Lost Child Child Characteristics Adult Characteristics • Child escapes by trying to be invisible. • Deals with reality by withdrawing from it. • Isolated activities-reading, dreaming, watching television. • Denies any feelings and ‘doesn’t bother getting upset.’ • Unable to feel. • Low self-esteem. • Terrified of intimacy. • Relationship phobic. • Withdrawn/shy. • Socially isolated because that is the only way he/she knows to be safe from hurt. • Many are actors, writers as they have found a safe way to express emotions.

  25. Role Activity: Reflect individually 1. Of the 4 roles which one best fits your student? 2. As the behavioral interventionist, how could you support your student in taking on a healthier relationship role during his school day? 3. As the behavioral interventionist, how could you reinforce/nurture a positive relationship role that your student has at home in the school environment?

  26. Family System Activity- Group • Get into small groups. • Read the scenario out loud. If you want a challenge read it only once and do not look at it again. • Have a group discussion to answer the following questions: • What is the underlying conflict? • Who is the conflict between? • Who/What is the third piece of the triangle? • What roles do the members of the family fall into?

  27. The Role of the BI • Understand that students have patterns/roles of behavior that serve a function in their family. (Can be functional or non-functional in school/life). • If functional: BI can use as a strength in the school setting. • Non-functional: BI teaching replacement skills and not reinforce unhealthy patterns in school. • Understand when student’s grow in their skills in healthier patterns, this change will create stress at home.

  28. Attitudes toward Families • Be non-judgmental toward families as family patterns can be multi generational. • Understand that families can have multiple stressors (child with disability, poverty, lack of transportation, limited extended family, access to services…). • Understand the way the family operates is an attempt to be successful and functional. • Families have their own values and beliefs that may be quite different from our own. • Families have insight into their child as well as strategies that may work at home we could replicate.

  29. BI Communication • Open communication with appropriate team members if student is expressing difficulties in this area. • Open communication with appropriate team members if notice difficult exchanges between student and family. • BI role focused on the student in school. • BI role is not dealing with the family issues as many family members draw BIs into this by asking advise or sharing personal family information. Refer parent back to service coordinator and clinical specialist.

More Related