Systemic family therapy what is the symptom, which is its function and intervention techniques

Systemic family therapy represents a different approach to classic psychotherapies such as behaviorism or psychoanalysis. In classic models, the objective is to identify those conflicts of the subject's behavior; however, Family therapy focuses on the context in which the individual is immersed.

In this sense, the symptom brought to consultation would represent a message related to the family system configuration. Thus, the therapist will be in charge of identifying it and carrying out specific techniques to generate less conflicting relational patterns.

Content

• What is systemic family therapy?
• Function and utility of the symptom in family therapy
• Family Therapy Techniques
  • 1. Copartitioning
  • 2. Questions
  • 3. Staging
  • 4. Imbalance
  • 5. Complementarity
    • References

What is systemic family therapy?

The family is the core of social life, for this reason, it is difficult to really understand a subject if we do not take into account the environment in which it develops. Because of this, Family therapy has taken strength in recent years, as it maintains a holistic vision, giving importance to interpersonal relationships and components that arise from these.

This approach is not based on individual personality or behavior, but on the family as an organism that communicates and works as its own guidelines. In this sense, each of the people who constitute it are components of a system and dance at the same rate. Even so, sometimes asynchronies or patterns that generate discomfort are generated, the ideal time for the intervention of a family therapist being the intervention.

Function and utility of the symptom in family therapy

In general, the word symptom It is associated with disease or discomfort, however, in the area of ​​psychology it can have a different connotation. Under certain approaches, a symptom could be considered as a message that the psychotherapist decipher with the consultant. So, The symptom can be considered an element of value to which you have to pay close attention to the psychotherapeutic space, instead of a problem that must be immediately eliminated.

Within a family, tensions and conflicts, products of dysfunctional behavior patterns, common to the entire system. Nevertheless, The family does not usually recognize the existence of a joint problem, but they attribute it to one of its members. In family therapy, this individual will be called "the member of the symptom", who loads a message of the unresolved in the family group. Through this patient, the symptom shows us the secrets, myths, loyalties and exclusions that characterize that core in particular.

The symptom is a dysfunctional form of behaving within the family nucleus, it is like a fragment of behavior that exerts deep effects on all those surrounding the person, which is identified as "the problem".

The symptom communicates, This is its main function, it is tremendously useful and that is why it is essential to understand that it is happening in the system, since it defines the family situation and is integrated within the rules of the family itself.

Sometimes The symptom protects and conceals, and at the same time frees those who carry it (Bateson, 1972). It also distracts the attention of major problems in the family that, to face them, would directly mean a danger to the system. On the other hand, the symptom can grant another status during their permanence to the person who expresses it, and above all The symptom implies that the family situation is unsustainable, In addition, the uncertainty generated by certain situations that we believe irresoluble is intolerable for the human being (Hoffman, Lynn (1992)), and this requires a transformation, second -order qualitative changes. This is why understanding the symptom is the angular piece on which future interventions of the family will be held.

Many times the presence of the symptom is the only way or the last resort that the family, as a system, finds to survive and avoid disintegration or the emergence of worse problems.

So, The symptom in the systemic approach is not understood as something negative, since somehow Balance and grants family survival. The disturbing behavior expressed through the symptom occurs in the interaction, in relation to someone and in turn this dysfunctional interaction makes it maintain while the family need that gave rise to the symptoms subsists.

The symptom is useful since it is essential to understand what is happening in the system. Understanding the family as a system in constant interaction of its members, each of their reactions influences the rest, is a circular process in which everyone influence all And, therefore, the relevance of the symptom gives us information regarding the functioning of the family.

Thus, many times the cause and at the same time aggravating the symptom, is the system to which it belongs and that fails to carry out a positive evolution but, rather, a stagnation. That is why when a symptom appears in a system member, it will be necessary to understand it within the system where it appeared and in its interactions, since it is a metaphor of family dynamics.

Family Therapy Techniques

Thus, the symptom is understood as "something that emerges" from the dysfunctional family system for modify its stable structure, to cause a functional change. With this change, what is sought is to modify the relational guidelines of the members that make up the system so that they acquire different roles and change their positions, at the same time modifying their subjective perception of reality and, therefore, the structure of the same.

Taking this into account, something important in the Symptom approach is to insert an exchange rate that returns the functionality to the family, And to achieve this, a therapeutic system must be created that includes the therapist as an active tool to help the family in the change process.

On the other hand, from the systemic approach the idea that, in some way, the past is reflected in the current interactions of the system, so that another element to be taken into account would be the search for the modification of the interactional guidelines present At the time of intervention (Minuchin, 1981).

Once the problem and the symptom carrier is identified, the family therapist will use various techniques that will allow the family group to be united. Thus, family therapy is carried out under the following frame:

1. Copartitioning

It refers to the way and level of involvement of the therapist within the family group. First of all, Psychotherapist must focus on knowing family dynamics and introducing the possibility of change. Even so, it is necessary to maintain respect for the rules and limits already established in the family system, so the changes will never be abruptly given.

2. Questions

As mentioned above, the symptoms allows to maintain the established family dynamics, even if they become dysfunctional. That is, the members are already accustomed to their particular way of proceeding. Therefore, It is necessary to make questions regarding the structure and family reality, taking into account the perspective of each of its members. In this way, we open the possibility of starting to live differently.

3. Staging

For this staging technique, the office becomes a stage, in which the psychotherapist participates as a spectator and director. To start, Asks the family members to stage the problem as it is presented at home. Thanks to this technique, you can realistically observe the causes and effects of family communication guidelines. Second, he will ask participants to interact differently than usual, directing the situation to another result.

4. Imbalance

The imbalance It consists in modifying the already established hierarchy and bringing members to exercise other than usual roles. For example, in the alternating alliance technique, the therapist attributes different and complementary practices to each member. Thus, instead of competing for the hierarchy, participants will explore ways to relate in a broader framework.

5. Complementarity

In our society, the approach is found in the struggle for individual triumph, opposite to systemic conception. Systemic family therapy relies on the idea that the human being cannot be understood outside its context; Being the family part one of the main environments in which the individual unfolds. Therefore, The intention of complementarity is to provide the idea of ​​union and identity as a family group, instead of various identities that coexist without taking into account the other.

References

• Arbeláez Naranjo, L. P. (2017). The symptom as a co-created metaphor in the family system. Poiésis Magazine, (32), 158-168. Available at: https: // core.AC.UK/Download/PDF/268189016.PDF
• Minuchin, s. (1981). Family therapy techniques. Paidós.
• Viaplana, g., Muñoz, d. (2016). The systemic model in family intervention. University of Barcelona. Available at: https: // diposit.Ub.EDU/DSPACE/BITSTREAM/2445/31584/6/MODEL_SISTEMIC_ENERO2016.PDF