My theoretical approach to family therapy is very integrative as I believe families cannot be described nor treated from a single-school system. I view humans through a humanistic and existential lens but am more technically structural and solution-based. With this integrative approach, I believe I will be the most effective in helping families grow and reach their goals.
Children enter the world as part of preexisting systems. They enter parental systems and families that already have rules, roles and boundaries, and more are made as children grow and the family develops. These transitions can be confusing and challenging for all members involved leading to feelings of fear, anger and even helplessness. Members within the family strive to feel competent and grasp at a sense of security as their family structure and organization shifts with each new addition or change. Normal family development is a delicate balance between change and stability. The most important rules to help maintain a sense of stability and security within the family, according to Virginia Satir, are the ones that govern communication (Bitter, 2009, p. 125). Rules via communication can be verbal or nonverbal but are usually intended to provide children safety as they advance outside the home. However, children hear absolutes in rules such as "Always listen to your elders," which quickly becomes impossible to follow all the time. Children begin to question such rules and parental authority begins to lose weight. Children also learn rules by observing the behavior of their parents, who typically do not follow the absolutes in rules they give their children. According to Satir, in healthy families, rules are few and consistently applied and are humanly possible, relevant and flexible depending on changing situations (Bitter, 2009, p. 125). Functional families are able to make changes and accommodations in the family as needed. Dysfunctional families, however, get stuck.
Problems develop in families when symptomatic behaviors do not get addressed. Instead, they maintain the current equilibrium of dysfunction. Simply put, the family avoids change where and when change is needed. An example of this is the double bind communication. In the double bind, two messages are sent simultaneously (one verbal and one nonverbal) with each of these messages negating the other. The receiver is left confused on how to act/respond, ultimately unable to discriminate between the levels of messages or define the relationship. This type of dysfunctional communication in families can become very damaging very fast as members lose their sense of competence and security within the family. Satir believed that "because communication involves the sending and receiving of information, messages must be sent and received clearly within families if individuals are to survive and flourish" (Becvar, 2009, p. 198). Symptomatic behaviors often arise from poor communication, which in turn can arise from p...
