Training
Course Objectives
Bowen family systems theory offers people a way to conceptualize human behavior. It offers a way to think about, and focus on, a more objective way of understanding the relationships in which one lives as well as one's own functioning within these important relationships.
The objectives of each seminar will be to:
- Understand specific patterns of family and relationship interactions as described by Bowen family systems theory.
- Choose methods of intervention in assisting families toward desired change.
- Heighten awareness of the self of the trainee in clinical encounters.
- Learn to apply system principles of Bowen theory to one's self and to one's family of origin.
- Acquire a conceptual framework for understanding human functioning.
2009
This series of monthly meetings will give trainees an opportunity to study the theoretical concepts of Bowen family systems theory. The morning program will be a didactic presentation of these theoretical concepts and a viewing of teaching tapes of the specific concept. The afternoon format will provide each trainee the opportunity to apply these concepts to clinical material.
January 10, 2009
The Emotional System and Differentiation of Self
Concepts contained in Dr. Bowen's theory were guided by his thinking about the nature of man. The human was conceived as the most complex form of life that evolved from the lower forms of life and man was conceived as intimately connected with all living things. The emotional system enables an organism to receive information and to respond on the basis of it. The emotional system is thought to be the behavioral link between the human and other forms of life. The human's ability to think and reason, a function of the cerebral cortex, is the most important difference between the human and other forms of life. Distinguishing between emotion and thought in one's self and working to act in a more responsible, thoughtfully directed way is the work of differentiation of self. This presentation will illustrate these theoretical principles of Bowen theory with examples of clinical cases, and segments of the teaching tapes of Dr. Murray Bowen and Dr. Michael Kerr.
February 7, 2009
Impact of Anxiety on Important Relationship Systems and Symptom Development
Anxiety in Bowen theory is defined as a person's response or emotional reactiveness to a real or imagined threat. The more one is emotionally driven, and less guided by thought, the more one is chronically anxious. A fundamental task in applying Bowen theory to one's own life is to develop the capacity to observe one's own emotional reactivity. Bowen theory sees the family as an emotional unit. A disturbance in the balance of the emotional system, both within an individual and within his relationship system, can trigger the development of symptoms. This presentation will illustrate these theoretical principles of Bowen theory with examples of clinical cases, and viewing segments of the teaching tapes of Dr. Murray Bowen and Dr. Michael Kerr.
March 7, 2009
Triangles
Triangles are thought to be the basic molecule of the emotional system and the smallest stable relationship unit. When anxiety, stress, or emotional reactivity reaches a level of intensity between two people that disturbs the emotional balance and/or becomes intolerable, a third person is brought in. When one is in a triangle, the challenge is to understand how one contributes to triangles and how one is vulnerable to getting into triangles. This presentation will illustrate this theoretical principle of Bowen theory with examples of clinical cases, and viewing segments of the teaching tapes of Dr. Murray Bowen and Dr. Michael Kerr.
April 25, 2009
Emotional Cutoff and Unresolved Emotional Attachment
Bowen states that emotional cutoff is a concept that "deals with the way people separate themselves from the past in order to start their lives in the present generation." The concept describes distancing mechanisms that people use to handle unresolved emotional attachment to their parents. Unresolved emotional attachment can be described by the emotional places in which one has been unable to be a self with one's mother and father. Everyone has some degree of unresolved emotional attachment. The greater the degree of unresolved attachment in a person or in a family system, the greater the degree of emotional reactivity. This is a multigenerational process. The presentation will illustrate these theoretical principles of Bowen theory with examples of clinical cases, and viewing segments of the teaching tapes of Dr. Murray Bowen and Dr. Michael Kerr.
Faculty
Selden Dunbar Illick, LCSW; Joan McElroy, LCSW, CADC
Tuition
A non-refundable fee of $650.00.
Time
9:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M.
Location
Call 609-924-0514 for location information.CEUs
Application has been made to the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) for 20 CEUs.
For more information contact us at or
609-924-0514