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.

2010 Schedule

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.

Spring Semester:

February 13, 2010
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.

March 13, 2010
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 10, 2010
Nuclear Family Emotional Process

The concept of the nuclear family emotional system describes the patterns of emotional functioning in a family in a single generation. These emotional patterns begin with plans for a marriage and then follow through with: the types of relationships with families of origin; each spouses adjustment to the other before children; and the adjustment with each child to the system. The patterns of adaptive functioning at the nuclear family will go toward: marital conflict; physical, emotional, or social dysfunction in one spouse; projection of the parental problems to one or more children; or to a combination of all these patterns. 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.

May 22, 2010
Family Projection Process

The concept of family projection process describes how parents project part of their immaturity to one or more children. The pattern which is seen most frequently is one which operates through the mother with the mechanism which enables the mother to become less anxious by focusing on the child. Her husband is sensitive to her anxiety and supports her involvement with the child. The presentation will illustrate the 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

Brigitte Heffernan, LCSW; Joan McElroy, LCSW, CADC; Lee S. Gardner, LCSW

Tuition

A non-refundable fee of $650.00.

Time

9:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M.

Location

Princeton Theological Seminary
Erdman Hall
20 Library Place
Princeton, New Jersey

Application Deadline

January 29, 2010

CEUs

This Program Is Approved By The National Association Of Social Workers (Provider Number 886506444) For 20 Continuing Education Contact Hours.

For more information contact us at or
609-924-0514

Click here for application form

 

Fall Semester:

September 11, 2010
Multigenerational Transmission Process

The concept of multigenerational transmission process defines the principles of projection of varying degrees of immaturity of different children when the process is repeated over a number of generations. It describes the pattern that develops over multiple generations as children emerge from the parental family with higher, equal, or lower basic levels of differentiation that the parents. 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.

October 16, 2010
Sibling Position

The concept of sibling position is an adaptation of Dr. Walter Toman’s work on the personality profiles of each sibling position. Although Toman’s work studied normal families, Bowen theory has been able to use the ten profiles of sibling position to reconstruct the family emotional process of past generations to understand the emotional process in the present nuclear and extended family, and to make postulations about the future. This presentation will illustrate this 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.

November 13, 2010
Emotional Cutoff

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.

December 11, 2010
Societal Emotional Process

The concept of societal emotional process describes how a prolonged increase in societal anxiety can result in a gradual lowering of the functional level of differentiation of a society. The impact of a lower functional level of a society, the greater the incidence of social symptoms such as high crime rate, a high divorce rate, an incessant clamor for rights, and a notable neglect of responsibilities. 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.

Faculty

Brigitte Heffernan, LCSW; Joan McElroy, LCSW, CADC; Lee S. Gardner, LCSW

Tuition

A non-refundable fee of $650.00.

Time

9:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M.

Location

Princeton Theological Seminary
Erdman Hall
20 Library Place
Princeton, New Jersey

Application Deadline

July 15, 2010

CEUs

This Program Is Approved By The National Association Of Social Workers (Provider Number 886506444) For 20 Continuing Education Contact Hours.

For more information contact us at or
609-924-0514

Click here for application form