Chapter 9 - Psychodynamic Family Theory

Major Theorists

• sigmund frued

• nathan ackerman

• ivan boszormenyinagy

• james franco

• theodore lidz

• donald willianson

• norman paul

• lyman wynne

• A.C. robin skynner

Premises of the Theory

• unconscious processes link family members and influence individuals in the decisions about whom they marry

  • objects - significant others in one’s life are identified with or rejected

• unconscious forces must be worked through, and “interlocking pathologies” must be broken up

Treatment Techniques

• the individual or the individuals within a family are the units of treatment

• the goals of treatment are to break dysfunctional interactions within the family based on unconscious processes and to resolve individual dysfunctionality

• the therapeutic techniques include transference, dream analysis, confrontation, focusing on strengths, life history, complementarity, and interpretation

Role of the Therapist

• the therapist is the teacher (especially of psychodynamic terms), “good enough mother” (or parent), and catalysis of experience

Process and Outcome

• help family members work through unconscious restrictions and insights

• assist family members to interact on the basis of current realities

Unique Aspects of Psychodynamic Family Therapy

• the potency of the unconscious in influencing human behavior

• defense mechanisms and the part they play in family relations

• an in-depth historical perspective on the development of problems and a treatment of dysfunctionality that is thorough

• an attachment of people to objects (i.e., other people)

Comparison with Other Theories

• offers a treatment that is primarily linear and limited more to individuals than families

• offers a treatment that is costly in regard to both time and money

• is not appropriate for concrete thinkers or those who want immediate results

• lacks traditional empirical research and is reliant on case history reports