Family counseling

The Structural Model

Introduction

Introduction
Developed and introduced by Salvador Minuchin.
Structural family therapy shares with other family systems
approaches a preference for a contextual rather than an individual
focus on problems or solutions.
The major concept of this theory that an individuals symptoms
are best understood as rooted in the context of family transaction
patterns, that a change in family organization or structure must
take place before the symptoms are relieved.
In other words the structural model emphasize:
(a) The wholeness of the family system
3

Introduction
(b) The influence of the familys hierarchical organization
(c) The interdependent functioning of its subsystems
It is the familys underlying organizational structure (that is, its
enduring and regulating interactional, rule-setting patterns) and its
flexibility in responding to changing conditions throughout the
family life cycle that help govern the appearance of functional or
dysfunctional patterns.

Structural family theory

#1: Family structure

Just as is the case with all adapting organisms, families need
some form of internal organization that dictates how, when, and to
whom to relate; the subsequent transactional patterns make up the
structure of the family (Colapinto, 1991).
A familys structure is the invisible or covert set of functional
demands or codes that organizes the way family members interact
with one another (Minuchin, 1974).
The family structure represents the sum of the operational rules
the family has evolved for carrying out its important functions.

#1: Family structure

It provides a framework for understanding those consistent,
repetitive, and enduring patterns that reveal how a particular family
organizes itself in order to maintain its stability and, under a
changing set of environmental conditions, to seek adaptive
alternatives.
A familys transactional patterns regulate the behavior of its
members, and are maintained by two sets of constrains: generic or
universal rules, and idiosyncratic or individualized rules (Minuchin,
1974).
In addition, there must be complementary of functions the
husband and wife, for example, operate as a team and accept their
interdependency.

#1: Family structure

The degree to which the needs and abilities of both spouses
dovetail and reciprocal role relations provide satisfaction are key
factors in harmonious family functioning.
In some cases, family balance is achieved by different family
members being assigned complementary roles of functions (good
child bad child; tender mother tough father).
Thus, complementarity or reciprocity between family roles provides
a generic restraint on family structure, allowing the family to carry
out its tasks while maintaining family equilibrium.

#2: Family subsystems

Families carry out their basic functions in part by organizing
themselves into coexisting subsystems, often arranged in
hierarchical order.
Typically, family subsystems divisions are made according to
gender (male/female), generation (parents/children), common
interests (intellectual/social), or function (who is responsible for
what chores).
The spousal, parental, and sibling subsystems are the most
prominent and important subsystems in the family.

#3: Boundary permeability

Boundaries within a family vary in their flexibility or permeability, and that
degree of accessibility helps determine the nature and frequency of contact
between family members.
Clearly defined boundaries between subsystems within a family help
maintain separateness and at the same time emphasize belongingness to
the overall family system.
The autonomy of members is not sacrificed, but at the same time the
boundaries remain flexible enough so that care, support, and involvement
are available as needed.
An important benefit of such clarity becomes apparent whenever the family
attempts to make structural changes over time to accommodate to
changing life circumstances.
10

#3: Boundary permeability

Excessively rigid or inflexible boundaries lead to impermeable
barriers between subsystems.
Diffuse boundaries are excessively blurred and indistinct, and thus
easily intruded upon by other family members.
Most family systems fall somewhere along the continuum between
enmeshment (diffuse boundaries) and disengagement (rigid
boundaries).
Most families are neither totally enmeshed nor totally disengaged,
although they may contain enmeshed or disengaged subsystems.

11

#4: Alignments, power and coalitions

Alignments are defined by the way family members join together or
oppose one another in carrying out a family activity.
Power within a family has to do with both authority (who is the
decision maker) and responsibility (who carries out the decision).
Thus, alignments refer to the emotional or psychological
connections family members with one another.
Power, on the other hand, speaks to the relative influence of each
family member or an operations outcome.
Coalitions are alliances between specific family members against a
third member.
12

#4: Alignments, power and coalitions

A stable coalition is a fixed and inflexible union (such as mother
and son) that becomes a dominant part of the familys everyday
functioning.
A detouring coalition is one in which the pair hold a third family
member responsible for their difficulties or conflicts with one
another, thus decreasing the stress on themselves or their
relationship.
Structuralists believe that for parents to achieve a desired outcome
in the family there must be
(a) Clearly defined generational boundaries so that parents
together form a subsystem with executive power.
13

#4: Alignments, power and coalitions

(b) Alignments between the parents on the key issues, such as
discipline.
(c) Rules related to power and authority, indicating which of the
parents will prevail if they disagree and whether the parents are
capable of carrying out their wishes when they do agree.

14

#5: Family dysfunction

Rosenberg (1983) when a family runs into difficulty, one can
assume that it is operating within a dysfunctional structure.
A dysfunctional family by definition has failed to fulfill its purpose of
nurturing the growth of its members.
Five dysfunctional family structures were explained: (a) enmeshed
families; (b) disengaged families; (c) families with a peripheral
male; (d) families with noninvolved parents; and (e) families with
juvenile parents.

15

Therapeutic goals

16

Therapeutic goals
The structuralists consider that they have reached their therapeutic
goal when the family has restructured itself and thus freed its
members to relate to one another in nonpathological patterns.
Structural therapists efforts are geared to the present and are
based on the principle of action preceding understanding. That is,
action leads to new experiences, to insight and understanding, to
rearranged structures.
The aim here is to help the family change its stereotyped
interactive patterns and redefine its relationship, thus aiding
members to better deal with the stresses in their lives.
17

Therapeutic goals
Structuralists offer family leadership, direction, and encouragement
to examine and discard rigid structures that no longer are
functional and to make adaptive changes in structures as family
circumstances and family developmental stages change.
Hierarchical relationship in which the patterns customarily exercise
authority may be redefined and made more flexible in some cases
and reinforced in others.
Alignments and coalitions may be explored, embedded conflicts
acknowledged, alternative rules considered.

18

Therapeutic goals
The therapeutic efforts of structuralists typically follow this order:
1. Joining and accommodating.
2. Assessing family interactions.
3. Monitoring family dysfunctional sets.
4. Restructuring transactional patterns.

19

1. Joining and accommodating

In an attempt to disarm family members who may be suspicious or fearful of
being challenged or blamed, structuralists typically begin by adjusting to the
familys affective style.
The therapist greets each member by name and encourages him or her to
participate, but does not insist on a response or confront silent or resistant
members.
The therapist shows respect for the family hierarchy by asking first for
parents observations.
Nonthreatening, friendly, ready to help without being pushy, the structural
therapist is at the same time adapting to the family organization,
assimilating the familys language patterns, interactive style, and commonly
used terms and gaining a sense of family patterns and structures.
20

1. Joining and accommodating

As a therapist, Minuchin (1974) describes himself as acting like a
distant relative, joining a family system and respectfully
accommodating to its style.
Mimesis (Greek for copy) refers to the process of joining the
family by imitating the manner, style, affective range, or content of
its communications in order to solidify the therapeutic alliance with
them.
Affiliating with the family, the therapist might make confirming
statements regarding what is positive about each member; this
technique helps build self esteem and may also allow other family
members to see that person in a new light.
21

2. Assessing family interactions

The ultimate concerns of the structural therapy in any family
appraisal are the familys hierarchical organization, the ability of its
subsystems to carry out their functions, the familys possible
alignments and coalitions, the permeability of its current
boundaries, and its pliability or rigidity in meeting the needs of
individual members as circumstances command.
Overall, the thrust of the assessment effort, from the initial session
onwards, is to evaluate the familys ability to change obsolete or no
longer workable interactive patterns within the family, helping the
family replace these outmoded patterns with ones more consistent
with ongoing family development.
22

2. Assessing family interactions

Assessment is an integral and ongoing part of structural family therapy.
Immediately upon joining the family sometimes before meeting them,
based on intake sheet info the therapist is forming hypotheses about
the familys structural arrangement.
Structuralists make use of a simple pictorial device called a structural
map to formulate hypotheses about those areas where the family
functions well and others areas where dysfunction may be occurring.
Used as an assessment device, family mapping often helps provide an
organizing schema for understanding complex family interactive
patterns.
23

2. Assessing family interactions

24

2. Assessing family interactions

25

3. Monitoring family dysfunctional sets

Monitoring and helping to modify troubled or problematic
transaction patterns is the crux of the structural intervention
process.
Once structuralists have gained entrance into the family, they
begin to probe the family structure, looking for areas of flexibility
and possible change.
Two structural techniques are Boundary making represents
an effort to create greater psychological distance between
enmeshed mother and daughter, and by bringing the marginalized
father closer, to begin to modify the familys customary
transactional patterns.
26

3. Monitoring family dysfunctional sets

At the same time, the therapist is using the technique of
unbalancing attempting to change the hierarchical relationship
between members of the parental subsystem by having the father
take on an expanded role in the family.
Through tracking, the structural therapist adopts symbols of the
familys life gathered from members communication.
An enactment is a stated effort by therapist to bring an outside
family conflict into the session so that the family members can
demonstrate how they deal with it.

27

4. Restructuring transactional patterns

Restructuring involves changes in family rules and realignments,
changes in the patterns that support certain undesirable behaviors,
and changes in the sequences of interaction.
One particularly useful technique reframing changes the
original meaning of the event or situation, placing it in a new
context in which an equally plausible explanation is possible.
The idea is to relabel what occurs in order to provide more
constructive perspective, thereby altering the way the event or
situation is viewed.

28