Understanding the difference between Acute and Chronic Anxiety: "Acute anxiety is fed by a fear of what is; chronic anxiety is fed by a fear of what might be" Bowen & Kerr, 1988, p.113

     Anxiety and depression in a system. How it escalates in reciprocal relationship processes.

     Depression and functional helplessness.

     The anxiety present in all relationships and its implication for therapy: Togetherness and separateness forces.

     Anxiety binding mechanisms in family roles.

     How Bowen’s notion of self regulation requires a movement toward anxiety, rather than a move toward comfort and relief.

     The intrapsychic and interpersonal components of managing anxiety: How self regulation involves an effort to understand both the position of the self in the system and the system inside of the self.

     The goal of inviting differentiation of self: Symptom regression can end in a system when one person develops direction that is not fuelled by trying to relieve the anxiety of the moment. The emphasis moves to self rather than others and others are then able to recover their ability to act on thinking. As emotional boundaries return between family members, symptoms diminish.

     How relationship triangles keep symptoms stuck. De- traingling strategies for the therapist.

     Anxiety, Family Systems and the brain: current research.

     How other family members may contribute to another’s stuckness in symptoms of depression and anxiety: How attempts to help others may reflect the inability of the helper to tolerate his/her own anxiety.

     Working with non symptomatic family members, the impact on the symptom bearer.

     The role of the therapist in allowing self management resources to emerge: "when the therapist allows him/herself to become a ‘healer’ or ‘repairman’ the family goes into dysfunction to wait for the therapist to accomplish his/her work" Bowen, 1978 p.157-8