Articles

Exploring changes in family functioning when a child participates in a School-Based Filial Therapy program

Jane Cooper, Mong-lin Yu, Linda MacKay, Ted Brown (2023)
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy (ANZJFT), 00, 1-24

Using Bowen theory as the guiding theoretical framework, this article presents a research project that examines the impact of children’s participation in School Based Filial Therapy upon family functioning.

Keywords: Bowen Family Systems Theory, family functioning, family therapy, School-Based
Filial Therapy, school play therapy

From Gestalt Therapy to Family Systems: How Theoretical Frameworks Inform Clinical Applications

Martina Palombi (2018)
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy (ANZJFT), doi: 10.1002/anzf.1334

This article describes the author’s transition from a Gestalt psychotherapy framework informed by attachment theory and developmental theories to Bowen family systems theory when working with a client.

Keywords: Bowen Family Systems Theory, gestalt therapy, therapeutic relationship, theoretical framework, systems,relational

A Wider Lens : Bowen Theory and a Natural Systems View of Symptoms

Victoria Harrison MA
The CAPA Quarterly Feb 2013

This article describes a natural systems view of symptoms, provides an overview of the neuroscience and stress research that helps make sense of symptoms. Bowen theory provides a wider lens to view the interaction between factors at play in the development of symptoms and in responses to treatment.

Keywords: Bowen Family Therapy, family of origin, physiological Reactivity, Anxiety & Symptom Development, Psychotherapy

Interview with Michael Kerr

Barbara Fraser, Linda MacKay & Lu Pease
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy (ANZJFT) Vol.31 No.1 2010 pp. 100-109. The CAPA Quarterly Feb 2013

The following article was written by Dr Michael Kerr in response to questions put to him by family therapists. Michael Kerr was trained by Murray Bowen and subsequently went on to work as faculty at the Georgetown Family centre, and succeed Bowen as director.

Keywords: Bowen Family Therapy

Is Bowen Theory Still Relevant in the Family Therapy Field?

Jenny Brown
Journal of the Counsellors and Psychotherapists Association of NSW Inc (CAPA) Quarterly Issue 3 pp. 11-17.

This paper considers the common questions asked about the relevance and effectiveness of Bowen’s model and allow readers the opportunity to think for themselves about whether or not it has something to offer.

Keywords: Bowen Family Therapy, family of origin, individual therapy, emotional process

Collaborative Approaches to Family Systems Supervision: Differentiation of Self

Linda MacKay and Jenny Brown
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy, (ANZJFT) 2014, 34, 325–337

This paper provides an overview of collaborative approaches to supervision in family therapy from a Bowen theory perspective. It focuses on differentiation between supervisor and supervisee as a mutually useful approach to the supervision process.

Keywords: collaborative, family systems, Bowen, supervision, differentiation 

Family of Origin Supervision in the Workplace: Impacts on Therapist and Team Functioning

Holly Donnelly & Megan Gosbee
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy (ANZJFT) Vol.30 No.4 pp. 300-314

Through an anecdotal account based upon a trial this article examines Bowen’s Family of Origin Coaching’s usefulness to clinical supervision.

Keywords: Supervision, Bowen Family Therapy, individual and workplace functioning, family of origin, clinician anxiety 

Making sense of the parenting ‘soft/hard split’

Jenny Brown, 2023
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy (ANZJFT) Vol.44 Issue 2, 2023

This article explores the common parenting style tension around nurture versus limit-setting evident when working with families with a symptomatic child.

Keywords: Bowen theory, child mental health, family interactions, family therapy approaches, family therapy history, parent hope, parent manuals, parent styles, parenting tensions, parenting, qualitative research, sequences, soft/hard split, triangles

Tracking Emotional Process in Relationship Interactions Using Sequences

Lauren Errington, 2022
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy (ANZJFT) Vol.43 No.1 2022

This paper explores the clinical application of tracking sequences in family therapy with a particular focus on Bowen family systems theory. It considers the similarities and differences of a Bowen theory-informed approach compared other therapy models.

Keywords: therapy, sequences, family interactions, patterns, emotional process, family therapy, observation, self-awareness

Inviting Each Partner out of the Fusion: Bowen Family Systems Theory and Couple Therapy

 Jenny Brown and Jo Wright, 2010

This article explores fusion in couples, and considers the goals of therapy when working with couples from a Bowen theory approach

Keywords: Bowen family systems theory, couple therapy, fusion

We Don’t Need Your Help, But Will You Please Fix Our Children?

Jenny Brown, 2008
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy (ANZJFT) Vol.29 No.2 pp. 61-69

This paper will draw from parents’ feedback in two cases in an effort to shed some light on the conditions that may facilitate a parent’s willingness to consider looking at their own contribution to the circular relationship patterns in which symptoms have emerged.

Keywords: therapy, sequences, family interactions, patterns, emotional process, family therapy, differentiation, self-awareness

Assisting the Two-person System: An Approach Based on the Bowen Theory

Daniel V. Papero, 2014
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy 2014, 35, 386–397

This paper reviews basic concepts of the Bowen theory and describes their role in guiding the clinical approach to the disturbed two-person relationship using a systems rather than conventional cause-and-effect therapy lens. 

Keywords: Bowen theory, differentiation of self, anxiety, emotional reactiveness, triangles, nuclear family emotional process, cutoff, systems thinking, I-position

Separations: A Personal Account of Bowen Family Systems

Martina Palombi, 2016
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy 2016, 37, 327–339

This paper offers a personal account of a therapists own family of origin research. It explores the impact of separations from parents, nuclear family, and extended family through a Bowen family systems theory perspective.

Keywords: anxiety, Bowen family systems theory, family of origin, family therapy, separation anxiety, systems thinking

Going Home Again: A Family of Origin Approach to Individual Therapy

Jenny Brown, 2008
Psychotherapy in Australia Vol.14 No.1 pp. 12-18

This article explains a Bowen systems approach to looking at family of originated which provides a bigger picture of interactions across the generations and enables one seek to constructively understand the influence of their previous generations.

Keywords: Bowen theory, coaching, family of origin, family systems theory, generations, psychotherapy, relationships

Bowen Family Systems and Grief

Jenny Brown, 2012
(“Loss and recovery: responding to grief with the compassion of Christ and the skills of all Gods people.” Ed. Wesley M, Mosaic press, 2012).

This paper draws on Dr Murray Bowen’s family systems theory to consider different families manage the death of a member. Addressing how grief responses can vary for family members, and concludes with implications for counsellors and carers.

Keywords: Grief, differentiation of self, triangles, emotional reactivity, nuclear family emotional process

Trauma and Bowen Family Systems Theory: Working with Adults Who were Abused as Children

Linda MacKay, 2012

Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy (ANZJFT) Vol.33 No.3 2012 pp. 232-241.

This paper combines the family systems approach and recent brain research to trauma. It considers how post trauma symptoms are viewed as part of the ‘family emotional process’ even when traumatic events have emanated from outside the family system itself.

Keywords: child abuse trauma, anxiety, dissociation, Bowen family systems theory

Bowen family systems theory in Christian ministry; Introduction

Jenny Brown and Lauren Errington, 2019

In this introductory chapter the authors provide a brief description of the theory, and its key concepts. It provides a sketch of Bowen’s theory of change, and how that interacts with the Bible’s as a work of both Holy Spirit and human responsibility. 

Keywords: Bowen Theory, change, ministry, Holy Spirit, differentiation of self.