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A system is a set of related elements that interact dynamically with each other and the environment, and have identifiable properties. Key elements of a family system are its members + beliefs + roles + rules + rituals + assets + limitations + goals + boundaries + environment - a larger system of systems, or metasystem. Understanding these elements and how they relate and interact can help co-parents and professionals assess how well any family is filling the needs of (nurturing) its members, and what can improve that. Public and professional experience since the 1950s suggests that counsel-ing and psychotherapy based on family-systems principles is usually more ef-fective than earlier concepts focusing on individuals. This is because personal and relationship "problems" (unmet needs) are often promoted by the multi-gen-erational environment (system). An old idea that is slowly gaining current acceptance is that typical individ-ual personalities are inner-family systems of semi-independent subselves or "parts." Evidence is increasing that using family-system therapy principles with inner families is often effective at reducing a wide range of significant personal and some physical problems. This Website is based on this inner-family system concept, after more than 15 years of experience with "parts work" with individu-als, couples, and families. A basic premise here is that when one or more family adults' inner families are out of harmony, their relationships and outer families have "major problems." Lesson 1 here focuses on intentionally improving inner-family system harmony and effectiveness. more detail / Lesson 1 index and guidebook / Q&A / skeptical? / close |
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