Overview of Structural Therapy

Introduction

• Structural therapy is a model developed during the early marriage and family therapy movement.
• Falls under classic models in marital and family therapy.
• Developed by Salvador Minuchin in the 1960s and 70s.
• Was predominantly working with low-income families.
• Response to psychoanalysis by Freud.

Key Concepts

• Focus: External relationships rather than internal insights.
• Here and Now: Concentrates on the immediate issues within the family.
• Structure of Family: Analyzes family dynamics and hierarchy.
• Boundaries: Introduced the concept of boundaries within families.
  • Firm but flexible boundaries are ideal.
  • Overly rigid boundaries lead to disengagement.
  • Too flexible boundaries lead to enmeshment.

Common Family Dynamics Issues

• Detouring: Parents focus excessively on a child, either protectively or blamingly.
• Stable Coalition: One parent and child team against another parent.
• Unstable Coalition: Parents compete for a child’s allegiance, often seen in divorces.

Goals of Structural Therapy

• Combine short-term and long-term goals.
• Ultimate aim to restructure family dynamics.

Phases of Structural Therapy

1. Joining:
   • Build trust with family members.
   • Establish authority in the therapy setting.
2. Evaluating Structure:
   • Identify any boundary issues.
   • Create a family structural map.
3. Restructuring:
   • Adjust family dynamics and boundaries.

Techniques in Structural Therapy

• Unbalancing the Family:
  • Role-playing to understand family roles and dynamics.
• Reframing:
  • Change perceptions of behaviors from negative to positive.
• Altering Hierarchical Relationships:
  • Align with those with less authority to reestablish balance.
• Boundary Making:
  • Change seating, restrict communication to make current structures visible.

Conclusion

• Structural family therapy emphasizes understanding and restructuring family hierarchies and boundaries.
• Important for families struggling with balance between firm and flexible boundaries.

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