Overview of Structural Therapy

Introduction

Presenter: Stephanie Yates Anyabuila, Licensed Associate Marriage and Family Therapist
Audience: Fellow therapists, aspiring therapists, and those utilizing therapy techniques
Focus: Overview of Structural Therapy, aimed at aspiring therapists

Developed By: Salvador Minuchin
Time Period: 1960s and 1970s
Context: Part of the marriage and family therapy movement
Focus: Response to psychoanalysis by Freud, emphasizes external relationships rather than internal insights

Concrete Approach: Focused on present interactions rather than abstract insights
Family Structure: Understanding and restructuring family hierarchies to promote healthier dynamics
Boundaries: Examining rules within a family for interactions
- Ideal boundaries are firm yet flexible
- Avoid overly rigid or overly permeable boundaries

Detouring: Parents become overly protective or blame the child for family problems
Stable Coalition: Parent and child align against another parent
Unstable Coalition: Parents vie for the child’s attention, common in divorces

Short-term and Long-term Goals: Restructure the family while setting immediate goals

Joining: Therapist joins all family members, establishing authority
- Mimesis: Mimicking client body language and speech
- Tracking: Identifying family values and long-term goals
Evaluating Structure: Observe boundary issues and create a family structural map
Restructuring the Family: Adjust family dynamics, realign boundaries
- Techniques:
  - Unbalancing: Role-playing to reveal family dynamics
  - Reframing: Change perception of behaviors from negative to positive
  - Altering Hierarchies: Aligning with less powerful family members
  - Boundary Making: Enforcing changes to make family aware of structural issues