Family Systems Approach

Family systems therapy, informed by family systems theory, has been shown to be effective in the treatment of teens. Consequently, mental health conditions like teen depression, teen substance use disorder , teen anxiety, and teen eating disorders often respond well to the family systems approach. When the whole family is involved, family system issues are truly addressed.

The eight interlocking concepts in Dr. Bowen’s family systems theory include: 1) differentiation of self from the family as a whole; 2) the emotional system regulating the family and their relationships; 3) multigenerational transmission of issues from parent to child; 4) the family projection process, in which problems are projected by a parent onto a child; and 5) emotional cutting-off by family members when faced with a crisis.

Sources: The Bowen Center for the Study of Family, National Center for Biotechnology Information