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

Donnelly, Holly; Gosbee, Megan

doi:10.1375/anft.30.4.300

Cited by 9 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…Little is still known about the relative effects of standard systemic training, as represented here, and more formal methods of reflective supervisory practice such as Aponte's Personof-the-Therapist Training Model (Aponte et al 2009) or Bowen's Family of Origin Coaching (Donnelly and Gosbee 2009). Direct empirical links are also yet to be made between the development of a reflective practitioner and treatment effectiveness.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Learning and Living Systemic: Exploring the Personal Effects of Family Therapy Training

et al. 2011

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Despite growing recognition that systemic family therapists need to be adept at personal reflection and managing the therapeutic relationship, little research has explored the effects of training beyond the development of skills. This article provides a report on a qualitative study focussed on the personal effects of family therapy training, with particular reference to the aspects of training that foster personal reflection and growth. Twenty three trainees from three training institutions were interviewed, utilizing the practices of grounded theory. Trainees reported a deepening relational awareness, which applied to both personal and professional domains and included shifts in perspectives on relationships with loved ones. Five aspects of training were identified as responsible: (1) personally challenging experiences with clients; (2) supervisors who live the paradigm; (3) the demystification of theory; (4) a safe supervisory space; and (5) the development of trusting peer relationships. Interns also described, in turn, how their personal development affected their clinical work, particularly in the development of compassion and empathy. This study serves to highlight training practices that support reflective practice in systemic family therapy.Keywords Family therapy Á Self of the therapist Á Personal development I'm practising what I'm preaching, do you know what I mean? (Jane)In the past decade there has been a growth in interest regarding the self of the therapist in the training and supervision of systemic family therapy. Mason et al. (2002) noted that one of the criteria for family therapy training courses in the UK includes the requirement for the exploration of trainees' families of origin and culture, and how family-related issues may help and/or limit them as therapists. Rhodes et al. (2008) describe how opportunities for personal reflection are maximised in their own training practice through the inclusion of a definitional ceremony (White 2000) at the beginning of the program, the implementation

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Donnelly and Gosbee (2009) report a more intensive program of family of origin coaching, inspired by Bowen's systemic ideas (Brown 1999).…”

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Learning and Living Systemic: Exploring the Personal Effects of Family Therapy Training

et al. 2011

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“…The premise is that if one can gain a broader more objective view of previous generations of one's family, and in turn make more mature connections with extended family, one is better able to manage one's reactivity in here and now relationships. For a therapist this allows a way to go past cause and effect thinking about client presentations and to see the interconnectedness of all family members in contributing to the how, who, what, and where of symptoms that are presented by the client.A few papers have been published in recent times about the application of family of origin work to the professional development of the clinician (Donnelly & Gosbee, 2009;Renshaw, Rhodes, Brown, Donnelly, Gosbee, & Wainer, 2013). This new paper by Martina Palombi goes beyond qualitatively exploring the effects of this work to describing the personal journey of her family of origin research.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…A few papers have been published in recent times about the application of family of origin work to the professional development of the clinician (Donnelly & Gosbee, 2009;Renshaw, Rhodes, Brown, Donnelly, Gosbee, & Wainer, 2013). This new paper by Martina Palombi goes beyond qualitatively exploring the effects of this work to describing the personal journey of her family of origin research.…”

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confidence: 99%

Commentary: Separations: A Personal Account of Bowen Family Systems Theory

Brown

2016

ANZ J of Family Therapy

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Family of origin investigation has been a core part of training in Bowen family systems theory since the 1970s. Bowen observed that his trainees, who worked to research and understand their multigenerational family, made more progress in managing themselves in their clinical work and life than did trainees who attended regular psychotherapy dealing with family/couple issues in the here and now (Bowen, 1978). The premise is that if one can gain a broader more objective view of previous generations of one's family, and in turn make more mature connections with extended family, one is better able to manage one's reactivity in here and now relationships. For a therapist this allows a way to go past cause and effect thinking about client presentations and to see the interconnectedness of all family members in contributing to the how, who, what, and where of symptoms that are presented by the client.A few papers have been published in recent times about the application of family of origin work to the professional development of the clinician (Donnelly & Gosbee, 2009;Renshaw, Rhodes, Brown, Donnelly, Gosbee, & Wainer, 2013). This new paper by Martina Palombi goes beyond qualitatively exploring the effects of this work to describing the personal journey of her family of origin research. The report integrates her work in a year-long family of origin research group held at the Family Systems Institute (FSI) as well as her individual supervision, which addresses the links between her sensitivity to ending a therapy relationship and her lens about her separation experience in her family of origin. The FSI website describes the purpose of this professional development:These groups assist the participant to be a researcher in their own family of origin system and to understand their position and those of other family members, in the pattern of relationships. With the use of a family diagram participants research and present the facts of previous generations. This provides the basis for learning about systems patterns and the variations in functioning of different family lines and family members (FSI, 2016).The efficacy of exploring family of origin in the context of clinical supervision is considered to be of great value for managing the self of the therapist in relation to the family scenarios that their clients present:A focus of Bowen coaching is on understanding the theory as it relates to the therapist's self with the goal of increasing the therapist's level of differentiation and their ability to de-triangle from client families. He stressed that the position a therapist plays in relation to the client family will be similar to the position that the therapist plays in their own family (Gosbee et al., 2009, p. 302).

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“…Thus, leaving these elements out may deprive trainees of knowledge about themselves as therapists-in-training that can speed their growth. Supervisors who have the wisdom, boundaries, and relationship-building skills (Falender & Shafranske, 2004) to help trainees address countertransference can make a greater difference for the trainees and for those they treat than those supervisors who pay attention only to theory, diagnosis, and technique Donnelly & Gosbee, 2009;Lutz & Irizarry, 2009). Potentially, there is more countertransference in couples or family therapy because the dynamic within the system happens in front of the therapist.…”

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confidence: 99%

A Trainee’s Guide to Conceptualizing Countertransference in Marriage and Family Therapy Supervision

Gehlert

Pinke²,

Segal³

2013

The Family Journal

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Countertransference has special significance in the field of marriage and family therapy because there are more points of countertransference activation when working with couple and family relationships than with an individual. While the typical selfawareness portion of graduate studies is important, this article prepares trainees to understand why their openness to working with their countertransference in supervision is critical to their development as a therapist. Through the presentation of a unique model of countertransference interactions, a case example, an exploration of the important role of clinical supervision in effectively addressing countertransference, and examples of how to explore countertransference, this article supports the trainee in learning both how to address countertransference that may inhibit the family's progress and how to enhance clinical results by making effective use of countertransference.

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

Cited by 9 publications

References 17 publications

Learning and Living Systemic: Exploring the Personal Effects of Family Therapy Training

Learning and Living Systemic: Exploring the Personal Effects of Family Therapy Training

Commentary: Separations: A Personal Account of Bowen Family Systems Theory

A Trainee’s Guide to Conceptualizing Countertransference in Marriage and Family Therapy Supervision

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