Fixation and Regression in the Family Life Cycle

Abstract

In spite of the obvious fact that families differ significantly depending upon their current stage of the life cycle, most of the family therapy literature focuses on intervening in ongoing family interaction without specific attention to the dimension of family development. Family sociologists, on the other hand, while not dealing with modifying family functioning, have provided more detailed tools with which to understand variations in family functioning based on stages of family development. Our work with families in acute distress suggests the need to increase the specificity with which our assessments and interventions are tailored, by incorporating the family developmental view. This paper explores the utility of the family developmental view using the concepts of fixation and regression in the family life cycle. These concepts were found to be relatively refined and quite pragmatic assessment devices that assist therapists in specifying developmental issues of the family. Case examples of actual families in crisis are presented in order to demonstrate the utility of these conceptual tools.

Where are family theories in family-based obesity treatment?: conceptualizing the study of families in pediatric weight management

“…Families struggling with change who cannot relinquish their current roles may require the assistance of counselors or other professionals before making behavioral changes. 60 Implementation of home-based changes may be complicated by different ages, life stages and task roles. For example, interventions in families with young children may differ from those with adolescents.…”

Using the family life cycle with later life families

“…Family development and maturation continue in the setting of a series of life cycle events which have to be accommodated. Indeed, some of the most difficult adjustments may have to be made in later life, and problems can occur here, as they can occur earlier (Barnhill and Longo, 1978).…”

Life Cycle Stages for Types of Single Parent Families: Of Family Development Theory

“…The concept of "ease of transition" from stage to stage was advanced by Burr (1972) to account for this variability among families; some experiencing rough transitions and others smooth changes in structures from stage to stage. The key may be in the capacity of some families to anticipate such changes as are required, making plans to alter the role structure, enabling matching to occur without role strain whereas other families appear to be "locked in" to their scripts and require outside intervention to make the transition into the next stage (Barnhill & Longo, 1978). Rhona Rapoport is credited by this author for first rendering salient the sharp breaks between stages of development by conceptualizing the discontinuities as "normal crises of transition," normal because the majority of all families experience them.…”