The Use of History in Family Therapy: A Brief Rejoinder to Sluzki*

Abstract

The use of history by psychodynamically oriented family therapists is often misunderstood. In place of a traditional “lifting of repression” paradigm, contemporary psychodynamic family clinicians emphasize intervening in the transmission of emotional patterning over generations in families. This model has both diagnostic and therapeutic utility for family therapists. While differences exist between this model and “systems” approaches, it is argued that integration of the two is both possible and desirable.

Engaging the family: An integrative approach.

“…Within the last decade, family therapists influenced by contemporary psychoanalytic theories, such as object relations and self psychology, have contributed to an understanding of transference and countertransference phenomena within marital therapy (Lachkar, 1992;Lansky, 1981) and family therapy (Scharff & Scharff, 1987;Slipp, 1984). With the addition of constructivist and social constructivist thinking (Goolishian & Anderson, 1992;Hoffman, 1990;Watzlawick, 1984), family therapy has rediscovered the importance of the therapeutic relationship.…”

“…Within the family therapy field, there has been considerable discussion and disagreement about the relevance of historical information about the family versus immediate, direct attention to the presenting problem and the interactions that maintain the problem (Jordan, 1982;Sluzki, 1981). Our approach is integrative, bringing together family of origin backgrounds, a historical perspective, and immediate attention to interactions in the moment.…”