Introduction
Family and marriage therapy refers to the inter-relationships between individuals and other things. It is a branch of psychology that posits that family relationships are the core of a psychological state and must be subjected to meaningful psychological treatment. Family and marriage therapy does not only occur in the therapy room; the therapists are trained to offer to counsel to couples, individuals, and families anytime and anywhere the need arises (Hardy & Fisher, 2018). In this case, relational systems help therapists to address multiple emotional, mental, and relational problems. Therapists also spearhead premarital preparations, relational enrichment, and parental education programs. MFTs focus more on profound and long-term change by examining the persons within the bigger systematic context and helping them know their physiological state and how it is impacted by their environment (Pourmovahed et al., 2021).
Therapists use different theoretical models or approaches to address family and marriage issues. Such models are categorized into two broader categories, such as modernist and postmodernist family models. In this case, postmodern therapists focus more on the language’s productive capacities to develop their narrative styles. In contrast, modern therapists focus more on creating the relationship between the structure and material by adopting and relating them to their modern technological era (Pourmovahed et al., 2021). As opposed to modernism, postmodernism emphasizes the vitality of the historical elements in the design. While there are several MFTs models, both modernist and postmodernist, the paper focuses only on two models, one from modernist therapies and the other from postmodernist therapies (Hardy & Fisher, 2018). In this case, therefore, the paper focuses on structural family therapy from modernist theories and solution-focused therapy from postmodernist theories (Gottman et al., 2019).
Structural Family Therapy and Solution-Focused Therapy
Structural family therapy was developed by Salvador Minuchin and is based on the family mapping technique to unfold and understand behavioral patterns and family interactions. In this case, therapists use visual representations to identify the family issues and how they are maintained throughout the family dynamics (Tadros & Finney, 2018). By looking at the family unit structures, therapists help to improve the relationships and interactions between family members. Structural family therapy suggests that the relationship of a dysfunctional family creates stress, anxiety, and other mental health problems for the family members. Therefore, structural therapist intervenes in these dysfunctional family interactions to create a positive change to improve the well-being of the family unit members (Colapinto, 2019).
On the other hand, solution-focused therapy was founded by Steve de Shazer and Insoo Kim Berg and is based on the strength of approaching psychotherapy based on solution-building instead of problem-solving. Unlike other family therapies, solution-focused therapy ignores the past causes and present issues and concentrates efforts on the current situation and future hopes. In this case, solution-focused therapy operates on three principles: listen, select, and build to help in family relationship building instead of solving problems (Gottman et al., 2019). It uses solution-focused techniques and assumes that family members possess’ solution-building abilities and therefore listen intently to cues to address the issues. Therefore, solution-focused therapists focus on identifying one’s needs and strengths and exploring possibilities and solutions (Pourmovahed et al., 2021).
Structural Family Therapy Concepts
Structural family therapy uses concepts to help organize and understand family complexities. The standard concepts utilized by this therapy model include family structure and boundaries, subsystems, power, enmeshment, disengagement, and cross-generational coalitions (Tadros & Finney, 2018). First is the family structure, which deals with how families organize themselves. The structure, in this case, was used by Minuchin to indicate the behavioral patterns of the families, which are conservative but changeable. According to Minuchin, a healthy family must have clear boundaries between the systems and subsystems. Any change in dysfunctional family structure alters the existing structure intending to increase its flexibility. The family structure is hierarchical to clearly define the boundaries between parents and children and the roles of each family member (Colapinto, 2019).
Secondly, subsystems which are the family smaller units forming up the entire system. According to Minuchin, family subsystems consist of one or more members and are for negotiations between members on sharing the family roles and responsibilities. Minuchin argued that the interactions between family subsystems are guided by both spoken and unspoken rules (Colapinto, 2019). Such subsystems include the spousal, parental, sibling, and parent-child subsystems. There are no specific rules to creating subsystems, and each family can create its unique subsystem. The subsystems help in grouping the family members and sharing the roles based on each level of the family hierarchy. The spousal subsystem comprises the parents; thus, it has the power to oversee the functions of other subsystems (Tadros & Finney, 2018).
Thirdly, the boundaries with subsystems define each family member’s roles. The boundaries are just typical psychological or physical factors that separate them from one another. They form the invisible barriers that guide contact between different subsystems and allow each subsystem to discharge its duties without interference. They need to be straightforward and flexible, although the flexibility may differ from one family to another or between subsystems (Gottman et al., 2019).
Fourthly, enmeshment due to diffuse boundaries. It occurs when boundaries are more permeable, allowing for autonomous sacrifices to strengthen the sense of belonging. According to Minuchin, dependency is essential, but family members tend to be closer to home and expect complete satisfaction with the family’s needs. As a result, people find it hard to form close relationships away from their families. For example, a family whose rooms have no doors is considered enmeshed because there is no privacy for members—defining the distinction between the family and individuals (Hardy & Fisher, 2018). Fifth is disengagement due to the rigid boundaries that separate individuals from others. Minuchin literates that family members enjoy significant independence, but very little interdependence must exist for any functional family system, as well very little communication must exist between subsystems. It thus makes it difficult for family members to interact in an inmate way, and the disconnection prevails the entire family system. for example, some members may be unaware of significant events within the family that could impact the lives of other members (Colapinto, 2019).
Sixthly, the power concept which directly relates to structure. In this case, the family structures comprise the hierarchy of power which defines the decision authorities in the family system. The power concept also defines who controls the behaviors of members. The power may change with age and family responsibilities (Tadros & Finney, 2018). Seventhly, the alignment concept defines the interrelations between the family members. They may include opposing or joining a subsystem or a member over the other. In this case, different opposition or joining patterns exist within a family system. For example, the mother might disagree with the husband, discipline the children, and as a result, end up siding with the children against their father (Colapinto, 2019).
Lastly, the cross-generational coalition concept aligns people into the system that excludes the third person. Family coalitions consist of very rigid boundaries, which makes them frequently short-lived. For example, children can compete in demanding chicken instead of beef for suffering. Therefore, a more stable coalition could be more dangerous than a short-lived one (Hardy & Fisher, 2018).
Solution-Focused Therapy Concepts
Like structural family therapy, solution-focused therapy uses concepts to build family-related solutions instead of solving the concerns. It is a goal and future-oriented approach to offer human problems by focusing on the future more than present problems. In this case, the solution is through direct collaboration between the therapist and the client (Zatloukal et al., 2019). Outlined below are the concepts used by solution-focused therapists; First, questions relating to their problems help the therapist identify and gain a better understanding of the client’s problem and their impacts. Thus, therapists offer motivation to help clients overcome their present problems in the future. It involves actively engaging in problem and solution talks between the client and therapist (De Shazer et al., 2021).
Secondly, using the coping questions to help the therapist understand better how their clients managed to cope with depression or anxiety sufferings. In digs to understand what people did differently to succeed despite depleting or degrading impacts caused by emotional and mental health problems. Coping questions aim to identify one’s internal strengths that could help one deal with family issues. Thirdly, the language of solutions concept is different from that of problems. The concepts involve using positive, future-oriented, and hopeful language, which suggests the transience of the problems. Careful use of language forms the basis for a successful family therapeutic intervention (Zatloukal et al., 2019).
Fourthly, collaboratively negotiated goals since solution-focused therapy are goal-driven, which involves win-win negotiations between the therapist and the client. The goals must be clear, measurable, specific, and concrete to enhance the effectiveness of solution-focused family therapy. Unless the therapist has the problem, offering a powerful solution to his or her client becomes challenging. The clarity of goals must prevail for the therapeutic relationships to realize the solutions soonest (Zatloukal et al., 2019). Fifthly, exemption-finding questions enhance the ability of the parties to pay attention to the problems at hand, their causes, and how they can be avoided in the future. Paying attention gives a therapist confidence in their abilities to identify problems and find substantive solutions to solve or manage the issues at hand with exceptions. Lastly, using the scaling questions helps elicit helpful information to assist in assessing and negotiating numerous factors that matter to the client. It is a highly versatile tool used in SFBT, but its simplicity and personal information help both parties to identify the state of any helpful information (De Shazer et al., 2021).
Historical Impact of Structural Family Therapy
In the 1960s, Salvador Minuchin developed structural family therapy intending to conceptualize human relationships and distress dilemmas. Since then, family structures and functioning models have underpinned structural family therapy to offer therapeutic services to families and children. Over the year, structural family therapy has significantly impacted families helping them to strengthen their interactions and relationships between the members and subsystems (Tadros & Finney, 2018). First, it has facilitated restructuring of the family systems and subsystems to enhance cohesion and positive relationships. Secondly, it has contributed to addressing family conflicts issues in multiple ways, which include correcting the imbalances within families, establishing healthy boundaries between systems and subsystems, and helping the family members to improve on how they react to ever-changing demands to uphold positive relations (Gottman et al., 2019).
Other ways in which structural family therapy historically impacted families include enhancing effective communication between family members, defining and improving family system hierarchies, improving relational dynamics, increasing parental satisfaction and competence, and reducing resentment and anger among family members (Zatloukal et al., 2019).
Historical Impact of Solution-Focused Therapy
The history of solution-focused therapy dates back to the 1980s, when Stever Shazer and Kim Berg explored different ways of facilitating change in human lives. They used the observation method to record questions and answers about different ways for the clients to achieve real-life change. Since then, solution-focused therapy has tremendously impacted families by setting clear and achievable goals to offer solutions to the existing and helping the families to think about their future more than their present problems (Pourmovahed et al., 2021). It also helped develop the mindset of building practical problem-solving through active engagement and conversations. Similarly, solution-focused therapy has helped to shift family thoughts into ways of improving life satisfaction and through the change of family language from problem to solution talks, thus maintaining a cohesive and united family setting (Choi, 2020).
Effects of Therapy Theories on the Role of the Family Therapist
Structural family therapy describes family mapping, including family members, gender, ages, and interrelationships. It describes a family system as a structure of family rules, behavioral patterns, and hierarchies. The theory helps the family therapist identify the behavioral patterns, habits, communication, and routines to diagnose the dysfunctionality and develop an effective treatment that addresses the present fundamental problems. Therapists can also notice if any member may require extra help to heal from family-related issues (Tadros & Finney, 2018). The structural family therapy framework helps the therapist identify family issues through visual representation and how family dynamics contribute to those problems. Different structural family therapy concepts build a diversified view of the family issues for a therapist to determine the best concept to apply to any situation (Colapinto, 2019).
On the other hand, solution-focused therapy suggests that families are experts possessing competencies and strengths that are necessary to make their life more satisfactory. The framework set by the theory helps therapists in helping the family members discover their strengths, resources, and successes to create a lasting solution to existing family issues. This approach allows therapists to remain focused on client’s present and future situations and goals while ignoring their past experiences (Choi, 2020).
Differences in Theories of Change
While structural family therapy utilizes a therapeutic approach to identify family dysfunctionalities based on the behavioral patterns, hierarchies, and rules to offer treatments, the solution-focused theory focuses on identifying family strengths, resources, and competencies that can be utilized to build a solution (Colapinto, 2019). The assumptions deployed by structural therapy theories include; the change of structure would change the clients’ experiences, family problems are not always caused by structure, but they reside within those structures, and problems faced by children originate from dysfunctionality of the spousal family subsystem. In structural therapy theories, treatments aim for structural change, including the realignment of family boundaries and the individuation of all family members (Tadros & Finney, 2018).
On the other hand, solution-focused theories assume that the clients are willing and ready to change, not resistant to change, language creates reality, its probable for clients to completely shift talks from problem to solution talks, clients possess strengths, competencies, and resources, and that the problem does not reoccur. The goal of treatments includes changing clients’ language to solution talks, assisting clients to think differently to improve satisfaction in life, and adequately attaining client goals (Pourmovahed et al., 2021).
Reflection Summary
Family and marriage therapy is the branch of psychology that posits that family relationships form the core of a psychological state and need to be subjected to meaningful psychological treatment. Therapists use different theoretical models or approaches categorized into two broader categories, such as modernist and postmodernist family models, to address family and marriage issues. Structural family therapy involves visual representations to identify the family issues and how they are maintained throughout the family dynamics. The family systems are prone to dysfunctionality, and structural therapist intervenes in these dysfunctional family interactions to create a positive change to improve the well-being of the family unit members by applying a combination of different concepts to gain a broad understanding of the family complexities.
Solution-focused therapy is based on the strength in approaching psychotherapy based on the solution. Like structural family therapy, it uses various concepts to identify one’s needs and strengths and explore good possibilities and solutions. While structural family therapy utilizes a therapeutic approach to identify family dysfunctionalities based on the behavioral patterns, hierarchies, and rules to offer treatments, the solution-focused theory focuses on identifying family strengths, resources, and competencies that can be utilized to build a solution. However, to enhance the effectiveness, both theories are guided by predetermined goals and operate under specific assumptions to maintain focus on those goals.
References
Choi, J. J. (2020). A case study of solution-focused brief family therapy. The American Journal of Family Therapy, 48(2), 195–210.
Colapinto, J. (2019). Structural family therapy. Encyclopedia of the couple and family therapy, 2820-2828.
De Shazer, S., Dolan, Y., Korman, H., Trepper, T., McCollum, E., & Berg, I. K. (2021). More than miracles: The state of the art of solution-focused brief therapy. Routledge.
Gottman, J. M., Cole, C., & Cole, D. L. (2019). Negative Sentiment Override in Couples and Families. In Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy (pp. 2019-2022). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
Hardy, N. R., & Fisher, A. R. (2018). Attachment versus differentiation: The contemporary couple therapy debate. Family Process, 57(2), 557–571.
Pourmovahed, Z., Ardekani, S. M. Y., Mahmoodabad, S. S. M., & Mahmoodabadi, H. Z. (2021). Implementing the McMaster Model in Family Therapy: Effects on Family Function in Married Couples. Iranian Journal of Psychiatry, 16(1), 60.
Tadros, E., & Finney, N. (2018). Structural family therapy with incarcerated families: A clinical case study. The Family Journal, 26(2), 253–261.
Zatloukal, L., Žákovský, D., & Bezdíčková, E. (2019). Utilizing metaphors in solution-focused therapy. Contemporary Family Therapy, 41(1), 24-36.
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