Transgenerational Family Therapy

Family therapy involves a complex system of connections, changes, and multiple relation patterns that can make an air traffic controller’s screen at an international airport seem simplistic. By comparison, when one airplane moves even slightly off course, other planes nearby must take quick action to respond to the change. The action of one plane affects the function of the entire system. The transgenerational family system is similar insofar as the actions and reactions of each generation influence the family as a whole, which in turn seeks a functional balance in this newly formed, complex unit. This entry examines several key conceptualizations of the family, including those developed by Murray Bowen (1913–1990), Ivan Boszormenyi-Nagy (1902–2007), and James Framo (1922–2001).

Since Murray Bowen pioneered the concept of family ...