Category Archives: Bowen Theory

The Family Mindset: A Shared Perceptual Field in the Emotional Unit of the Family

            I recently finished reading the challenging book, “Empire of Pain, The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty”, written by Patrick Radden Keefe.* I use the word challenging both because of its 535 pages, and its subject matter. For the Sackler family referred to in the title is widely considered to

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Too Young to Drink, Drive or Enlist, but Old Enough to Fix the Family?

  Many readers will disagree with the premise of this article. I’ve lost clients over this point, even long-term clients who generally agree with the family systems perspective. Certainly, there are literally thousands of therapists who hold an opposing opinion. But over time I’ve become more clear on this issue: Minor children can’t legally drink alcohol,

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Is it Therapy, or Text a Friend? What’s Going on With the New Wave of Text Therapy Services?

A quick google search for “text therapy” brings up an advertisement for the “best Virtual Therapy Services of 2021”. (https://www.top10.com/online-therapy). Celebrities routinely promote these services as affordable, convenient, and life changing. Many of the sites are tailored to specific groups providing couple, LGBTQ, Christian, and teen therapy. (To learn more about a systems view of therapy

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Finding Individuality During Pandemic-Induced Family Togetherness

When shelter-in-place began families almost celebrated the opportunity for increased time together. Adults lucky enough to work from home and able to afford it (big ifs) embraced the opportunity to slow down. Parents relished the breather from carpool, after-school activities, errands, social obligations and the keeping-up-with-the-Jones’ rat race. They instituted game nights, Zoom chats with

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You’re Not the Boss of Me/You Don’t Care About Me

Togetherness and Individuality are Fundamental Life Forces As recently as this June I had been anticipating a relatively laid-back summer. No big plans on the horizon after a lovely summer vacation. The Yiddish expression for what actually happened is, “Mann Tracht, Un Gott Lacht.” (“Man plans and God laughs.”) Instead of weeks of imagined leisure

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