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1. Bowen Family Systems
Theory: An Overview
Barbara Cunningham,
Psy.D., LMFT
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2. Objectives:
s Assumptions
s General Concepts
s Eight Concepts
s The role of the therapist
s Precautions
s Goals of therapy
s Interventions
s Defining a self
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3. Assumptions
Bowen developed his theory
under
two assumptions: first, is the
understanding that man’s
emotional
functioning must extend beyond
psychological constructs to
recognize
the human’s relatedness to all life;
and the second is that an adequate
understanding of human behavior
must rest on a foundation that
includes a relational system. Bowen
assumed that the family was a
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naturally occurring system.

4. General Concepts
s Focus on system dynamics
rather than symptoms
s Chronic Anxiety
s Over and Underfunctioning
s Closeness and Distance as
two opposing forces creating
the tension in human
relationships
s Emotional system (instincts)
and Intellectual system
(capacity to think)
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5. s Triangles
s Differentiation of Self
s Nuclear Family Emotional System
s Family Projection Process
s Multigenerational Transmission
s Emotional Cut-off
s Sibling Position
s Societal Emotional Process
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6. Triangles
“This concept describes the
way three people relate to
each other and involve
others in the emotional issue
between them”
“A two person system is
basically unstable. In a
tension field, the two people
predictably involve a third
person to make a triangle. If
it involves four or more
people, the system becomes
a series of interlocking
triangles”.
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Bowen, 19786

7. Differentiation of Self
s Solid Self
s Pseudoself
s Differentiation Scale
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8. Nuclear Family
Emotional System
Describes four basic relationship
patterns that govern where
problems
develop in a family.
4. Marital Conflict
5. Dysfunction in one spouse
6. Impairment of one or more
children
7. Emotional Distance
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9. Family Projection
Process
The family projection process
describes the primary way parents
transmit their emotional problems to
a child.
The projection process follows three
steps:
4. the parent focuses on a child out of
fear that something is wrong with
the child;
5. the parent interprets the child's
behavior as confirming the fear; and
6. 03/27/12 parent treats the child as if
the BFST 9
something is really wrong with the

10. Multigenerational
Transmission Process l
Describes how small
differences in the levels of
differentiation between
parents and their offspring
lead over many generations
to marked differences in
differentiation among the
members of a
multigenerational family.
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11. Emotional Cut-off
Describes people managing their
unresolved emotional issues
with parents, siblings, and other
family members by reducing or
totally cutting off emotional
contact with them.
2. Feels like a child to adult
relationship with the parent
rather than adult to adult.
3. Feels guilty; must solve their
conflicts or distresses.
4. Feels enraged that his parents
do not seem to understand or
approve of him/her.
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12. Sibling Position
s Walter Toman
s The basic idea is that people
who grow up in the same
sibling position predictably
have important common
characteristics.
s Toman's research showed
that sibling positions may
affect relational dynamics in
adult life
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13. Societal Emotional
Process
Describes how the emotional
system governs behavior on a
societal level, promoting both
progressive and regressive
periods in a society.
Human societies undergo periods
of regression and progression in
their history. The current
regression seems related to
factors such as the population
explosion, a sense of diminishing
frontiers, and the depletion of 13
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natural resources.

14. The role of the therapist
s Coach
s Calm and neutral while still
maintaining emotional
contact.
s Emotionally detriangled.
s Focus on facts more than
feelings--objective presence.
s Teaching the theory.
s Defining and clarifying the
relationships between family
members.
s Be a curious person: How,
What, When and Where.
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15. Precautions
s Low level of self means
rigorous differentiation work
is indicated
s Discourage others’ reactivity
by guiding them toward
looking for facts that explain
the sensitivity
s Avoid clients’ attempts to
triangle in therapist
s Attempts to make others
change must be redirected
toward increased focus on
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16. Goals of Therapy
s Increase level of
differentiation
s Reduce reactivity in the
moment
s Decrease chronic levels of
anxiety
s Reduce fusion of thoughts
and feelings
s Educate and model
differentiation
s Detriangle BFST
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s I messages; self-definition

17. Interventions
s Work first with the person more
differentiated
s Focus on thinking more than
feeling (ie Do not ask, “How do
you feel about…,” but rather
“How do you think about…”)
s Detriangle
s Therapist = neutral presence
s Reduce interaction between
dyad; each client speaks to the
therapist
s I messages
s Teach about the function of the
emotional system
s Identify triggers for reactivity
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s Family diagram

18. Seven Steps to Defining
Self
1. Clarify one’s own internal goals,
mission, vision and values--what is
your bottom line? What are your
non-negotiables (what I will and will
not do, despite relationship
pressure)
2. What are the obstacles within self?
3. What are the obstacles in the
important relationship triangles?
4. Can you trace your relationship
sensitivity to the nuclear family
emotional process?
5. What are the multigenerational
processes that influence your values,
strengths and weaknesses?
6. What are the useful new and old
strategies?
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7. How is feedback from the

19. References
Bowen, M. (1978). Family therapy in clinical practice. New
York: Jason Aronson, Inc.
Gilbert, R.M. (1994). Extraordinary relationships: A new way of
thinking about human interactions. Minneapolis:
Chronimed Publishing.
Kerr, M. (1998, Spring). Darwin to Freud to Bowen: Toward a
natural system theory of human behavior. Georgetown,
17-19, 44.
Kerr, M. E., & Bowen, M. (1988). Family evaluation. New York:
Norton.
Papero, D.V. (1995). Bowen family systems and marriage. In
N. S. Jacobson & A. S. Gurman (Eds.), Clinical handbook of
couples therapy (I, pp. 11-30). New York: Guilford
Publications.
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20. Web Sites
http://www.georgetownfamilycenter.org/index.html
http://www.ideastoaction.com/8concepts.html
http://www.psychpage.com/learning/library/counseling/b
owen.html
http://education.smsu.edu/counseling/COU633FamilyThera
http://www.ideastoaction.com/bowencv.html
http://ideastoaction.com/connect.html
http://www.mindymac.com/Feminist_Family_Therapy.htm
http://www.ideastoaction.com/murraybowenintro.html
http://www.wholepsych.com/private/Reactivity.html
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