Basic Marital and Family Therapy Flashcards

Which therapeutic concept describes the process by which family members unconsciously assign roles to one another to maintain homeostasis?

Answer: Projective identification

Projective identification is the unconscious process where one person projects an unwanted part of the self onto another, who then identifies with and enacts that role.

In emotionally focused therapy (EFT), what are the two primary negative interactional cycles identified by Sue Johnson?

Answer: Pursue-withdraw and mutual withdrawal

EFT identifies pursue-withdraw (one partner demands while the other distances) and mutual withdrawal (both partners disengage) as the two core negative cycles.

A therapist using the Milan systemic approach asks a family member how they think their sibling feels about the parents' arguing. This is an example of:

Answer: Circular questioning

Circular questioning asks each family member to comment on the relationships or behaviors of other family members, revealing relational patterns and differences.

In Bowen family systems theory, what term describes the degree to which a person can maintain a clear sense of self while remaining emotionally connected to others?

Answer: Differentiation of self

Differentiation of self refers to the ability to balance intellectual and emotional functioning and maintain individuality within relationships without emotional fusion.

Which structural family therapy technique involves the therapist joining with the family's style and language to build alliance before challenging dysfunctional patterns?

Answer: Mimesis

Mimesis is Minuchin's technique of adopting the family's communication style, affect, and tempo to build rapport and reduce resistance.

A couple reports that their arguments always escalate into shouting matches. From a social learning perspective, this pattern is best explained by:

Answer: Reciprocal negative reinforcement

Reciprocal negative reinforcement occurs when partners mutually reinforce aversive behaviors — each person's hostile response is reinforced when it causes the other to back down.

In narrative therapy, what is the term for the process of building a new, preferred story by finding evidence that contradicts the problem-saturated story?

Answer: Unique outcomes

Unique outcomes (or sparkling moments) are exceptions to the dominant problem story that serve as entry points for constructing an alternative, preferred narrative.