Brief introduction of Structural family therapy

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Structural family therapy (SFT) is based on system theory and originated from Salvador Minuchin’s work in 60’s and 70’s. It views the individual problem as a token of the systems’ dysfunction or the system supports the symptom. The problem behaviour is a partial aspect of the family structure of transactions. The term of structure refers to the organizational characteristics of the family at any point in time, the family subsystems, and the overt and covert rules that are said to influence interpersonal choices and behaviours in the family. Structural family therapist believes that the families, who come to therapy, get stagnated in their development of transactional patterns and stick to stories that are very narrow definitions of themselves as a whole and as individuals.

The therapist helps the family to outgrow its stereotyped patterns of which the presenting problem is a part and offers opportunities to challenge the rules of the family. As the therapist can change the organizational patterns, particularly where the presenting problem arises, the members’ interactions and perceptions change. Each individual's experience changes and therein lies the potential to alleviate symptomatic distress. Thus it is said, the family has a chance to experience transactional patterns that have not been allowed under its prevailing homeostatic rules. Its narrow self-definitions are questioned. At the same time, the underutilized pool of potential resources in the family system can be released due to the previous systemic constraints are removed by the structural changes. In the end, the system’s limits are probed and pushed. The family’s capacity to tolerate and handle stress or conflict increases, and its perceived reality becomes richer, more complex.

Structural family therapy

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