University of Massachusetts Amherst ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst Doctoral Dissertations 1896 - February 2014 1-1-1973 Towards a more humanistic approach to family therapy. Abraham Avesar University of Massachusetts Amherst Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations_1 Recommended Citation Avesar, Abraham, "Towards a more humanistic approach to family therapy." (1973). Doctoral Dissertations 1896 - February 2014. 2643. https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations_1/2643 This Open Access Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations 1896 - February 2014 by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. For more information, please contact [email protected]. TOWARDS A MORE HUMANISTIC APPROACH TO FAMILY THERAPY A Dissertation Presented by Abraham Avesar Submitted to the Graduate School of the University of Massachusetts in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF EDUCATION June, 1973 TOWARDS A MORE HUMANISTIC APPROACH TO FAMILY THERAPY A Dissertation Presented by Abraham Avesar / Approved as/to/ Style and Content; DEDICATION This study is dedicated to ray father, Shalem, and to my mother Siraha, for allowing me to be me. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I am grateful to Don Carew and A1 Winder for reading the draft of this dissertation and making many constructive and helpful comments. I want to especially thank Jack Wideman for encouraging me to write what I think. I want to thank Naomi for being patient, and Avner, my son, for teaching me how to be a father. I am also grateful to Mary whose expert editing turned rough language into finished products. Most of all I want to thank my family and all the indi- viduals and families I work with. I am grateful for their allowing me to visit their inner space and to learn so much. This study would not have been possible without them. , If we only have love To embrace without fears, We will kiss with our eyes We will sleep without tears. If we only have love With our arms open wide Then the young and the old Will stand by our side. If we only have love We can reach those in pain. We can heal all our wounds We can use our own names. If we only have love Then Jerusalem stands, and then death has no shadow There are no foreign lands. Then with nothing at all But the little we are, We'll have conquered all time, All space, the sun and the stars. Jacques Brel ABSTRACT Towards a More Humanistic Approach to Family Therapy (June 1973) Abraham Avesar, B.S., Hebrew University of Jerusalem M.S.W., University of Pittsburgh Directed by: Dr. Donald K. Carew This study develops the Family Growth Theory— a subjective, flexible, humanistic, and open-ended approach to understanding and working with families. This theory stresses "health” rather than "sickness." It focuses on working with the whole person rather than fragments of personality. It views the growth process as a cooperative effort between therapist and family. The theory seeks to develop ways for the family to live together and enjoy each other after the initial problem and pain have been alleviated. The study is organized around five principal themes: the growth of the self, objective and subjective reality, anxiety, the relationship of the self to others, and the importance of bringing feelings into awareness. The limitations of the study precluded any detailed analysis of the important influence society has on shaping the family and fostering or inhibiting growth. The study is divided into two parts. The first reviews the theories, ideas, concepts, and techniques found in family therapy, existentialism, phenomenology, and humanistic i ii psychology. The second develops the Family Growth Theory and discusses techniques for translating theory into practice. Although the Family Growth Theory incorporates many of the ideas found in various schools of thought, these philosophical and psychological foundations for the theory are assimilated and integrated to reflect the author's own personal and pro- fessional experiences. In part one the theory and practice of family therapy as generally practiced today discusses the work of Ackerman and Satir, among others. An overview of existentialism and phenomenology was organized around the work of Laing, May, Sartre, Buber, and others. The contributions of humanistic psychology to the Family Growth Theory were presented through the work of Maslow, Rogers, and Peris. Existentialism, phenomenology, and humanistic psychology's main contribution to the Family Growth Theory is their focus on viewing the individual as unique, and helping him to become the best possible version of himself, defined by his own values, aspirations, needs, and limitations. The Family Growth Theory shares with these different perspectives of man an emphasis on increasing individuality and authenticity through self- actualization. One important goal of Family Growth is to help each family member achieve his potential and to help the family achieve family-actualization. In part two the presentation of the Family Growth Theory includes a discussion of: the individual, the family, growth, and the relationship between n I" and "We M growth. The theory —- iii further discusses the characteristics of an open, as opposed to a closed, family system and lists some attributes of an actu- alizing family. Certain themes common in working with families are introduced: "hypothetical living"— the if -only- things -we re different approach to life that may prevent a family or indivi- dual from enjoying the here and now : family rules — their function influence on family life, and the importance of their re-examina- tion and up-dating to suit the present; communication patterns the difficulties many individuals and families have in express- ing their feelings; "I" time and "We" time. Part two also discusses the techniques employed by the Family Growth to elicit the theory. They are designed to help families develop ways of appreciating each other, learn to develop open and honest methods of communication, examine their rules and change them where necessary, and to begin to enter the process of self-actualization. One important concept behind the technique of Family Growth is that the therapist's unique self are among the most valuable tools for effecting change. The open sharing of the therapist's self, experience, and values is viewed as a con- structive way to promote human growth. TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter I. INTRODUCTION: RATIONALE FOR THE STUDY 1 Statement of the Problem 1 The Aim of the Study 3 Method of Study 4 Limitations of the Study 5 Chapter Synopses 8 II. A REVIEW OF FAMILY THERAPY THEORY 9 Introduction 9 What is Family Therapy? 10 What are the Goals of Family Therapy? .... 11 How does Family Therapy View Individual Growth? 12 Reality Testing 16 The Function of Anxiety in Individual Growth. 17 What is the Interaction between Individual and Family Growth? 13 Double-Bind Theory 22 The Scapegoat Construct 23 The Family Rules Construct 2-4 The Family Homeostasis Construct 24 V/hat is the Process of Family Therapy and the Role of the Therapist? 2 5 Beginning Phase of Family Therapy 26 Chapter Middle Phase of Family Therapy 28 Concluding Phase of Family Therapy 32 Special Problems in Family Therapy 34 Critical Evaluation of Prevailing J Family Therapy Theory 36 Summary 40 III. PHILOSOPHICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS .... 43 Introduction 1+3 Existentialism 141- Man Being and Becoming 46 Anxiety Function in Man 50 Man Being in the World and His Relationship to Other Men 52 Phenomenology 55 Introduction 55 Understanding Man: Objective and Subjective Knowledge 57 Man’s Knowledge of Others 59 Intentionality 60 Conclusion 61 Summary 62 IV. APPLICATION OF HUMANISTIC PSYCHOLOGY 64 Introduction 64 Maslow’s Contribution to Humanistic Psychology 66 Theory of Motivation 67 Theory of Growth 69 Study of Self -Actualizing People 71 Conclusion ^ - Carl Rogers' Contribution to Humanistic Psychology 75. The Organism and the Self 75 The Self 77 Theory and Process of Growth 76 Theory of Client-Centered Therapy 81 The Process of Client-Centered Therapy ... 83 Characteristics of Self -Actualizing People . 85- Conclusion 85 Frederick Peris and Gestalt Therapy 87 Antecedents of Gestalt Therapy 88 Theory of Growth 90 The Process of Gestalt Therapy 93 Conclusion 100 Summary 101 SECTION I: FAMILY GROWTH THEORY 105- Introduction 105- Acknowledgements 107 Guiding Principles for Family Growth Theory Ill Self and Individuality 116 Human Growth 125- What is the Family? 136 "I" Growth and "We" Growth 1^2 Conclusion 1^1 SECTION II: APPLICATION OF FAMILY GROWTH THEORY 1^2 Introduction ^-52 Goals of Family Growth l^6 Chapter Attributes of Actualizing Families 158 Open Family System Closed Family System 152 The Actualizing Family 153 Process of Family Therapy I63 Common Themes in Working with Families . 171 Hypothetical Living 171 Communication 175 Family Rules 186 M H "I" Time and We Time 197 Techniques for Helping Families Grow .... 200 Role Reversals 200 Here and Now 201 Family Posturing 202 Play 203 Other Family Members Conducting the Session 204- Taping and Video-Taping Sessions 206 One-way Mirror 207 Children-swapping 207 Sharing Myself and Values 208 Summary 209 VI. DISCUSSION ^ . 213 SUMMARY 222 BIBLIOGRAPHY 227 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION: RATIONALE FOR THE STUDY This study presents an open-ended theory of family therapy. It attempts to integrate current thinking about family therapy theory and techniques with philosophical and psychological ideas and Knowledge from existentialism, phenomenology and humanistic psychology. The resulting theoretical synthesis will be broadly based on humanistic psychology and will be called the "Family C-rowth Theory." Statement of the Problem Many professionals trained in family therapy have found themselves increasingly uncomfortable with many underlying assumptions of family therapy. Current theory generally as- sumes that the members of treated families are emotionally dis- turbed, or that the whole family is "sick." These perspectives are valuable but have some definite limitations.