Systemic Therapy

Systems Theory and Human Communication

This model conceives the family as a system where change in one member affects all ("the whole is more than the sum of its parts").

It is based on Cybernetics (concepts of feedback and homeostasis) and on Watzlawick's Theory of Human Communication.

Its axioms state that "it is impossible not to communicate" (all behavior is a message), that communication has levels of content and relationship, and that interaction can be symmetrical (equality) or complementary (hierarchy).

The symptom is not seen as an individual problem, but as an expression of the dysfunction of the family system.

Systemic Intervention Techniques

Interventions seek to modify the family structure or narrative. Symptom Redefinition changes the meaning of a behavior (e.g., seeing an argument not as an attack, but as an attempt at contact).

Boundary Setting clarifies boundaries between subsystems (parents vs. children).

Role Playing asks the family to interact in session to observe and correct live patterns.

The Miracle Question (from the solution-focused approach) invites to imagine what life would be like without the problem, to identify goals.

The Genogram is the fundamental assessment tool for mapping transgenerational relationships and patterns.

Summary

This model views the family as a system where individual change affects the whole. It is based on Cybernetics and commu