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Using^ Faaily^ Reconstruction^ Techniques^ with^ Families^ in^ Therapy* Peter^ L. Sheras, Ph.of) University of Virginia Techniques.of family reconstruction^ attempt^ to^ establish an appreciation^ of^ the^ client's^ own^ personhood^ through^ some^ under standing^ of^ the^ personhood^ of their parents. Reconstruction tech-^ • niques emphasize the explication of family^ patterns^ in^ a^ number w of different^ dimensions^ with^ the assumption^ that^ information^ about .these patterns^ will be^ useful in understanding the current^ pre vailing^ forces^ in the^ family in treatment. In recent^ years,^ there^ has been a great^ expansion^ and^ develop ment^ of^ techniques^ which^ can^ be^ considered as reconstructive.^ This paper^ '^ will^ explore^ son^ j^ of^ the techniques^ which^ '^ can^ now^ be^ thought of as reconstruction^ techniques/and^ some^ thoughts^ about^ their^ use in family^ treatment.^ • For the most^ part in^ the^ past, reconstruction^ techniques, * most^notably,^ those^ of^ Satir^ have^ been^ utilized^ in^ groups^ where^ an individual^ \will • -use a^ technique^ to^ reveal^ to ...'•^ them^ some^ part^ of^ .their • own family's^ pattern.^ Traditionally the^ person^ will^ select^ other members^ of^ the^ training^ group to portray^ members^ of^ their^ family^ and to enact^ the^ role^ of^ themselves. -The^ person^ will^ then^ observe^ the scene^ and^ experience^ subjectively^ and^ objectively.^ Although this is^ an^ incredibly^ powerful.experience-for^ the^ individual,^ it^ is^ up^ '^ ' to that person^ to^ make^ the^ personal^ connections^ with^ the^ families.
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THIS DUCED DOCUMENT EXACTLY^ ASHASRECEIVED^ BEEN^ REPRO FROM ATINGTHE^ PERSON^ IT^ POINTS^ OR^ ORGANIZATION^ OF^ VIEW^ OR^ OPINIONS^ ORIGIN O^ tO. INFORMAVONUSERS^ rHr OF.^^ EDUCATIONAL THE ERICCENTERSYSTEM."^ RESOURCES(ERIC) 'AND ' ^ STATEDSENTeDOCATI OFFICIAL^ DO °< NOT«5' NATIONAL**^ T1NECESSARILY <"< OR INSTITUTEPOLICY^ REPRE- OF
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description of the major events in^ the history of^ the^ family taken **
back * at least two generations.•» There are a number of formats^ for*
this, chronological events beginning in the past, working back
.from the present, or a highlight technique. All^ require^ that *.^ •.
each family member, most .especially the parents prepare some written
or at least highly organized "^ history of- their^ family^ from^ before*
their birth until the present. In sessions, the parents, each
individually, will present their family history to the other members
of the family and then be questioned^ by other family^ members^ about
facts and experiences. In some cases the children are not interested
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or capable of presenting a.history, but^ With^ older children,^ this
is possible. It is the sharing of the FFC which is of^ the utmost
importance as it provides & wealth of information to^ the other^ family
members.. •
CASE: A family of four, (Father, 41, an accountant,^ mother,
37, a housewife,^ Jim^14 and^ Susie 10) was^ seen^ because of Susie's
acting out^ behavior at^ home. She^ became^ extremely^ upset^ when^ her
mother would not do what she wanted her to do^ and^ became^ violent to
property and in' some cases had hit her brother or^ } mother. Mother
*^ * seemed very cold to.Susie,^ and^ although^ she^ could^ understand^ that Susie wanted more emotion from her she seemed almost^ frightened^ to provide it. Mother presented her family history in one session. It seems that as a young child,^ Mother's^ mother^ would^ periodically go "insane" and chase her around the house with an ax. The^ grand mothers "attacks" were believed to^ be^ a result^ of^ her^ reaching
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menapause. During'tfife presentation of the^ history, it became
clear to Mother (and to Susie!) that mother^ was^ reaching raena-
pause and was afraid to have a close^ ^relationship with her^ daughter
since^ she might^ go^ insane at any moment and try^ to kill Susie. To
Mother's *^ amazement,^ Susie. went over to""her, hugged her, and^ said
"^ that^ it must^ have^ been "really hard for^ you, and I. th£h)fv-X*see why you won't spend time with me.". Family Role — Playing. Family f role playing involves the revers ing of roles in sessions, or family^ members^ playing^ * o'ther family i members/in/sessions. The l reversals, in some • stages of^ therapy may involve some family members playing the roles of^ therapists, but this is frequently not the^ case. Using this technique,^ family mem bers .cannot only experience^ what it^ is like^ to be^ other family mem- bers, but they can observe how-other family members see them in the family. This technique^ will^ often^ make v^ clear^ some^ of^ the^ clouded< communication^ between^ members as^ to how^ they^ feel^ about theta or^ see them. Following the^ role^ plays, often^ set^ up by the^ therapist, there is a discussion of the experience of the new roles and of watching those playing your role in the family. "^ fc t CASE: yThe Smiths were a family of four, father an engineer in his early forties^ and mother a housewife-^ in her. v late" ^^ thirties^ s , with a history of^ severe^ depression^ and \ , at^ least^ one^ hospitalization., The two children,^ Bob^ and^ Jimmy,^ were^ ages^13 and^9 respectively. __ The family^ came to therapy^ 'following a suicide^ attempt^ by^ Jimmy^ and a threat to kill himself a second time. He was briefly hospitalized by the parents who feared for his life. Mother was aloof^ and^ stand
It; is, perhaps, important to say that this particular -technique must be used selectively^. as some families are unwilling^ * to use this technique or cannot, while playing themselves observe the entire scene. The therapist may help in this regard by pointing out relative positions when stopping the action. For sqme families, commitment to change^ necessary to employ such a technique is ; lacking andr;tt^3jx5xild.not be attempted.
** - CASE: During a stress ballet with a family^ of five, the youngest little boy (about age 11) looked as though he were getting extremely beared and went i and sat down. As he did so, he became aware that he was^ striking the "irrelevant"^ pose^ and realized that for quite a while he had not felt like he was an important member of the family. The family members also noticed that when he went and sat down, no changes were made in their poses. They became aware that, indeed,'he was irrelevant to them. Family Sculpting^ and^ Family^ Portraits; As described^ above^ and in the work of Papp (1973 and 1976) and buhl, Duhl and Kantor (1973), family sculptures^ t can be used in the treatment^. of troubled• and well families. It involved the representing of the family through the view of one of it's members in the form of a scene or picture. Mem bers of the scene are then asked to describe their feelings to the sculptor. In the family portrait, one member pretends to be tha photographer and he or she sets up a family post which is most to his or her liking. Following the picture, family members discuss^ their feelings * about the position they have in the portrait,' and may also notice the relationship of other family members to one another.
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CASE: In a family portrait of a family.of sic, Father, the photographer, placed^ his-wife^ standing^ on a chair with himself and the children standing%elow her. She was quite unaware,- as we.re two of the children, that Father looked up to her inVfche least. This lead to^ a discussion of the^ fact that^ Mother felt^ she received little respect^ from the^ family while^ Father did, in^ fact, respect her a^ great deal. I believe that the above^ techniques^ have^ proven to be^ effec tive for a number of reasons. First they^ allow for a different perspective on the patterns of family interaction. They allow^ for the "translation" of forces into^ \ a different representational^ sys tern, one that\ is more concrete and^ one^ that^ ,can^ more^ easily^ then be structurally^ and^ experientially changed. A second important^ factor is that^ these^ techniques^ require active participation of^ all^ family^ members,^ sometimes a therapeutic % step in and of itself. Family^ members^ experience^ themselves as / working together to gain something that,will,^ obstensibly^ be^ of^ use to them as a family. This motivation can^ easily^ be^ carried^ over in to the making^ of^ changes in^ the^ patterns^ of^ interaction fbr^ the good of the family members. v These techniques also provide information to^ family^ members who may have previously had none. This is especially^ the^ case^ with children who may have never been told o'f the^ experiences^ of^ their parents as children. This communication of common experience %^ be tween the generations often paves the way for further^ communica tions.
