HD 345 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1-10: Family Therapy
Document Summary
1 coalitions are negative alliances between family members against another family member. Coalitions can take many different forms such as triangulation where a parent demands that a child takes sides in parental disputes. Another concept of coalition is detouring, which is when parents reinforce children"s deviant behavior because focusing on the child"s negative behavior allows them to avoid dealing with their own problems and conflict. Lastly, there is intergenerational coalitions in which one parent and a child take sides against the other parent. This pattern can be a central dysfunction in families and can continue through an entire lifetime. In family therapy it is important for the therapist to try and break up these coalitions. 2 family theories have evolved to include concepts such as gender and race over time. It is important for family theories to include gender because men and women face different experiences when it comes to family life.