My mind is alive and well and fouling up the system: existential‐phenomenological considerations in family therapy

Abstract

It is customary amongst family therapists who work within a general systems framework to reject any consideration of individual phenomenology in their evaluation and treatment of family difficulties. One of the reasons often cited for this is the supposed incompatibility between the systems and intrapsychic perspectives. It is argued in this paper (a) that the two perspectives, while derived from two different levels of conceptualization, are not mutually exclusive or unconnected; (b) that an understanding of the experiential world of family members as this contributes to family interaction patterns can promote effective intervention. A framework is suggested drawing on existential (experiential) concepts and the thesis is illustrated by means of a case‐study. Copyright © 1986, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved