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Model: transgenerational family therapy- Bowen
Concepts to apply/ analyze, explain differentiation of the self, emotional triangles, nuclear family system, emotional cutoff, family projective process, multigenerational transmission progress. At least 3 concepts should be explained.
This assignment consists of the construction of a Genogram. Students will write a 6-page paper analyzing their families of origin from a transgenerational perspective. The paper should be written in accordance with the APA manual guidelines including 12 pt. font, standard margins, double-spaced, with references properly cited. The paper should include following:
a) An appendix with a three-generation genogram of your family of origin. The genogram should include all relevant information such as names, age, birth/death dates, relational patterns, and abuse history. You may want to communicate with your parent, grandparent, sibling, or other relative to gather information for the genogram.
b) Using the genogram:
● Identify at least three concepts from transgenerational family therapies (i.e. triangles, differentiation of self, fusion, emotional cutoff, etc.), which were significant for you.
● Briefly describe these concepts in your family.
● Discuss how the concept/experience might influence you and your couple and/or family relationships (at least one page).
● Reflection on your learning, insight, and overall experiences of doing this assignment.
Family information
Father side
Grandma ( Bennie)+ Grandpa ( Robus) my dad stepfather.
My dad Albert. My dad was the youngest boy. He had seven oldest siblings and one youngest sister. My dad was mainly raised by my grandma who was at home( they lived in a farm alone with my grandpa my dad’s stepdad. They moved to the city when my dad was and adolescent, there he met my mom. My dad relationship with my grandma was good she was very sweet and nurturing. He never got to know or share with his biological dad even they live in the same town (his father had another family). My dad respected and loved his mom and step dad very much. He was very close to his youngest siblings but not so much with his older siblings as they moved far away and started their own family.
Mother family of origin
Grandma Isabel was a single mom of eight children my mom was the youngest girl with five older siblings and two youngest brothers. My mom was mainly raised by her grandma as well as the others oldest ones. My youngest uncles were mainly raised by my grandma.
There was a feeling of resentment between siblings seeing the youngest boys got to be with with their mom my grandma while the others had to stay with my grandma’s mom at their house always working and cleaning and helping with different chores there. While my youngest uncles were more spoiled. They grew up being the favorite ones.
My mom did not have any relationship with her dad even she knew where he was and he did not try to get close to her as well.
My mom did not have a strong bond with my grandma even though they ended up living together when my sister and I were born. My parents had my sister and I and then they split soon after I was born. I don’t have memories of my mom and my dad being together. My dad has started a new family with hope a very good lady when he had three daughters with. They split many years later after one of my sisters died. She was 21 years old when she passed. My mom so started a new family and she had three children. I stayed with my grandma and my oldest sister. A few years later my stepfather left my mom when my youngest brother was only nine years old he’s now 23. My mom went back to live with grandma my sister and I bringing her youngest children with her.
I was raised up mostly by my grandma and my oldest sister. My mom had to work now 40 years stay with her new family. My dad did the same as well. They always check on me and my sister. My dad wood help very little with some money to pay our school fee but was no emotionally invested Which led to a very weak relationship.
My relationship with my oldest sister have been always great and we have always support each other and have sort of like alliance together since our parents left us. My relationship with my sister Daisy the oldest half sister was amazing I love her very much until she passed in an accident. My relationship with mother have sister was always difficult and she did not like me much as I come to visit my dad and to get financial support for groceries and school supplies she did not like that and was always and unkind. She got better as with you as we have always lived in different cities and now different countries have been very difficult to create a bond. I have sure very little with my youngest sister as she was born many more years after.
I can tell that I don’t have a strong emotional bond with neither my mom or my dad but with my dad is sadly almost nonexistent. However I honored, financially support and highly respect my parents. I think that we all had shared this symptom of emotional cutoff with our dads- my mom, my dad, and now me for the different life situations we have gone through.
However growing up in this broken family system I found unity and sort of like a triangle situation with my oldest sister and grandma and was able to thrive and become a hardworking responsible honest and sweet young lady who could differentiate herself from the negativity surrounded with her own personality thoughts and resilience.
After my mom moved back with us bringing with her three children my sister and I had to work extra hard not just to support ourselves and our grandma but to help my mom and our younger siblings. There was 2 triangles my granny my sister and I and my mom with my youngest siblings in our new family structure. After my granny passed away I moved to the United states. Here I met my husband. He comes from a totally different family system where unity support understanding was the core of the structure. Now my family is integrated by my husband my daughter and I. In our family I am a very sweet nurturing mom and wife. My husband is very sweet and protective. He is also very supportive and and is always there for me and for our family. We have a good relationship and are now going through this new stage of our life of being parent of her sweet girl.
Esperance of working on this assignment had made reflect on how from developing the same unhealthy pattern like emotional cutoff can of be a part of coping with challenging family structures and try to now incorporate all the knowledge of these concepts into my current family and the understanding of family therapy.
Discussing these concepts with my parents was really emotional as they reflect on how things were and how different they could have been with more empathy and love.