Bowenian Approach

     A Bowenian therapist plays the role of a coach and an educator. Both roles are critical to the success of the approach. While maintaining a neutral position, the therapist encourages the family members to speak through him or her; rather than to each other. The therapist must have a high degree of differentiation and have the ability to think in terms of the systems. The therapist must be able to separate thoughts from feelings and manage emotional reactivity.  In addition, the therapist must also have a healthy separation from his or her family.

     Teaching is a critical element of Bowenian therapy and the therapist’s role of the educator is important to the success of the approach. The Bowenian therapist continually teaches the clients about family systems, the multigenerational transmission process, and differentiation. The clients are taught ways to maintain his or her own state of neutrality and “differentiation moves” (Lyden, 2012).   

     A Bowenian therapist will work with the family on a family level. He or She would view the levels of differentiation between generations as the main catalyst for change.  The therapist would focus on the quality of relationships between various family members and how the quality of the relationships were transmitted through the multigenerational transmission process to the children. Bowenian therapists strive to assist individuals achieve greater levels of differeniation and simultaneously maintain connections to family (Boyd-Franklin, 1987).