Milan Systemic Family Therapy

1. Cybernetics

A transdisciplinary approach for exploring systems, their structures, constraints, and possibilities. Cybernetics is only applicable when the system being analysed is involved in a closed signal loop; that is, where action by the system causes some change in its environment and that change is fed to the system via information (feedback) that enables the system to change its behavior.

12. Invariant Prescription-

A universal fixed sequence of directives family must follow if the therapist is to help them interrupt the family game.

6. Paradoxical Letter

Cryptic statement, relabeling, restraining, Positive connotation, prescription, relabeling, cryptic statement, relabeling, and paradoxical question.

5. Paradox-counterparadoxphenomenon

Dysfunctional families with a symptomatic member, presumably seeking change, themselves behave in a paradoxical manner. In effect, there was a problematic member who needed to change, but as a family the rest of the members were fine and did not intend to change.

7. Paradoxical Prescription

Family behaviors were identified but family was instructed not to change. Describe in detail what act is to be done, by whom, when, and in what sequence. Challenges a rigid or covert family rule.

8. Hypothesizing

Interactive process of speculating and making assumptions about the family situation.

11. Rules of the Game

Tacits by which family members struggle against one another as, together, they act to perpetuate unacknowledged family "games" in order to control each other's behavior.

10. Circular Questioning

asking each family member questions that help address a difference or define a relationship between two other members of family. Triadic questions.

3. Positive Connotation

positive motives ascribed to all family transactions, reframed to appear to be carried out in the name of family cohesion and thus as functioning purposefully to maintain family homeostasis.

2. Second-Order cybernetics

the requirement for a possibly constructivist participant observer in the second order case: . . . essentially your ecosystem, your organism-plus-environment, is to be considered as a single circuit

9. Neutrality/curiosity/Cecchin (1987)

therapist is interested in and accepts without challenge, each member's unique perception of the problem.

4. Counterparadoxes

theraputic double binds used to warn against premature change, allowing family to feel more acceptable and unblamed for how they were, as the team attempts to discover and counter paradoxical patterns, thus interrupting their repetitive, unproductive games.