Systems Centered Therapy For Groups

Systems-Centered Therapy (SCT) is an innovative approach to psychotherapy that synthesizes a finely-tuned awareness of the defensive roles of anxiety and depression, with an analysis of the phases of group development. This volume introduces the author's theory of living human systems and explicitly maps out its use in a structured treatment model applicable to work with any population. In rich conceptual detail, the volume presents SCT as a powerful modality that enables clients to safely "sit on the edge of the unknown" and transform their ways of relating to themselves and each other. It will be received with interest by all practitioners and trainees in group and individual psychotherapy.

This illustrated book shows how "thinking" systems offer new ways of seeing people which can help us see and do things differently. The authors describe how a theory of living human systems was developed and even recently revised. This major revision led to a theory of the person-as-a-system and its role-systems map that helps us see which system in us and in others is running the show. The authors illustrate how life force energy fuels the hierarchy of living human systems and how theory and practice with role-systems can be useful in everyday life. They begin with describing how they have used the new illustrations as a map to locate the contexts of our roles. Using this map has also enabled the authors to identify the role-systems and explore the territory of ourselves and our groups in new ways that deepened our understanding of roles and role locks. This book illustrates systems-centered therapy and training (SCT) theory by offering a practical theory to guide group psychotherapists, leaders and consultants in working with group dynamics.

Systems-centered therapy (SCT) brings an innovative approach to clinical practice. Developed by the author, SCT introduces a theory and set of methods that put systems ideas into practice. The collection of articles in this book illustrates the array of clinical applications in which SCT is now used. Each chapter introduces particular applications of SCT theory or methods with specific examples from practice that help the theory and methods come alive for the reader across a variety of clinical contexts. This book will be especially useful for therapists and clinical practitioners interested in sampling SCT, for those who learn best with clinical examples, and for anyone with a serious interest in learning the systems-centered approach.

Annotation Systems-Centered Therapy (SCT) synthesizes an awareness of the defensive role of anxiety, and depression - with an analysis of the phases of group development. This volume introduces the theory of living human systems and maps out its operationalization in a structured treatment model. This book will be of interest to both practitioners and trainees in group and individual psychotherapy.

Systems-centered therapy (SCT) brings an innovative approach to clinical practice. Developed by the author, SCT introduces a theory and set of methods that put systems ideas into practice. The collection of articles in this book illustrates the array of clinical applications in which SCT is now used. Each chapter introduces particular applications of SCT theory or methods with specific examples from practice that help the theory and methods come alive for the reader across a variety of clinical contexts. This book will be especially useful for therapists and clinical practitioners interested in sampling SCT, for those who learn best with clinical examples, and for anyone with a serious interest in learning the systems-centered approach.

Systems-Centered Practice presents a series of papers that trace the development of the theory of living human systems between 1987 and 2002. As the theory develops, so do the methods and techniques that put it into practice. The book also describes in detail the connection between the hierarchy of defence modification and the specific phases of system development that determine readiness for change. The papers in this volume contribute to our knowledge of the permeability of the boundaries between clinical and social psychology through the investigation of living human systems, and of systems-centered group and individual therapy. The author's considerable body of work constitutes a blend of creativity and learning of the highest order.

Systems-centered therapy is theory driven, therefore every intervention is in fact an hypothesis that tests both the validity of the theory and the reliability of its practice as it applies to short and long-term therapy with individuals, families, couples and groups. This book is built around the transcript of an inpatient therapy session, giving the reader the opportunity to follow verbatim how systems-centered therapy actually works. The script tracks the initial techniques that introduce systems-centered norms to a group. These include encouraging patients to explore their experience instead of explaining it, and to join together in subgroups around the common human resistances that interfere with being able to do therapeutic work. Wherever appropriate, the author annotates the script with the rational behind a particular method. Other chapters give an overview of the systems-centered ideas, their formulation as a theory of living human systems, and the systems-centered methods of boundarying, vectoring, contextualizing and functional subgrouping that put the theory into practice. Agazarian's book is an important text for all those who are interested in applying systems thinking to therapy, and, with its many practical examples, particularly useful to those who are interested in using systems-centered techniques.

This book is built around the transcript of an inpatient therapy session, giving the reader the opportunity to follow verbatim how systems-centered therapy actually works. The Other chapters give an overview of the systems-centered ideas, their formulation as a theory, and the systems-centered methods that put the theory into practice.