Structural Family Therapy

Salvador Minuchin developed Structural Family Therapy techniques in the 1960s. They address dysfunctional dynamics and interactions to promote healthier relationships and improved family functioning. Helping families reshape their relational patterns to promote positive interactions and stronger bonds starts with a therapist observing and understanding their structure, including their subsystems, roles, and power dynamics. Then, through boundary-making, enactment, and structural family therapy mapping techniques, we help families reorganize themselves to foster clearer communication, healthier relationships, and balanced power dynamics. Structural family therapy interventions are grounded in the belief that positive change naturally follows when families shift their structure.

What is Structural Family Therapy?

Key Concepts of Structural Family Therapy

1. Family Structure

• Definition: The organized pattern of relationships and interactions (displayed by structural family therapy mapping).
• Families operate according to implicit rules and roles, such as who is in charge, who is close to whom, and who has power in decision-making.

2. Subsystems

• Families naturally divide into subsystems evidenced on structural family mapping based on generation, role, and function.
• Common subsystems include:
  • Parental subsystem (parents or guardians)
  • Sibling subsystem (children)
  • Spousal subsystem (married or cohabitating partners)
• Goal: Ensure healthy boundaries between subsystems.

3. Boundaries

• Definition: Invisible lines that define who participates in a particular relationship and how much influence they have.
• Types of Boundaries:
  1. Clear Boundaries – Healthy; allow members to maintain their roles while staying emotionally connected.
  2. Rigid Boundaries – Distant relationships; little emotional connection or support.
  3. Enmeshed Boundaries – Overly involved relationships; lack of personal space and autonomy.

4. Structural Family Therapy Techniques: Enactment

• Structural family therapy interventions may include asking family members to act out a conflict or interaction during a session.
• Purpose: I can observe family dynamics in real time and help restructure them.

5. Structural Family Therapy Techniques: Joining

• I work to “join” the system by establishing trust and rapport.
• This helps me gain insider access to the dynamics and enables effective intervention.

6. Structural Family Therapy Techniques: Restructuring

• Main Goal: To use structural family therapy interventions to reorganize the family structure to promote healthy functioning (again, often starting with structural family therapy mapping).
• This can involve shifting power dynamics, changing roles, or setting clearer boundaries.

Goals of Structural Family Therapy Techniques

1. Strengthen parental authority and restore hierarchy if necessary.
2. Clarify boundaries between subsystems to reduce enmeshment or rigidity.
3. Promote autonomy among members while maintaining healthy connections.
4. Rebuild interaction patterns to improve overall functioning.

Brief Example of Structural Family Therapy in Practice

Scenario:
A 15-year-old teenager is acting out and skipping school. The mother feels helpless, and the father is disengaged. The parents often undermine each other in front of him.

My Role:

• Join the family to observe their dynamic.
• Notice that the mother and child have an enmeshed relationship (overly close), and the father is disengaged.
• Structural family therapy interventions:
  • Empowering the father to take a more active role in discipline.
  • Reinforcing clear boundaries between parent and child.
  • Helping the mother step back and reduce enmeshment.

Why are Structural Family Therapy Techniques Effective?

• Structural family therapy techniques target the root cause of conflict: dysfunctional relationship mapping and boundaries.
• They emphasize action and change rather than simply talking about feelings.
• They provide clear and practical solutions for families to improve their dynamics.

Structural Family Therapy Techniques

Here are the Structural Family Therapy (SFT) techniques that I commonly use

Structural Family Therapy Joining Techniques

Definition:

• Joining means intentionally becoming part of the system to understand its dynamics and build trust.
• I do not remain a distant observer but actively engage with the family.

Purpose:

• Gain trust.
• Understand the unspoken rules and roles.
• Help members feel comfortable in therapy.

How It Works:

• Mimic their communication style.
• Match their energy, humor, or tone.
• If they are formal, I become formal.
• If they are loud or playful, I may match their tone to blend in.

Example:

• If they uses humor to cope, I may also use humor to connect with them.
• If the father is very formal, I may initially engage him in a formal tone to build trust.

Enactment (Acting Out Family Dynamics)

Definition:

• Enactment involves asking members to act out a conflict or interaction in therapy.
• Instead of just talking about problems, they demonstrate them.
• This allows me to observe the structure in real time.

Purpose:

• See the family dynamics in action.
• Identify coalitions, enmeshment, rigid boundaries, and power imbalances.
• Provide an opportunity for immediate intervention.

How It Works:

• I say:

“Can you show me what happens when you two argue at home?”

• Members reenact the argument, allowing me to observe:
  • Who has power?
  • Are there clear or blurred boundaries?
  • Is anyone disengaged or overinvolved?

Example:

• Mother and daughter fight constantly.
• I ask them to reenact a recent argument.
• During the enactment, the mother talks over the daughter, and the father remains silent.
• I now see the enmeshment between mother-daughter and disengagement of the father.
• This leads to targeted intervention.

Boundary Making in Structural Family Therapy

Definition:

• Boundary-making is the process of strengthening, loosening, or clarifying boundaries between members.
• Families can have three types of boundaries:
  • Clear boundaries → Healthy.
  • Rigid boundaries → Disengagement.
  • Enmeshed boundaries → Overinvolvement.

Purpose:

• Address boundaries to promote healthy autonomy and closeness.
• Prevent overinvolvement (enmeshment) or excessive distance (disengagement).

How It Works:

• If a parent and child are enmeshed, I may encourage the parent to:
  • Allow the child to solve their own problems.
  • Avoid speaking on behalf of the child.
• If members are disengaged, I may:
  • Encourage more shared activities.
  • Promote more direct communication.

Example:

• Mother and daughter are enmeshed.
• Daughter says: “I can’t make any decisions without my mom.”
• I intervene:
  • “Mom, could you let her answer for herself?”
  • “Daughter, could you practice making this decision without your mom?”
• This creates space (clear boundaries) for the child to develop independence.

Unbalancing (Shifting Power Dynamics)

Definition:

• Unbalancing means I temporarily support one member to shift the power balance.
• This is often done when one person has too much power or another is disempowered.

Purpose:

• Empower the marginalized members.
• Reduce the dominance of a powerful member.
• Reform the hierarchy.

How It Works:

• If a father dominates, I may intentionally side with the mother or child.
• This shifts the power balance and helps the weaker member find their voice.

Example:

• Father constantly interrupts his wife and children.
• I say:

“Let’s hear from your wife for a moment without interruption.”

• I then validate the wife’s input, disrupting the power balance.
• This promotes a more balanced dynamic.

Restructuring

Definition:

• This is the core goal of Structural Family Therapy interventions.
• It involves actively changing roles, boundaries, and power dynamics to promote healthier functioning.

Purpose:

• Reduce enmeshment or disengagement.
• Restore a clear parental hierarchy.
• Encourage independence in children.

How It Works:

• I may:
  • Shift decision-making power to parents.
  • Encourage children to take responsibility.
  • Break unhealthy coalitions (like mother-child vs. father).

Example:

• Problem: Father is disengaged; mother and child are enmeshed.
• Intervention:
  • I instruct the father to take a more active role in discipline.
  • Mother steps back and allows the father to lead.
  • Child learns to operate independently.
• This reforms the hierarchy.

Using Structural Family Therapy Interventions to Reframe

Definition:

• Reframing means changing the interpretation of a behavior so it seems less negative or more manageable.
• This reduces defensiveness and encourages change.

Purpose:

• Help members see each other differently.
• Reduce blame and increase empathy.
• Promote problem-solving rather than conflict.

How It Works:

• If a child is acting out, instead of labeling them as “bad,” I may say:

“Maybe your child is trying to get your attention because they feel disconnected.”

• This shifts perception and promotes empathy.

Example:

• Mother says: “My son is lazy.”
• I reframe: “Maybe your son lacks motivation because he feels disconnected.”
• This reduces blame and increases understanding.

Challenging the Family Myth (Disrupting False Beliefs)

Definition:

• Family myths are false beliefs families create to explain their problems.
• These myths often maintain dysfunction.

Purpose:

• Expose and disrupt false beliefs.
• Create a new, healthier narrative.

Example:

• Myth: “Dad doesn’t care about us.”
• Me: “Could it be that Dad expresses care differently?”
• This breaks the myth and helps them see new possibilities.

Shaping Competence (Reinforcing Positive Change)

Definition:

• I praise and reinforce positive changes in the dynamic.
• This helps them gain confidence in their ability to change.

Purpose:

• Strengthen new, healthier patterns.
• Help families maintain positive changes after therapy ends.

Example:

• Child speaks up confidently for the first time.
• I say:

“Wow! That was amazing! You expressed yourself clearly. Keep doing that!”

• This reinforces new, healthy behavior.

Case Example of Structural Family Therapy

• Client: 14-year-old girl named Emily.
• Presenting Issues:
  • Frequent arguments with her mother (Lisa).
  • Emily has become defiant, refusing to follow household rules.
  • Emily spends most of her time isolated in her room.
  • Father (John) remains distant and uninvolved.
• Family Structure:
  • Mother (Lisa) is overinvolved (enmeshed) with Emily.
  • Father (John) is disengaged and rarely disciplines Emily.
  • Emily has no clear boundaries and feels smothered by her mother.

Session 1: Structural Family Therapy Techniques for Joining

Goal:

• Use structural family therapy techniques to build rapport with the family.
• Observe family dynamics.
• Identify power structure, boundaries, and subsystems.

What I Observe:

Enactment (Technique):

• Me: “Can you show me what happens when you two argue?”
• Emily (defiant): “She never listens to me anyway.”
• Mother (angry): “You just lock yourself in your room and ignore me!”
• Father: silently watches.

Structural Family Therapy Mapping Analysis:

• Enmeshment: The mother is overly involved in Emily’s life, smothering her.
• Disengagement: The father remains uninvolved, leaving parenting to the mother.
• Power Imbalance: The mother holds all the power, while the father is passive.

Session 2: Boundary Making (Restructuring Enmeshment)

Goal:

• Use structural family therapy techniques to begin separating the mother from the daughter (reduce enmeshment).
• Encourage the father to take a more active role.

Structural Family Therapy Interventions to Stop the Enmeshment

• Me: “Lisa, I notice you answer a lot for Emily. Can I ask you to let Emily answer for herself?”
• Mother (hesitant): “But she never talks!”
• Me: “Let’s try. Emily, how do you feel when your mom speaks for you?”
• Emily: “Like I don’t matter.”
• Me: “Lisa, what’s it like hearing that?”
• Mother (tearful): “I thought I was protecting her.”

Purpose:

• This helps establish clear boundaries between mother and daughter.
• It forces Emily to speak for herself.

Structural Family Therapy Interventions to Engage the Father (Unbalancing)

• Me (to father): “John, I noticed you stay quiet during these conflicts. Why is that?”
• Father: “Lisa handles it better.”
• Me: “But Emily also needs you. Could you step in when conflict arises?”
• Father: “I guess I could try.”
• Me: “Lisa, can you step back and let John take the lead sometimes?”
• Mother (hesitant): “I don’t know if he will.”
• Me: “Let’s give it a try this week.”

Purpose:

• Unbalance the power dynamic by shifting some parental responsibility to the father.
• This reduces enmeshment between mother and daughter.

Session 3: Structural Family Therapy Mapping, Part 1

Goal:

• Use structural family therapy mapping to show current dynamics
• Shift power from child → parents.
• Strengthen the parental hierarchy.

Structural Family Therapy Interventions: Restructure the Hierarchy

• Me: “Emily has been the one controlling the dynamic by withdrawing or becoming defiant. We need to shift that control back to the parents.”
• Father: “What do we do?”
• Me: “John, you need to start setting clear rules and following through with consequences.”
• Me (to mother): “Lisa, you need to let John step in without interfering.”
• Mother (hesitant): “But what if he’s too harsh?”
• Me: “You’ll have to trust his parenting. Emily needs to see you two as a team.”

Purpose:

• This restores the parental hierarchy.
• Emily stops having power by controlling conflict and withdrawal.
• The father becomes more engaged, reducing mother-daughter enmeshment.

Session 4: Structural Family Therapy Mapping, Part 2

Goal:

• Use structural family therapy mapping to create a new, healthier map
• Solidify new roles.
• Ensure boundaries remain clear.

Structural Family Therapy Interventions: Boundary Making

• Me (to mother): “Lisa, I noticed you didn’t interrupt Emily today. How did that feel?”
• Mother: “Hard, but I see her speaking up more.”
• Me: “That’s exactly the goal. She’s reclaiming her space.”
• Me(to father): “John, you’ve stepped in a lot more lately. What’s changed?”
• Father: “I realized my daughter needed me.”
• Me (to Emily): “How has that been for you?”
• Emily: “Weird… but better.”

✅ Purpose:

• The boundaries have shifted from enmeshment to clear roles.
• Emily no longer controls the family with defiance.
• Parents now work as a team.

Session 5: Structural Family Therapy Techniques to Prevent Relapse

Goal:

• Prevent them from falling back into old patterns.

Structural Family Therapy Interventions: Shaping Competence (Reinforcing Positive Change)

• Me: “I’ve noticed a huge difference in how you all relate to each other.”
• Mother: “Yeah, I’m letting John lead more.”
• Father: “And Emily listens more now.”
• Me: “That’s because the structure has changed. Keep it up.”
• Emily: “It feels better now.”

Purpose:

• Reinforce the new structure.
• Prevent regression into enmeshment or disengagement.

Final Structural Family Mapping After Therapy

Therapeutic Outcome (Success)

Summary and My Work

Integrative Structural Family Therapy

The best use of Structural Family Therapy involves integrating complementary approaches and modifying techniques. Below are the strategies I use:

1. To Ensure Individual Mental Health Issues are taken into consideration

• Structural family therapy techniques primarily focus on structure and dynamics, often neglecting individual mental health issues like:
  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Trauma
  • Substance abuse
• This can make the client feel like their personal struggles are being ignored.

How to Manage:

• Combine structural family therapy Interventions with individual therapy (such as CBT or trauma-informed care) alongside SFT.
• Allow certain members to receive individual sessions if their mental health is significantly impacting dynamics.
• Educate them about how mental health conditions affect behavior, communication, and interaction patterns.
• Example: If a child has anxiety, help them understand how anxiety may influence the child’s behavior.
• When mental health issues are evident, I pause and provide some direct mental health intervention (like mindfulness-based stress reduction, etc.) before continuing with SFT.

2. If One Member is Unwilling

• Structural family therapy techniques assume all members will participate in therapy.
• However, one or more members may refuse to join, making it hard to restructure the dynamic.

How to Manage:

• If a member refuses to attend, begin therapy with the willing members.
• Gradually work towards bringing the resistant member in once positive changes are evident.
• Even if a member does not attend, their influence still exists in the dynamic so I help the attending members change how they respond to the absent member’s behavior. This can indirectly influence the absent member’s behavior.
• If the resistant member attends but refuses to engage, I use Motivational Interviewing to explore their resistance.
• Ask questions like:
  • “What would need to change for you to feel comfortable participating?”
  • “What do you think would happen if you don’t engage in therapy?”

3. Address Past Trauma

• Structural family therapy interventions are present-focused.
• This often ignores past trauma, which may be the root cause of dysfunction.
• Example:
  • If a child was abused in the past, the dysfunctional structure may have developed as a response to trauma.
  • Simply restructuring the family will not resolve the trauma itself.

How to Manage:

• Combine structural family therapy interventions with trauma-informed care, where I:
  • Acknowledge the trauma history.
  • Help them understand how trauma shaped their current relationships.
  • Provide healing techniques like grounding, trauma-processing, or mindfulness.
• Introduce genograms to help uncover trauma patterns across generations.
  • Example: If the mother experienced abuse in her childhood, she may unconsciously overprotect her child, leading to enmeshment.
  • Uncovering these patterns allows me to act with compassion and trauma-awareness.
• If a trauma memory surfaces, temporarily shift the focus to trauma processing.
• Resume SFT once the trauma has been addressed.

4. Cultural Differences

• Structural family therapy interventions assume that clear boundaries and hierarchical structures are ideal for all families.
• However, dynamics differ across cultures; some may thrive in non-traditional structures.
• Example:
  • In some collectivist cultures, enmeshed boundaries are seen as a sign of care rather than dysfunction.

How to Manage:

• Acknowledge cultural influence.
• I do not force a “Western” family structure on clients from different cultural backgrounds.
• Instead of imposing clear boundaries, ask:
  • “What would a healthy dynamic look like to you?”
  • “Would you like to create more space between members or maintain closeness?”
• If they prefer to maintain enmeshed boundaries, focus on making the enmeshment healthy rather than eliminating it.
• Example:
  • Promote mutual respect and balanced communication rather than forcing distance.

5. Focuses on Behavior, Not Emotion

• Structural family therapy interventions focus heavily on behavior and structure but often ignore emotional experiences.
• This can leave members feeling emotionally invalidated.

How to Overcome It:

• Combine structural family therapy interventions with Emotion-Focused Family Therapy (EFFT)
• Pause for Emotional Processing:
  • When a deep emotion surfaces during SFT, pause and say:
  • “Can we slow down and sit with what just came up emotionally?”
  • This validates emotions while still promoting change.
• Help members label their emotions during interactions.
• Example:
  • “It sounds like you feel unheard when your son ignores you.”
  • “Can you express that feeling directly to him?”
• This promotes both emotional connection and structural change.

Summary and My Work

Structural Family Therapy does not assign blame but understands how the system maintains the presenting problem. Families can break free from dysfunctional patterns and build healthier connections by shifting boundaries, addressing power dynamics, and strengthening the parental hierarchy. Witnessing families gain a renewed sense of balance and understanding through these changes is always rewarding. I use structural family therapy techniques to guide families toward healthier functioning, where each member can thrive individually while remaining deeply connected as a unit. SFT ultimately empowers families to discover their solutions, fostering resilience and long-term positive change.

I often mix SFT with other forms of treatment, including therapy for estrangement and solution-focused family therapy. With older children, we can do this treatment virtually.

If you have any questions about structural family therapy techniques, we might use together and how they might benefit your family, or any other questions, please feel free to contact me or schedule a consultation.

Dr. Alan Jacobson Founder and President

Dr. Jacobson is a licensed clinical psychologist providing individual, couples, and family therapy for over 20 years. He uses an integrative approach. choosing from a variety of proven and powerful therapeutic methods.

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