Systems Theory

This lecture will introduce students to systems theory and chaos and self-organization theory as it relates to models of therapy such as family and couples therapy. The advent of systems theory in the latter half of the 20th Century revolutionized the way in which professionals approached therapy. Instead of working only with the individuals, systemic thinking allowed psychotherapists to begin to work with entire family systems. The family, once seen as the problem, became the unit of analysis and entire schools grew up devoted to treating not just the so-called "identified patient" or symptom bearer in the family, but the family as a whole. Faculty: Kristin Trotter