Transgenerational Family Therapy

Abstract

Transgenerational family therapy invites counselors to examine the interactions of clients across generations as a mechanism for understanding and explaining current problems within the family, as well as predicting future difficulties. Understanding how the family has responded to crises in the past can provide insight into the struggles currently being experienced by the family. Likewise, future dysfunction can be anticipated by understanding generational reactions to stressful situations. This article provides an overview of the basic tenets of transgenerational family therapy, along with a case study of a couple in crisis. The goal of the case study is to demonstrate the transgenerational nature of the relational issues that families bring to the counseling process and provide a transgenerational lens with which to view or conceptualize the presenting problem. In an effort to strengthen the relationship between the couple, the counselor utilizes the concepts of transgenerational family therapy to help frame the problem and explore its historical evolution within the families of origin.