Overview Of Educational Programs In Bowen Theory,
The Study Of Natural Systems And The Family
At CSNSF

Educational programs are approved for Continuing Education Credits for LPC, LMFT, and Social Work. Please request CEU Certification with registration.

Center for the Study of Natural Systems and the Family offers Educational Programs in Bowen Theory, The Study of Natural Systems and the Family in Texas as part of its mission to be a resource for addressing problems facing families, organizations, and society in realistic and effective ways.

These educational programs are designed to

  • Support efforts to understand factors identified in Bowen theory to impact health and quality of life in families and society,
  • Integrate knowledge from the natural sciences and the study of family systems in research and projects that benefit families and the community,
  • Promote the efforts of individuals to develop a base of responsible leadership from which to address problems, and
  • Support applications within the health sciences, education, social service, religious, and business institutions.

The natural systems theory developed by Murray Bowen provides a comprehensive framework for understanding and addressing human problems. (See Volumes 1 and 2 of Family Systems Forum.) Basic theoretical concepts can guide work in medicine, mental health, research, social services, education, politics, religious vocation, and business. The theory however is neither a fixed body of knowledge nor a set of techniques that can be appended to conventional thinking. The power in this theory lies in learning to "think systems" and to work on differentiation of self as the basis for unique solutions to common problems.

These educational programs serve as a resource to individuals within existing organizations, professions, and fields who are motivated to better understand and address the part that relationships and patterns of reaction play in health and human functioning. The direction of projects is diverse and develops out of the background that individuals bring to the study of Bowen theory.

  • Physicians study family factors that affect response to treatment and develop ways to manage emotional reactions with difficult patients.
  • Chaplains who study here are identifying ways that family history affects how people deal with the decisions they face in dealing with illness at the end of their lives.
  • One therapist is developing a course for families who are dealing with chronic illness and will evaluate the benefit of the course in terms decreased hospitalization and improved quality of life.
  • One businessman is working on how to best direct his resources to understand and address problems of discrimination, oppression, and warfare.
  • Clergy are developing guidelines for decisions they face in leading local congregations and the larger organization of the denomination.
  • Community health workers are developing ways to use knowledge about family systems and health in their work in communities on both sides of the Texas and Mexico border.
  • Congregational health nurses are using knowledge about the impact of family in their work with families and church communities.
  • A marriage and family therapist is using Bowen theory to guide her work with families focused on problems in the child.

Although applications of theory, science, and knowledge vary with the background and interests of students, learning "to think systems" is guided by several common principles. People come to discern the difference between thinking and subjective reactions, between assumption and fact. People learn to distinguish ways to thinking and recognize their implication in action and outcome. People develop the ability to see for themselves, to bring a unique perspective to any human dilemma. People learn how to gain new knowledge about a situation or about others.

People develop their ability to be an influence within the family or work systems for the best that can be, not through telling others what to do but through working on one's own reactivity in relation to others. People vary in how quickly they are able to develop their ability to think for themselves, to recognize subjective reactions, and develop a more factual perspective. People vary in their ability to see the system they are part of, to see their impact on others and the effect others have on self. The process of learning involves change in how people relate to each other and change in the person, in brain, biology and behavior. "Learning to think systems in relation to human behavior is dependent upon emotional changes within the learner." (Michael Kerr)

People can best learn through careful study in their own family where the impact of relationships and subjective reactions are most evident. Professionals are not exempt from problems in the family and those who direct their studies toward live concerns will learn most quickly. People learn about the factors outlined in the concepts of Bowen theory through observation and practice, example, and trial and error experiences in their own family. Change is based on understanding the part one's own reactions play in the system and work on being the most responsible self.

The educational programs offered by CSNS&F are designed to allow time for people to learn at their own rate and to promote study and practice that will allow people to proceed as quickly as possible. Continuing Education Credits for the following programs are approved for many professions.

Individual Consultation for the study of one's own family and for work on differentiation of self is an essential component of these educational programs. One cannot learn or teach from books alone. Regular meetings with a coach focus on understanding emotional patterns in the family that govern what happens in life and at work. The coach or consultant is experienced in the study of family systems and committed to differentiation of self as the basis for learning and change.

An Introduction to Bowen Theory and the Study of Family Systems

Saturday, October 4, 2008
9:00AM - 3:30 PM
At
CSNSF Classroom
729 Rutland
Houston Heights, Houston, TX

"Systems thinking...is directed at getting beyond cause and effect thinking and into a systems view of the human phenomenon. ...Emotional reactiveness in a family or other group that lives or works together goes from one family member to another in a chain reaction fashion. ...Each person is programmed from birth to serve a certain set of functions and each "senses" what is required or expected from the way the system functions. ...He (she) does have one ability beyond other protoplasmic life, and that is the ability to observe, think, abstract, and see the natural order, to understand the secrets of nature and to govern himself a bit differently." Murray Bowen in "Society, Crisis, and Systems Theory" in Family Therapy in Clinical Practice, pages 420 - 422.

To Register

This is an overview of Bowen family systems theory and the ways in which people use this theory to "think systems" in their own family and life and work. This one day seminar will cover the eight basic concepts and the fundamental forces described by Murray Bowen in his natural systems theory of the family. The presentations and videotape material will draw upon examples from family work, from clinical practice, and from applications in a variety of work systems. Discussion will focus on the interests of those who attend.

This overview of Bowen theory and the study of family systems can serve as an introduction for some and as continued education for others. One's own family is the basic laboratory for learning about family systems and about the changes that are possible through putting this theory to work. This series is open both to professionals and to family members who are motivated to use this theory to bring about changes in the family.

Schedule

9:00 - 10:30

An Overview of Bowen Family Systems Theory

The Family as an Emotional System that Governs Biology & Behavior

Togetherness & Individuality Forces

Differentiation of Self & The Scale of Differentiation

Emotional Triangles and Patterns of Reactivity

Anxiety and Emotional Reactivity

Sibling Position

Multigenerational Family Process

Emotional Cutoff

Societal Emotional Process

10:30 - 11:00

Break to Think (Refreshments provided)

11:00 - 12:30

Steps Toward Differentiation as the Basis for Change

Obstacles to Differentiation of Self

12:30 - 2:00

Lunch Break (Lunch provided)

1:00 - 2:00

Murray Bowen via Videotape Lecture

2:00 - 3:30

Applications of Bowen Family Systems Theory & Tools for Application

The Family Diagram

Family Research

Observing & Managing Reactivity

Victoria Harrison will serve as faculty. She will draw upon her studies with Dr. Bowen, the work in her own family, and upon over 30 years of clinical practice and consultation.

This one day seminar will include PowerPoint slides, handouts, recommended reading, and other resources for learning. The basic texts in Bowen theory will be available for purchase at discount rates for those who register.

Registration fee is $200. Scholarships are available upon prior arrangement. This seminar series is approved for 6 hours of Continuing Education Credits in Marriage and Family Therapy, Licensed Professional Counseling, and Social Work.

Please contact Victoria Harrison at vaharrison@sbcglobal.net or at 713-790-0226 for information.

To Register

Individual Conferences Or Coaching

Individual conferences or coaching are central for anyone who wants to use Bowen theory to understand and address unresolved problems in the family or at work in organizations. The focus on understanding emotional process in one's own family and life provides the basis for seeing self as part of the emotional system and for differentiation of self as the basis for change. Work on differentiation of self is the cornerstone for applying family systems theory in psychotherapy, ministry, medicine or other professions.

Individual Conferences or coaching meetings are scheduled monthly either in the office or by phone.

Dr. Michael Kerr !LIVE! Via Webcast

Web Cast Seminar Series on Bowen Theory & Applications with Michael Kerr, MD

To Register

Dr. Michael Kerr is the current Director of Bowen Center for the Study of the Family, the organization that Murray Bowen established at Georgetown University Medical School for the study of family systems. He is author of Family Evaluation, a classic text in Bowen family systems theory and widely recognized as one of the foremost teachers in the field.

One morning a month, CSNSF will bring Michael Kerr to Houston via webcast. His lectures will feature Bowen family systems theory and the difference it makes in practice. Dr. Kerr's command of theory and his work in mental health and medicine have broad and practical applications in the family of man. Those who are beginning to study their own family will find that these lectures accelerate learning. Those whose study of Bowen theory is well underway will find that the thinking addresses common challenges and inspires one's own applications in life and work.

Participants in Houston will join individuals throughout the world for the one and ½ hour webcast presentation and discussion with Dr. Kerr. Internet connection will permit interaction between the audience in Houston and the speaker in Washington, DC. Victoria Harrison will chair a followup discussion. Family Evaluation is suggested reading for those who attend. You can purchase the book from CSNSF or order through the Bowen Theory Resource Store online at www.csnsf.org.

This meeting will be open to professionals and family members interested in how to use Bowen theory to think about problems in the family and in society. Victoria Harrison will serve as discussion chair.

Location: CSNSF Classroom at 729 Rutland in the Houston Heights.

Time and Dates for 2008-2009:

  • Monday 9/8/08: 1:00-2:30PM
  • Monday 10/6/08: 1:00-2:30PM
  • Monday 11/3/08: 1:00-2:30PM
  • Monday 12/1/08: 1:00-2:30PM
  • Monday 1/5/09: 1:00-2:30PM
  • Monday 2/9/09: 1:00-2:30PM
  • Monday 3/2/09: 1:00-2:30PM
  • Monday 4/6/09: 1:00-2:30PM
  • Monday 5/11/09: 1:00-2:30PM
  • Monday 6/1/09: 1:00-2:30PM

Fees and Registration: $50 for each session. Attendance is limited to the first 10 registrants. CEU's will be available in Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy, and LPC upon request. To Register

For further information or to register, please contact Victoria Harrison at vaharrison@sbcglobal.net or 713-790-0226.

The Bowen Center will begin to webcast this and other significant programs long held in Washington, DC to Bowen theory based programs throughout the country. For information about other locations where these conferences will be available, please contact Mrs. Kathleen Kerr at 202-965-0730 or kbkerr@thebowencenter.org.

Bowen Theory Conference Series - Schizophrenia: Diagnosis is not Destiny

CSNSF has a library of videotapes from many of the conferences and symposia held at The Bowen Center for the Study of the Family. The Bowen Theory Conference Series will feature presentations from these conferences for discussion by family members and professionals who are motivated to learn and use Bowen family systems theory in their own life and work.

Schizophrenia: Diagnosis is Not Destiny

is the most recent Spring Meeting at BCSF. In his original studies of families in which schizophrenia occurred, Murray Bowen identified characteristics that are also present in any family. This conference too brings new knowledge and exciting evidence for the impact of relationships on chronic stress in the production of psychosis and symptoms diagnosed as schizophrenia as well as on the ability to recover from these serious symptoms. It will illustrate the ways in which "there is a little bit of schizophrenia in all of us." This conference brings a unique and multidisciplinary combination of scientific presentations with applications of knowledge by families who speak about their experience in dealing with schizophrenia.

To Register

Wednesday, October 1, 2008: Michael Kerr, MD
The Relevance of Bowen Theory's Concept of "Self" to a Broader Understanding of Schizophrenia

Bowen theory's concept of "self" is unique by defining self as the capacity to adapt successfully to the pressures and tensions of family life and social groups. Symptoms emerge when that adaptive capacity is exceeded.

Dr. Kerr is the Director of The Bowen Center for the Study of the Family and is in private practice in family psychiatry. Widely recognized for his expertise in Bowen family systems theory, he has long been interested in the interplay of relationships, stress, and the biology of schizophrenia.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008: Cecile Whitehead and Thomas Whitehead
A Family Approach to Psychosis

An interview with the parents of a daughter who had a series of psychotic episodes beginning in her teens. It describes how the parents worked on their parts in the problem and contributed to the daughter's recovery.

Ms. Whitehead is the President of Accurate Solutions, an accounting firm specializing in outsourced accounting services for businesses in the metropolitan DC area. Mr. Whitehead has retired from government service and private law practice.

Diagnosis is Not Destiny: Lonnie Joe Holt, MS.

An interview with a man who was diagnosed with schizophrenia in his late teens who describes key components involved in his gradual recovery to become a husband, father and family therapist. His history will both inform and inspire.

Mr. Holt is a systems analyst for the Department of Defense and a marriage and family therapist serving as Director of Counseling, Abundant Life Baptist Church in Lee's Summit, Missouri. He is a diagnosed schizophrenic.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008: Esther Sternberg, MD
Neuroendocrine Regulation of Autoimmune, Inflammatory, and Infectious Disease

How the science of mind-body connection explains how stress and the social world effect health, how belief helps healing, how the immune system can change moods, and how these ideas influence treatment and recovery.

Dr. Sternberg is Director of the Intramural Integrative Neural Immune Program, NIMH/National Institutes of Health. She is also Chief, Section on Neuroendocrine Immunology and Behavior, NIMH and is internationally recognized for her work on the stress response, the brain-immune system connection, and the role of the immune system in medical and psychiatric conditions.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008: Michael Lumpkin, PhD
The Relationship Between Stress and Schizophrenia

Outline of how particular neuroendocrine mechanisms activated in stress are believed to participate in the generation of schizophrenia.

Dr. Lumpkin is a Professor in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics in the School of Medicine at Georgetown University. He is internationally recognized for his expertise in neuroendocrinology and neuroimmunology and has a remarkable ability to communicate how stress can translate into disease.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008: Elyn R. Saks, Jd, PhD Candidate
The Center Cannot Hold

The story of how Ms. Saks overcame a diagnosis of schizophrenia in her twenties with multiple hospitalizations and a poor prognosis to build a successful life as a law professor, researcher, author, psychoanalyst in training, and wife.

Ms. Saks is the Orrin B. Evans Professor of Law, Psychology and Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences at the University of Southern California Law School. She is also the Associate Dean for Research, USC Law School and Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine. Her most recent book, The Center Cannot Hold, conveys incredible insight into schizophrenia. It was chosen one of the Top Ten 2007 Non-Fiction Books by Time magazine.

Recommended Reading:
Family Therapy in Clinical Practice by Murray Bowen (Chapters 1 - 5)
Family Evalulation by Michael Kerr
The Balance Within by Esther Sternberg
The Center Cannot Hold by Elyn Saks
These books can be ordered through the Bowen Theory Online Resource Store.

Registration fee is $200 for the series or $50 for each session. Scholarships are available upon prior arrangement. This seminar series is approved for 10 hours of Continuing Education Credits in Marriage and Family Therapy, Licensed Professional Counseling, and Social Work.

Please contact Victoria Harrison at vaharrison@sbcglobal.net or at 713-790-0226 for information. To Register

Special Events And Programs

Center for the Study of Natural Systems and the Family organizes special events and coordinates programs with other organizations and institutions in Houston and Texas. These programs advance CSNS&F efforts to introduce people to the wide range of applications of Bowen theory and the study of family systems and to serve as a resource for program development and community service.

Past programs include

  • John Mathias, MD organized a section on Bowen Theory, Family Systems and Stress for Endometriosis: 2001, a major conference that includes speakers whose research is vital for understanding and treating this disease. Michael Kerr, MD, Director of The Bowen Center will present on Family Systems and Health. Michael Lumpkin, PhD, Chair of Physiology at Georgetown University Medical School and lecturer at The Bowen Center, will discuss Stress Reactivity and Symptom Development and Victoria Harrison, MA, Director of CSNS&F will present on Relationships and Self-Regulation: The Bowen theory. This conference will be held on September 28 and 29th, 2001.
  • Victoria Harrison, MA will present at Grand Rounds, University of Texas Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences on Family Systems and Reproduction, in December, 2001.
  • System's Perspective on Spirituality and Leadership, a conference organized in Austin, Texas by Michael Quinn, PhD, and sponsored by CSNS&F, Family Consultation Services, and St. Edward's University
  • The Impact of Relationships over Generations in Human and Primate Families which was organized by Louise Rauseo and cosponsored by University of Texas in El Paso
  • The Forum, a series of seminars on Bowen Theory and Organizations, organized by Kathleen Wiseman and held in Austin, Texas.

Please contact Victoria Harrison at 713-790-0226 to discuss development of programs or coordination of programs in Bowen theory and the study of family systems.

08222008