“The study of the family provides a completely new order of theoretical models for thinking about man and his relationship to nature and the universe.”

-Murray Bowen

“Man’s family is a system that follows the laws of natural systems.”  

-Murray Bowen

“Man is an evolutionary assemblage of cells who has arrived at his present state from hundreds of millions of years of evolutionary adaptation and maladaptation and who is evolving on to other things. …In this sense, man is related directly to all living matter.”

-Murray Bowen

“I believe that the laws that govern emotional functioning are as orderly as those that govern other natural systems…” 

-Murray Bowen

“The emotional system governs the dance of life in all living things.  It is deep within the phylogenetic past and is much older than the intellectual system. This theory postulates that far more human activity is governed by man’s emotional system than he has been willing to admit.”

-Murray Bowen

“There is some evidence that the human can actually determine the function of his own emotional system through control of his own emotionality.  It goes in the direction of implying that the human can control his own evolution through the control of the emotional system.” 

-Murray Bowen

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Family Systems Forum

Continues its 26th Year of Publication
with

“Learning to Laugh with My Mother: The Functions of Play and Humor in Defining a Self”
– Helen Reynolds, PhD

“Accompanying Dying Persons and Their Families”
– Katie Long, DMin

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LIVING IN BETTER HARMONY WITH NATURE

All of the concepts and forces described in Bowen theory are grounded in understanding the family as part of the natural world and evolution. Life has always affected the environment in ways that, over time, become challenges to survival and adaptation. 

Murray Bowen wrote many things about the impact of human life and the natural environment after he was invited to speak at the Environmental Protection Agency.  Although he was not optimistic about the capacity for change, he considered solutions to lie in directions consistent with differentiation of self.

“The systems approach postulates that the environmental problem has been created by biological man (in contrast to intellectual man) as he has evolved, developed, and propagated; that man has permitted the environmental problem to develop so far he is beginning to threaten his future existence…and that constructive solutions to the problems will depend on the highest functioning of intellectual man in directing total man toward solutions.”

p. Family Therapy and Clinical Practice, p. 447.

“Man created the environmental crisis by being the kind of creature he is. The environment is part of man. Change will require a change in the basic nature of man… The thesis here is that he might modify his future course if he can gain some control over his reaction to anxiety and his instinctual emotional reactiveness and begin taking constructive action based on his fund of knowledge and logical thinking… The type of man who survives will be one who can live in better harmony with nature.”

Family Therapy and Clinical Practice, p. 281

This series of monthly programs is designed to:

Increase the fund of knowledge about ourselves as part of the natural world.

Experience ourselves as connected to nature and overcome anxiety.

Recognize the impact of human life on the environment and avenues toward constructive action.

Consider what it means to live in better harmony with nature with specific projects.

Each program will include information and hands-on learning. There will also be time for discussion and reflection. Resources will be provided for participants to use on their own.

LIVING IN BETTER HARMONY
WITH NATURE

October 26, 2024

10:00 AM – 12:30 PM

FOR DETAILS

Soil, The Living Layer of Earth

November 30, 2024

10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

For Details

GOING GREEN FOR THE HOLIDAYS

December 14, 2024

10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

FOR DETAILS