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Theory & the Emergence of Self

Theory and the Emergence of Self is held monthly. It is a time to deepen one's thinking about the impact of relationships on functioning and to consider how working with Bowen Theory has affected one’s personal life. Two individuals present each session. April's meeting posed thoughtful questions of functioning over the lifecyle.

How does an "over- and under-functioning" pattern in a marriage affect parenting?
Glennon Gordon focused on the interplay of over- and under-functioning in a marriage and how this plays out in the involvement of children in the anxiety. Comments focused on the impact of the generations on the development of this reciprocal pattern in a marriage.

What are patterns of chronic anxiety in self and family that relate to the process of aging and dying?
Rob Felton presented a chronology of repeating life events in his family that highlights the nature of emotional systems over the generations. An example included a recent illness paralleling the timing of an illness in a past generation. The presentation highlighted how patterns of chronic anxiety impact aging, health, and attitude towards death.

Filed under Bowen family systems theory, Family