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Information
EP85 Invited Address 09b - Strategic Family Therapy - Cloe Madanes
Original Program Date :
Length: 51:08
Description:
Educational Objectives:
- To understand the interactional function of symptoms
- To understand how to plan strategies for change
*Sessions may be edited for content and to preserve confidentiality*
Outline:
Introduction and Background of Cloe Madanes
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Introduced with credentials in psychology from Buenos Aires and a strong background in psychology, family therapy, and psychiatry.
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Principal investigator on family dynamics among heroin addicts; author of Behind the One Way Mirror and Strategic Family Therapy.
Summary of Family Therapy Development
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Describes the shift in focus from individuals to nuclear and extended families in the 60s and 70s.
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Stresses the need for generational boundaries and clear family hierarchies.
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Introduces the idea that symptoms can be adaptive responses in dysfunctional family structures.
Conflicting Hierarchies and Symptoms
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Cites Bateson's work on conflicting messages and “double binds.”
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Emphasizes that symptoms often arise from hierarchical confusion within the family.
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Notes how parents and children may simultaneously occupy superior and inferior roles.
Metaphorical Communication in Families
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Families often communicate in metaphorical and analogical ways.
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Symptoms can reflect both personal distress and relational dynamics.
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Understanding metaphorical sequences helps reveal the underlying family system.
Strategic Therapy and Playful Interventions
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Describes interventions such as “prescribing the symptom” in a playful or exaggerated way.
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Example: a gambling addict coached by family to gamble—leading to quitting.
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Another case: parents pretending to fear a monster so a child could protect them, easing his nightmares.
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Humor and play are highlighted as keys to encouraging change.
Reversing Family Hierarchy
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When parents are ineffective, children are temporarily “put in charge” to rebalance the system.
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This helps prompt parents to reclaim authority and responsibility.
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Children are given clear tasks and discussion points to shift dynamics.
Critique by Dr. Watzlawick
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Questions whether therapy should aim to create tailored interventions for every case.
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Criticizes the idea that pathology is always relational rather than individual.
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Warns that such views might lead to therapeutic nihilism or undermine clinical credibility.
Cloe Madanes, HDL, LIC
Cloé Madanes, HDL, LIC, is a world-renowned innovator and teacher of family and strategic therapy and one of the originators of the strategic approach to family therapy. She has authored seven books that are classics in the field: Strategic Family Therapy; Behind the One-Way Mirror; Sex, Love and Violence; The Violence of Men; The Secret Meaning of Money; The Therapist as Humanist, Social Activist and Systemic Thinker; and Relationship Breakthrough. She has presented her work at professional conferences all over the world and has given keynote addresses for The Evolution of Psychotherapy Conference, the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy; the National Association of Social Workers, The Erickson Foundation, the California Psychological Association and many other national and international conferences. Madanes has won several awards for distinguished contribution to psychology and has counseled outstanding individuals from all walks of life.
Paul Watzlawick, PhD
Paul Watzlawick, received his Ph.D. from the University of Venice in 1949. He has an Analyst's Diploma from the C.G. Jung Institute for Analytic Psychology in Zurich. Watzlawick has practiced psychotherapy for more than 30 years. He was research associate and principal investigator at the Mental Research Institute. He was Clinical Professor at the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University Medical Center. Watzlawick is a noted family therapist; he is recipient of the Distinguished Achievement Award from the American Family Therapy Association. Also, he is author, co-author or editor of eight books on the topics of interactional psychotherapy, human communication and constructivist philosophy.
He formulated five axioms. They are:
- It is not possible to not communicate. Every behavior is some kind of non-verbal communication.
- Every communication has a content. In addition, there is 'metainformation', which says how the communicator wants to be understood.
- All partners involved in a communication process also interpret their own behaviour during communication.
- Human communication involves both verbal and non-verbal communication. In addition to the spoken words, there are is also a non-spoken part (gestures, behavior, intonation..) which is part of the communication.
- Communication between humans is either symmetric or complementary. This is based on whether the relationship of those communicating is based on differences or parity.
