Family system therapy from an Adlerian perspective asserts that “human beings are essentially social, purposeful, subjective and interpretive in their approach to life (Sweeney, 1998). These attributes are no accident. They are required at least in part from the moment of birth. Without the social, physical, and emotional nurturing provided in the family, no infant would survive. Within the family, children quickly become active agents, defining and redefining the family constellation or system; striving for growth, significance, and meaning; and acting in line with their subjective, and too often mistaken, interpretations of life.
Parents should be the natural leaders of families. They are older, more experienced, and carry societal mandates for rearing the next generation. Too often, however, children have a far greater impact on the development and interactions of the family than do the parents. Even in functional families, children seem more capable of influencing adult behavior than the other way around. In part, this is because most adults have very little effective preparation for parenting. When push comes to shove, most parents re-enact the autocratic or permissive upbringings that they experienced themselves.”
Note: Examining the subjective evaluations and interpretations that we bring from our childhoods and families of origin from a mature, and hopefully, more merciful, compassionate, and informed perspective can bring about a healthy reframing of our assumptions about life and changes in the way we view ourselves and the relationships in our lives.
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