Navigating Systems Faculty, Family as a System, Brain as a System, Workplace as a System

Seeing anxiety as reactivity in self and relationship systems, integrating Bowen Theory into your life, your family and work, and developing increased self-regulation in relationships.

Amie Post, The Case of the Curious

How harnessing the power of anxious inquiry promotes function - and when does it not.

Kathy Wiseman, Why Bother? Applying Bowen Theory to Work Systems

Work systems and anxiety; Anxiety: the unrecognized component of the business world; anxiety and its impact on the workplace

Jake Morrill, The Prank of the Empty Tomb

Where did the quest to engage the non-linear, paradoxical fullness of life lead? Through the waypoints of punk rock, street pranks, group homes, literature, comedy, activism, marriage, and ministry before finally ending up in a room full of pastors laughing at catastrophe with intoxicating ease. How to sustain that freedom, in a way that challenged others to also pursue freedom for themselves? The discipline of systems thinking offered a compass. As the journey continues, through tricky triangles, dead-ends, and switch-backs, systems thinking sheds new light on old things. For instance, on God, the greatest trickster there ever has been.

Priscilla Friesen, Learning about Life through Death

A look at the fundamentals of Theory relating to Emotional Cutoff and the Multigenerational Process.

Kent Webb, My Life as a Gay Man: Learning, Applying, and Bowen Theory to the Journey

The presentation will identify my process of coming out as a publicly, open gay man later in life. I will specify how I believe Bowen theory, my learning of and applying it to my life was a determining factor in having the courage to take on the task. I will describe what I believe to have been the major components contributing to the process; the Bowen Center Post-Graduate Training Program, individual coaching with Drs. Bowen and Kerr for numerous years, researching male homosexuality in science, religion and society, my family of origin work, and a clinical field research project from my clinical practice.

The following aspects of Bowen theory will be described at length in terms of their importance to my process of coming out: Differentiation of Self (DoS), Solid-Self and Pseudo-Self, Acute and Chronic Anxiety. The other 7 concepts of the theory will be highlighted given their interrelated nature to DoS.

Scientific research, my field research, DoS, and Solid Self are identified as the basis for my suggesting Bowen theory’s explanation for the phenomenon of male homosexuality, as written about by Dr’s. Bowen and Kerr, be amended.

Andrea Schara, “De-twitching Mice and Men”

Different ways of looking at problems; defocusing symptoms; integrating the natural world

Laurie Lassiter, Putting Others Together and Self Out

The research effort in my own family is one attempt toward differentiation of self that shows the theory in action. The use of surprise and paradox gets beyond the position of an implicit question, “Is it OK with you if I differentiate a self from you?” before acting. Once an action is taken, the emotional system of the family can be seen a little more clearly. Then one takes another step based on a clearer picture.

The effort involves identifying the emotional process between two others (or among more than two) and commenting on it while keeping oneself out. In the next part of the effort, the individual avoids giving in to the predictable emotional pressure, what Bowen called change-back messages, and retains control over self rather than relinquishing it.

The presentation is more effective by providing the background and a brief transcript of the interactions before any explanation. The second part states the principles behind the effort, as well as what might be learned from it. In addition to the potential learning for the individual and family, does the research clarify the theory?

The final part of the presentation discusses the resistance, and even the questioning, to making such an effort, including the use of surprise and paradox. I think we prefer our close family members to be predictable! And don’t courteous people avoid making comments about other people’s relationships?

Navigating Systems Faculty, TBA