ABSTRACT
The systems therapist must examine not only whether the system is being transformed in terms of dysfunctional patterns but also the extent and nature of the transformation. There was good evidence of the mother's ability to disengage from her own parents and escape a powerful pattern of enmeshment. During the course of therapy with Dorothy and Herb, Dorothy had a disastrous fight with her father, took a huge number of laxatives, and went into a coma. Thus the follow-up should address the status of the individual problem and, just as important, it should evaluate the context and changes in the context. The firm upholding of boundaries between Dorothy and her parents undoubtedly created some friction and some crises, but these did not mean that she had ejected these people from her life. The desired outcome of therapy is an increase in the range of freedom for the participants in the system.
