ABSTRACT
The theoretical foundation of the structural model of family therapy rests on the belief that “the whole and the parts can be properly explained only in terms of the relations that exist between the parts” (Lane, 1970). One of the therapeutic goals in structural and Adlerian family therapy is to help family members experience their belonging to an entity that is larger than the individual self. In individual therapy, the focus is on the individual as a whole. But when the individual becomes a part of a whole (the family), the other parts of that whole are seen as affecting the behavior and experience of all the parts. All members of a family contribute to maintaining the appropriate style of life that feels harmonious for that particular family. The technique as described here is taken primarily from the work of Minuchin (1974; Minuchin and Fishman, 1981).
