The Intimacy Paradox Personal Authority in the Family System

by Williamson, Donald S.

• ISBN13: 9781572308152
• ISBN10: 157230815X
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-07-03
• Publisher: The Guilford Press

Summary

Although most people physically leave home by their early 20s, emotional separation from one's family is a more difficult process that can continue for a lifetime. This acclaimed book addresses the struggle of adults to establish autonomy without sacrificing family connections. Donald S. Williamson presents personal authority therapy, an approach designed to simultaneously foster individual development and family-of-origin intimacy. Therapists are taken step by step through conducting individual, couple, and small group sessions that culminate in several sessions with each client and his or her parents. Writing with sensitivity and humor, the author demonstrates effective ways to help adult children construct new personal and family narratives, resolve intergenerational intimidation, and enjoy healthier, more equal relationships with parents and significant others.

Author Biography

Donald S. Williamson, Ph.D., Baylor College of Medicine

Table of Contents

I. PERSONAL AUTHORITY THEORY
Personal Authority in the Family System: An Overview	3	(20)
The Intimacy Paradox	3	(1)
The Question	4	(1)
The Dilemma	5	(1)
Differentiation of Self	6	(1)
Personal Authority in the Family System Introduced	7	(1)
Intergenerational Intimidation	8	(1)
Healthy Family Structure: A Matter of Timing	9	(1)
Humanization of the Parent	10	(1)
The Focus Is on the Primary Triangle	11	(1)
The Therapeutic Style in Personal Authority Work	12	(2)
Transgenerational Family Therapy: Some Distinctions in the Interest of Differentiation	14	(5)
The Role of Theory in Practice	19	(1)
A How-To Book	20	(3)
Background Theoretical Assumptions	23	(10)
Six Basic Assumptions	23	(7)
Four Assumptions about Parents Underlying Personal Authority Work	30	(3)
Personal Authority: The Construct in Theoretical Context	33	(16)
Language, Consciousness, and the Authority of Personal Authority Work	33	(3)
Personal Authority Work in the Context of Psychotherapy Theory in General	36	(2)
Personal Authority: The Theoretical Construct	38	(11)
II. PERSONAL AUTHORITY METHOD: THE PLAY'S THE THING
Setting the Scene: Playful Interventions as a Method of Therapy	49	(16)
Personal Authority Family of Origin Work: A Script Note	49	(1)
Personal Authority Psychotherapy Practice in Context	50	(1)
Personal Authority Work as Symbolic-Experiential and as Strategic Family Therapy	51	(1)
The Uses of Absurdity	52	(3)
Building the Set: The Ambience of the Therapeutic Process--Trembling on the Edge	55	(5)
Staging Notes: Four Assumptions about the Therapeutic Interaction	60	(5)
Auditioning and Casting: Background Preparations for the Conversations with Parents	65	(14)
Production Notes	65	(2)
Screening, Selecting, and Assigning the New Client to a Small Family-of-Origin Group	67	(12)
Black Out Sketches: The Group at Play	79	(24)
Playful Interventions, Assignments, and Perturbations	79	(5)
Scenes from a Group	84	(19)
The Rehearsal: Preparing the Client for Political Renegotiations with Parents	103	(12)
Discovery	103	(1)
Release	104	(2)
Observation	106	(1)
Initiating Negotiations	106	(3)
Preparing the Parents	109	(1)
Corollary Conversations	109	(1)
Preparation of the Agenda	110	(1)
The Invitation to Parents	111	(4)
Scheduling the Performance and Contract Negotiating with the Players	115	(10)
Welcoming, Bonding, and Briefing the Parents	115	(1)
The Ground Rules for the In-Office Conversations	116	(2)
The Consultant Sits Down with the Client and the Parents	118	(2)
A Matter of Timing	120	(5)
Writing the Script: The In-Office Agenda for the Primary Triangle--Part 1. The Parents Speak	125	(26)
Prologue: So What Is This Play About? The Parental Narrative	126	(1)
Act One: The Parents' Memories	127	(13)
Act Two: The Parents' Reflections	140	(11)
Writing the Script: The In-Office Agenda for the Primary Triangle--Part 2. The Client Responds and the Consultant Reflects	151	(20)
Act Three: The Client's Declarations	151	(11)
Crafting the Language for the Questions	162	(1)
Epilogue: So What Was That All About? The Dynamics of the In-Office Consultation	163	(3)
Postscript	166	(5)
Performing Outdoors: New Life at the Graveyard--Renegotiation with a Deceased Former Parent	171	(12)
Making the Trip	171	(6)
Detailed Agenda for Graveside Visit with a Deceased Parent	177	(4)
Compassion and Honor for the Dead	181	(2)
Production Problems: Limitations to the Method	183	(12)
The Parents as a Source of Limitations	183	(4)
The Client as a Source of Limitations	187	(2)
Reluctance to Making Changes in Family Politics	189	(6)
III. PERSONAL AUTHORITY CONTEXTUAL ISSUES
Personal Authority: The Personal Story	195	(18)
The Town of Dungannon	195	(3)
The Family	198	(1)
Illness	199	(1)
Religion	200	(1)
Brave New World	201	(1)
On Returning to the Parental Home	202	(2)
Critical Incidents in Conversations at the Parental Home	204	(7)
Two Observations on the Work	211	(2)
Personal and Professional Authority in Professional Life	213	(8)
The Future Lies Ahead	219	(2)
Personal Authority, Professional Authority, and Physical Health	221	(18)
Mind, Emotion, and Physical Health	222	(4)
The Further Implications of These Ideas	226	(7)
Reasons for Hesitancy to Change Health Education Practices	233	(3)
Is Change Then Possible at All?	236	(3)
Personal Authority and Gender Differences: Typecasting	239	(22)
Linda M. Walsh
Introduction	240	(1)
Contributions of Feminism	241	(2)
Historical Perspective on Family and ``Homelife''	243	(1)
A Gendered Perspective	244	(6)
PAFS and Alpha Bias	250	(2)
Christopher's Story	252	(1)
The Transgenerational Model and Murray Bowen	253	(4)
Barbara's Story	257	(2)
Conclusions	259	(2)
Beyond Personal Authority	261	(12)
Falling in Love with the Future	261	(3)
Personal Authority as Illusion	264	(9)
IV. PERSONAL AUTHORITY RESEARCH
The Personal Authority in the Family System Questionnaire: Assessment of Intergenerational Family Relationships	273	(14)
James H. Bray
Key Concepts	274	(2)
Questionnaire Development	276	(3)
Norms for the PAFS-Q	279	(1)
Reliability	279	(1)
Validity	280	(1)
Interpretation of PAFS-Q Scale Scores	281	(1)
Clinical Applications	282	(1)
Research and Theory Applications	283	(2)
Summary and Future Work	285	(2)
References	287	(12)
Index	299