Family Rituals A Powerful Tool in Family Therapy

Abstract

The use of systemic models in family therapy obliged our team to devise therapeutic tasks involving the entire family. Among these, one was found to be extremely effective: the prescribing of a family ritual. This article gives details of on such example aimed at the destruction of a myth that had been created by three generations of a family. In order that the reader may have a adequate understanding of this ritual, were shall fully describe the story of the family and of the transgenerational evolution of this myth. In the description of the treatment of the family, certain errors were made by the therapists that will come to light-errors that, as usual, were far more instructive than the actual successes. Eventually, it was the very understanding of these errors and their repercussions that led us to the successful prescription of the ritual. Finally, detailed analysis of the substance and aim of the ritual will illustrate and explain exactly what we mean by the term ritual.

Clinical Commentary XII Rituals in Systemic Family Therapy: A Case Example

“…The aim of each session is to create a context in which conversations can take place which explore significant relationships and introduce or trigger new information, ideas and beliefs. Systemic rituals (Palazzoli et al 1977(Palazzoli et al , 1978 have been a common feature of our end of session messages for some considerable time. These often involve the introduction of experimental behaviours or beliefs to be performed by the family members outside the sessions.…”

“…In this way we are struck by the therapist's subtlety in designing a collective ritual toward a collective end with a theme relevant to each of the individuals' distinct needs. As Palazzoli writes: ' Every ritual becomes valid because of its normative function which is inherent in every collective action when the behaviour of all participants is directed towards the same goal' ( Palazzoli et al 1977). The process of the ritual laid bare Jane's vulnerability and her losses; by what process and in what contexts can she now begin to express and address them?…”

The Relationship Of Family Theory To Family Therapy*

“…In both, it is striking the extent to which single or only a few successfully treated cases are reported t o justify the widespread application of a technique or a theory leading to a false sense of certitude. Examples abound such as Madanes' (1980) charming paper on play, Palazzoli et al's (1977) paper on family rituals, and Grunebaum, Weiss, Hirsch & Barrett (1963) paper on the baby on the ward. The problem inherent in this practice is that the specific indications for the technique or the difficulties inherent in it are not discussed.…”

The therapist's responsibility: a systemic approach to mobilizing family creativity

“…Families transmit ritual themes or scripts from generation to generation (Palazzoli et al, 1977) and have ways of knowing about past and current events while not knowing clearly how this is so (Byng-Hall, 1973). Family members are often unclear about how they themselves fit into the overall picture, and what that family picture really is.…”