When we are in the midst of conflict, we may struggle to feel the presence of God. Marisa Sifontes, a student at Candler School of Theology at Emory University, recently reflected on the presence of ... Continue Reading→

Differentiation of Self is a core concept in Bowen Family Systems Theory. Bowen borrowed the concept of differentiation from cell biology. All cells start out presumably as stem cells. As cells mature ... Continue Reading→

January is over and we are well in to the new year. This month we return to the concepts of Bowen Family Systems Theory. I want to add more details about triangling because it is one of the most ... Continue Reading→

We've turned the calendar page from 2019 to 2020.  I thought I'd take a quick break from Bowen Family Systems Theory, to share my year in books.  2019 was another year of eclectic reading choices.  As ... Continue Reading→

A triangle is a geometric shape with three sides and three angles that always add up to 180. A triangle is also the smallest stable unit of human relationship in Bowen Family Systems Theory. Say ... Continue Reading→

This post is the second in a series about Bowen Family Systems Theory. Before we launch in to the eight concepts of Bowen Theory, let's define what a family system is. A family system is a cohesive ... Continue Reading→

Bowen Family Systems Theory No man [human] is an island,” mused 17th century English poet, John Donne, in his poem of the same name. Dr. Murray Bowen, a 20th century psychiatrist, would agree. Bowen ... Continue Reading→

My last blog post was about reflective listening. This blog post describes a practice called “looping,” which is a part of reflective listening. Looping can be a very effective way to assure people ... Continue Reading→

My last blog post was a bit of a rant about how hard humans seem to find listening. I believe it is especially hard for most humans to listen carefully and deeply in the presence of pain. Emotional, ... Continue Reading→

Sometimes you need to be quiet and listen. In this blog post, I have a very specific context in mind when I say, "Be quiet and listen." I am speaking about the context of grief. If you read my last ... Continue Reading→