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The Eight Concepts of Bowen Theory: A New Way of Thinking About the Individual and the Group
"The Eight Concepts" is a clear and concise description of the basic concepts of Bowen family system theory. Beginning with the fundamental concept of the nuclear family as the emotional unit, the other concepts -- differentiation of self scale, triangles, cutoff, family projection process, multigenerational transmission process, sibling position, and emotional processes of society -- are explained as they evolve out of the fundamental concept of the emotional unit. The emphasis is clarity of presentation and purity of presentation of theory. Numerous citations to the writings of Dr. Bowen and experts who studied under Dr. Bowen are used to present the theory in as pure a form as possible in a short and easy-to-read book. The special sections in each chapter for parents, coaches and leaders bring each concept home for different roles readers bring to the book. An index is included.
129 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 28, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
September 11, 2018
If you want a simplistic introduction to an interesting topic by a reactionary anti-feminist homophobe, this is the book for you!
This is my first exposure to systems psychology of any kind and I was extremely interested in several of the relationship dynamics described. They were not, however, described in much detail. None of the diagrams I bought the book expecting to learn how to make were given more than cursory attention.
Several chapters in, the prose had sustained an awkward uneducated tone for so long that I put the book down and skimmed a few review articles on Bowen Theory with Google scholar. I didn't have time to find much on clinical efficacy but there were at least a handful of papers discussing portions of Bowen's work as empirically validated to some degree, so I kept going.
The research suggested that "differentiation of self" was the most important of Bowen's concepts, and while this book clearly agrees it left me with only a vague sense of what it entails. I personally reflected on how the possible relationship between internalized homophobia and codependency might be framed in terms of differentiation, fucking clearly not what the author had in mind. I do suspect that a feminist and queer-positive reading of Bowen would be possible and useful.
The chapter on sibling position relied heavily on gendered stereotypes and reminded me of nothing so much as astrology. Perhaps the original research referenced has been interpreted more competently elsewhere.
The chapter on "societal regression" was absurd if not proto-fascist. Single parents, working mothers, and gay people are all mentioned exactly once, as social problems, lesbians, bisexuals, and trans people are completely invisible. There was an extremely questionable narrative about high and low functioning family lineages, and I noticed several outright bizarre comments about the etiology of schizophrenia, which the author appears to attribute to something along the lines of "emotional immaturity". Disability and illness of any kind are never discussed beyond several brief mentions of children becoming vaguely "symptomatic" if their (heterosexual) parents are emotionally dysfunctional. The author stresses the importance of knowing a client's reproductive history (including all abortions and miscarriages in their family tree?) with absolutely no explanation of why.
Racism is completely ignored aside from a brief mention of the Holocaust, which was given less space in a chapter on intergenerational and societal trauma than the author's parenthetical asides on subjects such as the virtues of the Polish far-right, the declining quality of bishop/pastor relationships, and the author's own hobbies.
I sincerely hope that no clinicians are reading or teaching this material uncritically. If you know nothing whatsoever about Bowen and can borrow it for free, it might be worth your time to skim the first few chapters, but this is not a book to take seriously except as a study in bigotry and bad writing.
This is my first exposure to systems psychology of any kind and I was extremely interested in several of the relationship dynamics described. They were not, however, described in much detail. None of the diagrams I bought the book expecting to learn how to make were given more than cursory attention.
Several chapters in, the prose had sustained an awkward uneducated tone for so long that I put the book down and skimmed a few review articles on Bowen Theory with Google scholar. I didn't have time to find much on clinical efficacy but there were at least a handful of papers discussing portions of Bowen's work as empirically validated to some degree, so I kept going.
The research suggested that "differentiation of self" was the most important of Bowen's concepts, and while this book clearly agrees it left me with only a vague sense of what it entails. I personally reflected on how the possible relationship between internalized homophobia and codependency might be framed in terms of differentiation, fucking clearly not what the author had in mind. I do suspect that a feminist and queer-positive reading of Bowen would be possible and useful.
The chapter on sibling position relied heavily on gendered stereotypes and reminded me of nothing so much as astrology. Perhaps the original research referenced has been interpreted more competently elsewhere.
The chapter on "societal regression" was absurd if not proto-fascist. Single parents, working mothers, and gay people are all mentioned exactly once, as social problems, lesbians, bisexuals, and trans people are completely invisible. There was an extremely questionable narrative about high and low functioning family lineages, and I noticed several outright bizarre comments about the etiology of schizophrenia, which the author appears to attribute to something along the lines of "emotional immaturity". Disability and illness of any kind are never discussed beyond several brief mentions of children becoming vaguely "symptomatic" if their (heterosexual) parents are emotionally dysfunctional. The author stresses the importance of knowing a client's reproductive history (including all abortions and miscarriages in their family tree?) with absolutely no explanation of why.
Racism is completely ignored aside from a brief mention of the Holocaust, which was given less space in a chapter on intergenerational and societal trauma than the author's parenthetical asides on subjects such as the virtues of the Polish far-right, the declining quality of bishop/pastor relationships, and the author's own hobbies.
I sincerely hope that no clinicians are reading or teaching this material uncritically. If you know nothing whatsoever about Bowen and can borrow it for free, it might be worth your time to skim the first few chapters, but this is not a book to take seriously except as a study in bigotry and bad writing.
January 20, 2025
One of the best theories describing family and individual dynamics that I’ve discovered so far. Its conclusion was unexpectedly geared towards conservative values and I found it interesting that Bowen considered adding a 9th concept titled “the Supernatural”, but did not continue his work due to the intense reactivity of the profession to it.
December 13, 2017
Interesting book suggested by an executive coach. When the author stuck to key concepts about systems and how individuals play a role/impact systems, I found the book useful. When she meandered into judgement presented as fact, I did not find it helpful. As with anything, I’d suggest keeping what’s useful and leaving the rest.
January 15, 2023
If nothing else, Gilbert achieves her main goal, which was to “make the concepts of Bowen family systems theory as accessible as possible." I have several thoughts about where she could have at least briefly critiqued the limits of the theories, but overall, I would not have understood them as clearly without her translation. I just wish I didn’t have to go through so much Focus on the Family-esque takes to get the helpful synthesis of Bowen’s theories.
Where it really falls apart is in the eighty theory (attempting to categorize societal processes), so I’d recommend saving yourself the headache and skipping that one. The other theories are mostly helpful, though not without their flaws—the main one being Bowen's consistently misogynistic binary of "emotions" vs. "logic". Today's meme corner is actually inspired by the manosphere undertones of that binary: let's just say that if Murray Bowen were alive today, I think he would've been a fan of Kevin Samuels and Andrew Tate. So, read if you enjoy learning about family systems (and immediately connecting everything back to your own familial situations!) But, be forewarned that you will be rolling your eyes A LOT.
P.S. If you are more interested in a summary of the theories than my complaints about them, you can find my notes for class here!
Where it really falls apart is in the eighty theory (attempting to categorize societal processes), so I’d recommend saving yourself the headache and skipping that one. The other theories are mostly helpful, though not without their flaws—the main one being Bowen's consistently misogynistic binary of "emotions" vs. "logic". Today's meme corner is actually inspired by the manosphere undertones of that binary: let's just say that if Murray Bowen were alive today, I think he would've been a fan of Kevin Samuels and Andrew Tate. So, read if you enjoy learning about family systems (and immediately connecting everything back to your own familial situations!) But, be forewarned that you will be rolling your eyes A LOT.
P.S. If you are more interested in a summary of the theories than my complaints about them, you can find my notes for class here!
March 5, 2015
Families matter. How much they matter to our health and well-being is sometimes shocking. Frequently in patient visits in an emergency room, physical and psychiatric problems could be linked to problems elsewhere in the family, such as a death or special trauma. This might be obvious when a young mother comes in complaining of chronic headaches, but it might also be a significant factor explaining backache, heart attacks, stroke, ineffective medication, and drug addictions. Of course, as a chaplain one needs to ask.
Family systems theory helps to make sense of these connections by focusing on “the family as an emotional unit”, rather than on particular individuals (3). This focus runs counter to most counseling approaches which assume the clinical model where the individual is treated as autonomous. Problems with their origin outside the individual obviously cannot be solved by treating the individual alone but that is the common practice. The systems approach often yields counter-intuitive results. Family systems theory is often applied to other “emotional units”, like offices, churches, and groups, where relationships are intense and span many years.
In her book, The Eight Concepts of Bowen Theory, Roberta Gilbert outlines 8 principles of family systems theory which outlines her chapters. These chapters include:
1. Nuclear Family Emotional System;
2. The Differentiation of Self Scale;
3. Triangles;
4. Cutoff;
5. Family Projection Process;
6. Multigenerational Transmission Process;
7. Sibling Position; and
8. Societal Emotional Process (4).
These chapters are preceded by an introduction and followed by an epilogue. Murray Bowen developed family systems theory in the 1950s working as a psychiatrist at the National Institute of Health in Washington DC; he elaborated this theory as a faculty member at Georgetown University . Robert Gilbert was one of his students.
In her explanation of emotional units, Gilbert write:
My grandfather’s herd of cattle…Say the cattle are peacefully grazing…but…one cow gets too close to the electric fence, sustaining a shock, she may jump, vocalize and even jump or run, showing that she is in a very anxious state. How long does it take for the other cows in the pasture to ‘catch’ the anxiety? Of course, it happens almost immediately. Their behavior soon becomes agitated, showing they have taken on the anxiety of the initial individual. The cattle are showing, by the movement of anxiety through the herd, that they are an emotional system (6).
Anxiety transmission is a flag for the limits of an emotional system. Gilbert classifies anxiety as acute—in response to stress—and chronic—the background anxiety in a group (7-8). Relational responses to anxiety come in 4 patterns:
1. Triangling;
2. Conflict;
3. Distancing; and
4. Overfunctioning/underfunctioning (11-12).
Anxiety is infectious(7). Anxiety transmission is more rapid and intense in tightly “fused” groups where individual are relatively close and unprocessed emotions run wild, so to speak (21). Anxiety transmission is less rapid and intense in groups with individuals who are “differentiated” where individuals are able to separate feelings from thinking and emotions are less readily shared (33). Gilbert’s grandfather attempts to be a “calming presence” when he is working with his cattle (22).
Family systems theory clearly focuses on how a particular group resolves anxiety.
Triangling. An important therapeutic result from family systems theory arises in how anxiety is resolved. If a parent is anxious, then the other parent picks it up. If a child is nearby, they too will become anxious—the child becomes the third corner in a “triangle”. If this situation is repeated, then the child may develop a symptom (48). This symptom could be simple things, like sleep problems or bed wetting, or it could develop in social problems, like acting out, fighting, etc. If the child’s symptom developed in response to parental conflict (think about divorce or separation), then sending the child out for counseling will not resolving the problem. However, the child’s problem could be resolved by dealing with the parental conflict.
Conflict. Gilbert defines conflict as: “when…neither [party] gives in to the other on major issues.” (15) Obviously, conflict has the potential to generate a lot of chronic anxiety.
Distancing and Cutoff. When people resolve conflict or anxiety through leaving—either temporarily or permanently—nothing is resolved—only deferred. Gilbert writes:
“Distanced persons think about each other, the relationship and the conflict that led to it, a great deal. By distancing, they are far from free of the problem. They are still emotionally bound and defined by it” (16).
To see this effect, think about a reunion that you have attended—what did people talk about?
Gilbert speculates that because grief is, in part, the result of emotional cutoff (distancing), remaining in contact with the deceased persons extended family can help mitigate at least some of the grieving process (62). This is part and parcel of a traditional funeral.
Overfunctioning/underfunctioning. Gilbert writes: “the overfunctioning/underfunctioning reciprocity describes partners trying to make one self out of two.” (17)
The overfunctioner:
• Knows the answer,
• Does well in life,
• Tells the other what to do, how to think, how to feel,
• Tries to help too much…
The underfunctioner:
• Relies on the other to know what to do,
• Asks for advice unnecessarily,
• Takes all offered help, needed or not, becoming passive,
• Asks the other to do what he or she can do for self… (18)
Gilbert notes that in the workplace, leaders can be overfunctioners (19).
An important outcome of family systems theory is that differentiation-of-self functions as a shock absorber on the emotional system. High functioning leaders lead through principles (not emotion), stay grounded in facts and thinking, and remain in good contract with appropriate individuals in the system (43).
Gilbert’s The Eight Concepts of Bowen Theory is a helpful book. In my case, I was already aware of the principles of Bowen theory, but had not fully absorbed their significance. Gilbert’s presentation simplified my learning process.
Family systems theory helps to make sense of these connections by focusing on “the family as an emotional unit”, rather than on particular individuals (3). This focus runs counter to most counseling approaches which assume the clinical model where the individual is treated as autonomous. Problems with their origin outside the individual obviously cannot be solved by treating the individual alone but that is the common practice. The systems approach often yields counter-intuitive results. Family systems theory is often applied to other “emotional units”, like offices, churches, and groups, where relationships are intense and span many years.
In her book, The Eight Concepts of Bowen Theory, Roberta Gilbert outlines 8 principles of family systems theory which outlines her chapters. These chapters include:
1. Nuclear Family Emotional System;
2. The Differentiation of Self Scale;
3. Triangles;
4. Cutoff;
5. Family Projection Process;
6. Multigenerational Transmission Process;
7. Sibling Position; and
8. Societal Emotional Process (4).
These chapters are preceded by an introduction and followed by an epilogue. Murray Bowen developed family systems theory in the 1950s working as a psychiatrist at the National Institute of Health in Washington DC; he elaborated this theory as a faculty member at Georgetown University . Robert Gilbert was one of his students.
In her explanation of emotional units, Gilbert write:
My grandfather’s herd of cattle…Say the cattle are peacefully grazing…but…one cow gets too close to the electric fence, sustaining a shock, she may jump, vocalize and even jump or run, showing that she is in a very anxious state. How long does it take for the other cows in the pasture to ‘catch’ the anxiety? Of course, it happens almost immediately. Their behavior soon becomes agitated, showing they have taken on the anxiety of the initial individual. The cattle are showing, by the movement of anxiety through the herd, that they are an emotional system (6).
Anxiety transmission is a flag for the limits of an emotional system. Gilbert classifies anxiety as acute—in response to stress—and chronic—the background anxiety in a group (7-8). Relational responses to anxiety come in 4 patterns:
1. Triangling;
2. Conflict;
3. Distancing; and
4. Overfunctioning/underfunctioning (11-12).
Anxiety is infectious(7). Anxiety transmission is more rapid and intense in tightly “fused” groups where individual are relatively close and unprocessed emotions run wild, so to speak (21). Anxiety transmission is less rapid and intense in groups with individuals who are “differentiated” where individuals are able to separate feelings from thinking and emotions are less readily shared (33). Gilbert’s grandfather attempts to be a “calming presence” when he is working with his cattle (22).
Family systems theory clearly focuses on how a particular group resolves anxiety.
Triangling. An important therapeutic result from family systems theory arises in how anxiety is resolved. If a parent is anxious, then the other parent picks it up. If a child is nearby, they too will become anxious—the child becomes the third corner in a “triangle”. If this situation is repeated, then the child may develop a symptom (48). This symptom could be simple things, like sleep problems or bed wetting, or it could develop in social problems, like acting out, fighting, etc. If the child’s symptom developed in response to parental conflict (think about divorce or separation), then sending the child out for counseling will not resolving the problem. However, the child’s problem could be resolved by dealing with the parental conflict.
Conflict. Gilbert defines conflict as: “when…neither [party] gives in to the other on major issues.” (15) Obviously, conflict has the potential to generate a lot of chronic anxiety.
Distancing and Cutoff. When people resolve conflict or anxiety through leaving—either temporarily or permanently—nothing is resolved—only deferred. Gilbert writes:
“Distanced persons think about each other, the relationship and the conflict that led to it, a great deal. By distancing, they are far from free of the problem. They are still emotionally bound and defined by it” (16).
To see this effect, think about a reunion that you have attended—what did people talk about?
Gilbert speculates that because grief is, in part, the result of emotional cutoff (distancing), remaining in contact with the deceased persons extended family can help mitigate at least some of the grieving process (62). This is part and parcel of a traditional funeral.
Overfunctioning/underfunctioning. Gilbert writes: “the overfunctioning/underfunctioning reciprocity describes partners trying to make one self out of two.” (17)
The overfunctioner:
• Knows the answer,
• Does well in life,
• Tells the other what to do, how to think, how to feel,
• Tries to help too much…
The underfunctioner:
• Relies on the other to know what to do,
• Asks for advice unnecessarily,
• Takes all offered help, needed or not, becoming passive,
• Asks the other to do what he or she can do for self… (18)
Gilbert notes that in the workplace, leaders can be overfunctioners (19).
An important outcome of family systems theory is that differentiation-of-self functions as a shock absorber on the emotional system. High functioning leaders lead through principles (not emotion), stay grounded in facts and thinking, and remain in good contract with appropriate individuals in the system (43).
Gilbert’s The Eight Concepts of Bowen Theory is a helpful book. In my case, I was already aware of the principles of Bowen theory, but had not fully absorbed their significance. Gilbert’s presentation simplified my learning process.
October 12, 2025
This book serves as a suitable introduction to the comprehension of systemic theory within the context of family therapy, encompassing concepts such as triangulation, fusion, and self-differentiation. The aforementioned concepts are presented in a readily understandable manner. However, it is to be noted that certain points contained within may be considered outdated and, as such, are subject to the reader's own considered judgment.
April 10, 2022
Solid walkthrough of the concepts, no extra fluff. It is what it says it is and delivers. I'm not rating it five stars because I really wanted more pages.
September 9, 2025
Solid introduction to get my head around Bowen theory again. Looking forward to diving into some books that are more targeted at its use in Christian leadership.
August 27, 2020
2.5 Bowen theory posits that the family is one emotional unit and anxiety is transferred from each of its members easily when the family is “undifferentiated,” or too enmeshed in each other’s lives and identities. He argues for families to function more healthily that each member must establish a clear identity and work to process anxiety apart from the other members of the family. This is done by setting healthy boundaries, contemplating a person’s core beliefs, and managing anxiety without drawing in others as deflections for your own problems.
That basic concept 👆🏼 I can buy. I find a lot of truth in that. However the final part of the book is about how society is a large family unit, and the author goes on a tirade about bringing back family values like firm parenting, religion, and other super conservative and troubling suggestions like remaining in unhappy marriages. She pulls comparisons to the “golden age” of America with John Adams, Increase Mathers, and the Salem Witch trials. No joke. This book is also super heteronormative by completely negating non traditional families and omits any discussion of LGTBQ family dynamics. That section really spoiled a pretty believable and rationale concept.
That basic concept 👆🏼 I can buy. I find a lot of truth in that. However the final part of the book is about how society is a large family unit, and the author goes on a tirade about bringing back family values like firm parenting, religion, and other super conservative and troubling suggestions like remaining in unhappy marriages. She pulls comparisons to the “golden age” of America with John Adams, Increase Mathers, and the Salem Witch trials. No joke. This book is also super heteronormative by completely negating non traditional families and omits any discussion of LGTBQ family dynamics. That section really spoiled a pretty believable and rationale concept.
June 17, 2022
Family systems theory was a necessary corrective to the hyper-individualism and subjectivity preference of psychoanalysis, which ultimately failed to account for the material and systemic situated-ness of these individuals. The basis of family systems theory is the contention that the family operates as a single emotional unit, which formulates emotional responses and behavioral patterns in the individual. Rather than excavating individual emotions as a source of personal development, family systems theory places these in the larger framework of our dynamic inter-relatedness and takes this into account at the psychotherapeutic level. Like all psychotherapy, family systems theory often falls short of recognizing its own formulation in a totalizing system—capitalism. Thus, healthy self-differentiation and functioning are often couched in the virtues of entrepreneurial capitalism. Still, the primary contention of family systems theory as the system rather than the individual as the emotional unit is a vital corrective to psychotherapy. A very informative book and helpful to my own emotional journey
August 19, 2018
Besides meandering into neoliberal ideas about international relations sloppily extrapolated from Bowen theory throughout this book, I really enjoyed it as a solid if flawed overview of Bowen’s work as someone relatively unfamiliar with his work prior.
As other reviewers have noted, it doesn’t offer anything new that couldn’t be found elsewhere as a short summary of his work, but it’s laid out effectively regardless.
What I take huge issue with is the author devolving into a chapter-long tirade against 60s counterculture, queer sexuality ("...an agenda to legitimize every sexual orientation no matter how bizarre and unacceptable to emotionally mature, caring parents"), drug use, and a restructuring of the family system that doesn’t tolerate abuse.
I’m grateful for the overview, but Bowen deserves better than conservative proselytizing masquerading as a logical conclusion to his theories on family systems and differentiation of the self.
If you do choose to read, I recommend skipping altogether the last chapter (“Emotional Process in Society") and the epilogue.
As other reviewers have noted, it doesn’t offer anything new that couldn’t be found elsewhere as a short summary of his work, but it’s laid out effectively regardless.
What I take huge issue with is the author devolving into a chapter-long tirade against 60s counterculture, queer sexuality ("...an agenda to legitimize every sexual orientation no matter how bizarre and unacceptable to emotionally mature, caring parents"), drug use, and a restructuring of the family system that doesn’t tolerate abuse.
I’m grateful for the overview, but Bowen deserves better than conservative proselytizing masquerading as a logical conclusion to his theories on family systems and differentiation of the self.
If you do choose to read, I recommend skipping altogether the last chapter (“Emotional Process in Society") and the epilogue.
February 7, 2023
Well written condensed version of Murray Bowen’s “Family Evaluation.” The eight concepts helps one understand how families, and to an extent individuals, function.
August 17, 2018
Essentially this was a weak summary of Bowen's theory. It did not expand on the original ideas, nor did it include a modern application. Giving commentary on how the theory applies in the early 2000s would have been a natural step that the author failed to take. Her final chapter on the emotional process in society offers a one-dimensional look at our culture and concludes that the family and society are "regressing" from its previous standards in the 1950's. She claims that "new" problems such as violence and sex are destabilizing the family and society. These problems are not new, but they have been uncovered and brought to light in the last decade in a way never before imagined given our continual access to information. She ends with a call to strengthen family ties and heralds the family as the last bastion against a degrading society. An appeal that Murray Bowen would strongly protest against.
September 21, 2019
This is an interesting topic. Bowne’s theory shows how it is the interactions between people that cause stress, not that people themselves are stressed. And the critical interactions are those of the nuclear family. The easy example given is the father comes home from a bad day and unloads his office problems on his wife. She is now stressed, but he suddenly feels better. She in turn will often unload on one of the kids. It does not even have to be about the father’s day, but she will pass her stress to one of the kids. While I agree with the baseline of the theory, some of the sited examples the author chose were not a good fit. For example, there is a chapter on cutoffs – when a family member cuts themselves off from contact with other family members. The example study was from Russia under Stalin, where many people were “cutoff” by being sent to the Gulag or killed. But I believe this is a different scenario than someone becoming estranged from their siblings or parents.
May 14, 2018
On the plus side, I did get a basic overview of the eight concepts of Bowen theory from the book. But it is poorly written. What's worse, the author can't help but inject her own ideology into the book in this paragraph: "With his ideas of repressed sexuality, [Freud] paved the way for the fraudulent though extremely influential work of Kinsey in changing sexual mores. Kinsey, then, not content with perpetuating false data on the profession and the public, went on to promote his particular brand of sex education in the schools--the 'education' with an agenda--to legitimize every sexual orientation and behavior no matter how bizarre and unacceptable to emotionally mature, caring parents."
December 4, 2019
Read this for a CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education/Chaplaincy) residency requirement, and I wish I had read it 10 years ago. The author puts into common terms Bowen Theory (psychology around personal and interpersonal relationships). The book is written in a way that almost anyone can pick it up and immediately benefit. Caveat, the book is great until the final chapter when it all of the sudden becomes a bit political. Whether or not you agree with what how the author spins the 'integration of these theories' type section, I felt that it didn't have a place in the book. Other than that, highly recommended, no matter what your job.
February 9, 2020
A concise and useful primer on Bowen Family Systems Theory. Lots of excellent information in 100 pages. I am especially focusing my thinking on the issues surrounding anxiety that are raised here. Anxiety had been for me a solitary problem. Now I realize in a concrete way how damaging one person’s anxiety is to a family, a unit, a group, collective or team. It is a virus, and it can be damaging and even dangerous. The work isn’t new, and in some way it’s timeliness makes me feel about about the turbulence we experience now.
May 25, 2020
Quick read
This book was recommended to me by an instructor for a class presentation to explore a theory I may consider using for a big project next semester as part of my grad school program. The book was a quick read. I could have read it in a day, but it took me a few days in multiple sittings. It gave me a solid foundation of the core concepts, and enough of a jumping point to explore further on my own, which I did through The Bowen Center website. What I really appreciated about this book was the order of which the core concepts were presented, especially in comparison to The Bowen Center website. It was presented in a logical and linear fashion to help facilitate an understanding of each concept and its evolution into the other concepts.
This book was recommended to me by an instructor for a class presentation to explore a theory I may consider using for a big project next semester as part of my grad school program. The book was a quick read. I could have read it in a day, but it took me a few days in multiple sittings. It gave me a solid foundation of the core concepts, and enough of a jumping point to explore further on my own, which I did through The Bowen Center website. What I really appreciated about this book was the order of which the core concepts were presented, especially in comparison to The Bowen Center website. It was presented in a logical and linear fashion to help facilitate an understanding of each concept and its evolution into the other concepts.
February 19, 2021
A very helpful book. I was first introduced to Family Systems Theory (Bowen Theory) in seminary. The core tenant is that human beings are not isolated creatures, they are embedded within families, organizations, friend groups, workplaces, and societies that make them who they are. As such, psychotherapy and pastoral care must be aware of how anxiety spreads to individuals, how well-differentiated people are, family birth order, cutoff, relational triangles, and generational anxiety.
It's not easy to read, but it's helpful if you are in a helping profession.
It's not easy to read, but it's helpful if you are in a helping profession.
January 27, 2024
3 years ago, I read this for an elective and didn’t like how it was written (esp. on how gender stereotypes were emphasized). I held my review to myself because I thought that maybe I was just too young to understand… but rereading it today, I genuinely still don’t like this book—it’s like a mere collection of conclusions made from cherry-picked ideas (that aren’t even that groundbreaking to be completely honest). Maybe another book would give Bowen’s concepts justice…
November 10, 2020
We read this for my Pastoral Theology class in tandem with a book that laid out concrete situations using this ideas with a lot of compassion and that's the only thing that redeemed family systems theory as a whole for me. I can't really speak to the theory itself, but there is so much unnecessary judgment about everything from only children to not married parents in this book that it ruined it.
February 1, 2018
This is a good concise explanation of Bowen Theory for marriage and family counseling. I found it useful to explain my own thoughts and actions. Though it is not in-depth, it is useful to have in your desk as a counselor.
January 1, 2021
This is an important book that provides a solid framework for family systems theory. I read it for a class on practical theology. I recommend this to anyone wanting a helpful background for working with various systems.
July 13, 2021
A good little primer on my currently favorite theory in psychology: Bowen Theory. I'm devouring everything in sight related to it and can't seem to stop. I have already watched all Bowen's free videos on thebowencenter.org.
God I'm elated and it feels great
God I'm elated and it feels great
February 17, 2022
This is a good introduction to the concepts of Bowen (Family Systems) Theory. Breaking the theory down to eight concepts is a really useful step. The book is designed as an introduction and doesn't go very deep into any of the concepts.
October 6, 2022
Quick overview
The book is short. Further, there are a number of editing errors. It is a glance over Bowen’s theories. Not earthshaking by any means. It was free when Amazon Prime so it gets a star just for that.
The book is short. Further, there are a number of editing errors. It is a glance over Bowen’s theories. Not earthshaking by any means. It was free when Amazon Prime so it gets a star just for that.
February 15, 2023
I’m finally diving into Family Systems theory and found this book to be such a good, easy read to introduce the concepts. It doesn’t go into much depth, but provided me with enough of an overview that I felt like I could grasp the theory enough to begin doing some deeper work with other resources.
August 30, 2023
families
This author defines family as Mother, Father Children. If one is to write a book about family theory that person should have a broader, more inclusive understanding of all families.
This author defines family as Mother, Father Children. If one is to write a book about family theory that person should have a broader, more inclusive understanding of all families.
August 7, 2024
This short book concisely unpacks how unhealthy patterns are formed in families and ways to navigate boundaries, triangles, and other dysfunctional components so a person can differentiate and become their true self.
January 11, 2018
Great content, clear explanation of Bowen, but poorly edited.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews