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Obsessions/counter-obsessions: a construction/reconstruction of meaning
1Ackerman Institute for Family Therapy, New York, NY 10021.
Family Process
|September 1, 1988
Summary
This study explores how obsessions and phobic responses maintain exclusive family coalitions. Interventions like "conversation" and "counter-obsession" disrupt these patterns by challenging core beliefs.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Family Systems Therapy
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Obsessions and phobic responses can be linked to family dynamics.
- Cross-generational coalitions, often based on exclusivity, play a role in psychological maintenance.
- Specific 'signature premises' define these exclusive relationships.
Observation:
- Obsessions may arise when crises conflict with the coalition's exclusive definition.
- The study examines the interplay between individual psychological responses and family structure.
- Case studies illustrate the development and maintenance of these coalitions.
Findings:
- Obsessions represent an oscillation between staying in and leaving the coalition.
- Interventions aim to disrupt obsessions by challenging the coalition's defining 'signature premise'.
- Two intervention methods, 'conversation' and 'counter-obsession,' are presented.
Implications:
- Understanding coalition dynamics offers new therapeutic avenues for treating obsessions and phobias.
- Challenging exclusive premises can help individuals navigate developmental or situational crises.
- This framework provides insights into the intergenerational transmission of psychological patterns.