The Family Unit: PLACE, BASE or Both?

Abstract

SUMMARY It is obvious that there are a variety of family structures and forms. This variety is usually described in terms of the nature of the parental presence, namely, two parent, single-parent, and step-parent (or blended) families. There is also variety regarding life stages, usually described in terms of the presence or absence of children with a focus on their age; e.g., families with infants, toddlers, elementary age children, adolescents, or “empty nesters.” But in what ways does the core purpose of the family in the lives of its members remain constant regardless of the family's configuration or life stage? How might this constancy impact the task of those who deal with families from both theoretical and therapeutic perspectives? This paper addresses these questions by presenting a simply-stated framework defining the purpose of the family that focuses on the nature of an individual's relationship to his or her family regardless of that family's life stage or structure. The breakdown of the “WE” of the family unit as the source of family pathology and dysfunction will be described within this framework and therapeutic strategies presented.