Exploring Family Systems theory is a lifetime project! Here are some of the materials I’ve found useful along the way.
Coaching
It is one thing to read about family systems or watch videos about it. It’s quite another to start trying it in your own life! I’ve found that having a coach for this work makes a huge difference. Several faculty members at the Bowen Center for the Study of the Family offer coaching.
Many more can be found through the world-wide Bowen program network.
Youtube
A wealth of material is available through the Bowen Center’s youtube channel. https://www.youtube.com/user/TheBowenCenter/playlists
In February 2024, I did a Thursday night lecture on The Writing Process and Defining a Self.
Books
A sampling of family systems books published in the last fifteen years or so:
Growing Yourself Up Jenny Brown tackles the problem each of us is looking at. https://www.amazon.com/Growing-Yourself-Up-bring-relationships/dp/1921497971
Family Systems and Congregational Life Robert Creech uses family systems thinking in biblical interpretation and guidance for daily life.
https://www.amazon.com/Family-Systems-Congregational-Robert-Creech/dp/1540961575
The Family Diagram and Family Research: An illustrated guide to working on differentiation of self in one’s family Victoria Harrison covers the family diagram and much more. https://www.csnsf.org/bowen-theory/bowen-theory-resource-store/
Bowen Family Secrets Michael Kerr offers a review of the theory, the science, and fascinating case studies. https://www.amazon.com/Bowen-Theorys-Secrets-Revealing-Families/dp/0393708128
Family and Self: Bowen Theory and the Shaping of Adaptive Capacity Robert Noone discusses family systems processes in light of recent findings in the biological sciences. https://www.amazon.com/Family-Self-Shaping-Adaptive-Capacity/dp/1793628149
Becoming Your Best: A self-help guide for thinking people. Ronald Richardson unpacks character and emotional maturity from a family systems view. https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Your-Best-Self-Help-Thinking/dp/0806680520
Everything Isn’t Terrible: Conquer your insecurities, interrupt your anxiety, and finally calm down Kathleen Smith tackles anxiety in today’s world with a family systems lens. https://www.amazon.com/Everything-Isnt-Terrible-Insecurities-Interrupt/dp/0316492531
Family Thoughts: Studies of the function of beliefs within the family unit. Robert Williamson uses case studies to understand the impact of beliefs on a family’s life over the generations. https://www.amazon.com/Family-Thoughts-Robert-Williamson/dp/1312499141