Clinical Conference

January 8, 2010
The Importance of Understanding Triangles and Defining Self in a Family

Anne S. McKnight, LCSW, EdD

In observing that a dyadic relationship is unstable, Dr. Murray Bowen suggests that the basic unit for managing anxiety in a family is the triangle. This clinical conference will explore the importance of understanding triangles in the emotional process of a family over generations, and for how an individual can use the knowledge of triangles to defining self in a family or organization. The primary triangle of an individual with his/her parents will be discussed, as well as the transmission of reactivity through interlocking triangles in a family or organization. These ideas will be illustrated in two videotaped clinical interviews.

When: 9:30-3:30
Where: Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Church
3401 Nebraska Avenue NW, Washington, DC (see link above for directions)