Structural Family Therapy includes three hierarchical subsystems. Subsystems are based on how family members relate to each other. The top subsystem is the couple subsystem.

The people in this subsystem are the partners that demonstrate intimate closeness. The second subsystem is the parent subsystem.

The people who belong to this subsystem show parental caregiving and decision-making. The last subsystem is the sibling. The people in this subsystem are demonstrating child-like roles.

A healthy family system is where everyone is in their role-specific subsystem. For example, children are in the sibling, couple in the couple, and parents in the parents.

However, not every family will be structured toward health. From the Structural perspective, individual problems develop, and relationships become strained when the existing family structure is disorganized.

After reviewing the first 5 minutes of the video, assess and explain the family’s current organization. Which subsystems are each family member functioning in?