Which technique is used in Structural Family Therapy to reveal interactions by having family members act out real situations?

Which technique is used in Structural Family Therapy to reveal interactions by having family members act out real situations?

• A. Joining
• B. Evaluating the family structure
• C. Enactment
• D. Reframing

Answer: (C)

In Structural Family Therapy, a central technique is enactment, where family members are invited to act out a real, current interaction during the session. By watching how they interact in the moment—who speaks for whom, how roles shift, where coalitions form, and how boundaries appear or blur—the therapist can see the actual dynamic at play rather than relying only on what participants say. This live portrayal provides a rich map of the family's structure, revealing patterns such as enmeshment, disengagement, or rigid subsystems, so the clinician can intervene to reorganize boundaries and realign subsystems toward more flexible, functional interaction. Joining builds rapport, evaluating the structure focuses on assessing patterns and boundaries, and reframing changes how a family interprets behavior; none of these directly capture the step of having people act out real situations to reveal interaction patterns in the moment.

In Structural Family Therapy, a central technique is enactment, where family members are invited to act out a real, current interaction during the session. By watching how they interact in the moment—who speaks for whom, how roles shift, where coalitions form, and how boundaries appear or blur—the therapist can see the actual dynamic at play rather than relying only on what participants say. This live portrayal provides a rich map of the family's structure, revealing patterns such as enmeshment, disengagement, or rigid subsystems, so the clinician can intervene to reorganize boundaries and realign subsystems toward more flexible, functional interaction. Joining builds rapport, evaluating the structure focuses on assessing patterns and boundaries, and reframing changes how a family interprets behavior; none of these directly capture the step of having people act out real situations to reveal interaction patterns in the moment.