Dr. Mike Kerr presents a distressed couple with three young children whose marriage is strained by academic, financial, and emotional pressures. Using Bowen Family Systems Theory, he shifts their focus from the content of arguments to the process of emotional reactivity. He identifies four sensitivities driving their conflict: the need for approval, attention, unmet expectations, and reactivity to each other’s distress. The case demonstrates how systems thinking promotes self-regulation and healthier relationship functioning. |
