At some point within a couple, family, organisation, group, local or global community, any of us may be looked at as the symptom-bearing, problematic individual. We may also identify as the misfit with a problem, within seemingly functioning systems, and withdraw or act out in problematic ways in given contexts, life cycles and transitional periods.
In our Wonderful World though, dysfunction is better understood when considered systemically: i.e., as a trait of systems attempting to survive, grow, and achieve homeostasis or balance in unpredictably chaotic contexts, both internal and external.
Pathologised and criminalised maladaptive presentations are often fed by problematic relationship and communication patterns within systems, maintained by feedback-loops that are difficult to notice and change without a wider perspective and responsible, non-biased external input.
Change is possible, indeed change is constant – if only observed and reflected back to the system in ways that can be received. While first-order change brings about new behaviours, it may either be reversed or built on, if it is found to be beneficial. Revolutionary, second-order change challenges established beliefs, involving a meaningful departure from a systemic status quo, which may face reactionary forces, but may be unstoppable and determine the extinction of a system as you know it.
The necessary external input is cross-culturally available, holding and worthwhile for struggling individuals and systems willing to engage with systemic practitioners, multi-disciplinary teams or multi-agency support networks.
This website invites you to consider choice and responsibility for positive, creative change within system(s) you may impact, and that impact your life. When you do, feel free to reach out and make contact to access different levels of systemic intervention:
Couples Therapy – referrals and/ or assessment for further work, including the couple’s genogram (a co-created diagram mapping family relationships, social, cultural and ethnic backgrounds, medical history and transgenerational patterns).
Family Therapy – referrals and/ or assessment for future work, including the family genogram (visual representation of a family tree which also maps relationships, social, cultural and ethnic backgrounds, medical history and transgenerational patterns).
Organisational Change and Development – diagnostic and strategic leadership consultancy and coaching based on reflective practice and team building groups; focus groups for cultural change, sustainability, equality, diversity awareness and empowerment, all combining systemic approaches and creative action-methods (see Home page).
Community Building – cross-cultural application of systemic approaches and creative action-methods to facilitate collective resourcing, connection and positive change at local, regional, national and international levels (see Home page).
CLAUDIA VAU 