Intensive Family of Origin Consultation
The intensive family of origin consultation is a twelve hour consultation scheduled over three days with original family members—parents and the adult sons and daughters. The consultation method is based on Dr. James Framo’s intergenerational work with families and has been elaborated upon by Dr. Timothy Weber and Cheryl Cebula.
The consultations are typically initiated by one or more family members in a desire to discuss unresolved or troublesome issues—historical or current, which interfere with having close and reliable relationships. Sometimes the desire for the consultation is motivated by a desire to simply have deeper and more full bodied conversations, warmer and more open relationships in a family which generally sees itself as stable and connected. For other families, the interest may come because relationships are distant or strained, one of more members may be having social, physical or emotional difficulties. There may be questions regarding the care of aging parents or ill families members, inheritance and/or distribution of family assets, transition plans for family business. In some instances an important family event, such as a wedding, may heighten the need and urgency to resolve, or least evolve, family conflicts and difficulties.
The consultants meet with the family for two-hour blocks of time over three days, in conversations of ‘love and truth.’ These conversations typically cover the family’s history, their present relationships and their hopes and desires for the future. A variety of questions and methods are used to help the family members discuss what is most important to them—assisting them in speaking directly and constructively. Often times the content of the conversations is already known, but most often has never been said with all family members present, or it may have been generally known, but never really explored from the multiple points of view, acknowledging the important and powerful intents and impacts of not only the most basic of family experiences, but also the difficult, the unexpected, the unsettling, and perhaps, unfair.
The intensive consultation is a powerful process, involving the original members of the family, and in some cases, stepparents and stepsiblings. In all cases, this process has the potential for family renewal and increased engagement, resiliency and creativity across the generations.
For more information see www.familyoforigintherapy.com