This Certificate Programme provides an overview of the basic concepts of Bowen family systems theory and its application in daily life, family and interpersonal relationships, work settings and clinical work. It helps to lay the foundation for a systemic understanding of human behaviour, individual and family functioning, and strives to promote the participants’ work on differentiation of self (emotional maturity).

· Participants who have attended all the 3 modules + have submitted a family research reflection paper (1,000 – 2,000 words) will receive the Certificate in Fundamentals of Bowen Family Systems Theory & Applications.

· Participants can attend each of the 3 modules individually. On completion of the module, participants will receive a Certificate of Completion  – e.g. Basic Course in Bowen Family Systems Theory, or Journey into Family of Origin, or Clinical Applications of Bowen Family Systems Theory.

· If participants have completed all the 3 modules  + have submitted a family research reflection paper (1,000 – 2,000 words) within 3 years, they will also receive the Certificate in Fundamentals of Bowen Family Systems Theory & Applications.

Why do we act the way that we do?

Bowen theory provides a new way of understanding our behaviour and relationships with others. Instead of focusing on the individual, It emphasizes the mutual influences of the individual and the environment that we are in, and thus the profound influence of the family (the multigenerational family system) in shaping individual functioning and behaviour patterns. Bowen theory’s premise of the family as an emotional system and emotional unit throws light on the emotional interdependency between family members, our emotional reactivity towards each other and often entanglement with each other.

Bowen theory offers a systems perspective to conceptualizing human behaviour and solving problems. It describes practical and objective assessment of the situation that does away with blaming and pathologizing, but enhances the individual’s capacity for managing self, developing thoughtful thinking, and effective and meaningful relationship with others.

This course will be rich with the instructor’s personal and case examples.

This is a small group of 5-6 members. Members will learn to draw their family diagrams, identify the functional facts, relationship patterns, emotional reactivity of themselves and their multigenerational family systems. This workshop provides a “hands-on” experience for participants to apply Bowen theory to understanding their families in an objective and systemic light. Participants will develop new thinking about the functioning of themselves, their family members and their families as a whole, the impact of significant events, and how the families adapt to stresses over the generations. The participants will gain more insight into the strengths, vulnerabilities and resilience of their family system.

This workshop is not a therapy group. but an introduction to learning more about self with the family systems framework. It is a medium for the participants to understand more about how their functioning patterns were shaped, the reciprocal influences of themselves and their families on each other, and to learn new ways of managing themselves.

Bowen theory provides a roadmap for self-change. It offers a comprehensive framework for understanding our emotional functioning and relationship patterns with others. The goal of therapy is to modify the family relationship system and effect fundamental change in the individual, not just symptom reduction. Clients will learn to identify and correct dysfunctional patterns in relationships and try out their best functioning guided by clear thinking and well-thought out principles.

This course provides an initial overview of how to apply Bowen theory to clinical work.

Mrs. Peggy Chan (陳蘇陳英女士) B.Soc.Sc., M.Ed., R.S.W

Mrs. Peggy Chan started studying Bowen theory in the early 1990s in Vancouver. She attended the Postgraduate Programme in Bowen Family Systems Theory and Its Applications at the Bowen Center for the Study of the Family, Washington DC, U.S.A., from 2008-2013. Peggy continued her study by attending the Bowen Center’s Research Seminar group from 2013 till now. She has been a member of the Bowen Center’s Network Program for the Advancement of Bowen Theory since Nov. 2014. She collaborates with other Bowen theory training centers worldwide to promote better teaching and learning of Bowen theory.

She has presented at conferences and workshops in Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, the U.S.A., and Australia. She was the Coordinator of the 2nd International Conference in Bowen Family Systems Theory held in Hong Kong in May 2018. Working closely with non-governmental organizations, she conducts programmes for helping professionals and the public, as well as parents of substance abusers based on Bowen theory.

She is Fellow and Approved Supervisor (Hong Kong Professional Counselling Association), Certified Marriage & Family Therapist and Approved Supervisor (Hong Kong Marriage and Family Therapy Association), and Certified Social Work Specialist (Hong Kong Academy of Social Work).

Ms. Berenice Lee – M. Counselling

Berenice first learned about Bowen family systems theory in her Master of Counselling course in Australia in 2006. She was an active participant in various courses, workshops and conferences with ISSFI since 2010. She is a member of the ISSFI Circle of Friends (COF) Think Tank right from the start and has helped to organize programs for the Circle of Friends and Bowen theory conferences in many ways. Berenice has now joined ISSHK as an Assistant Director of ISSFI in 2018 and is involved in teaching some of the general courses in Bowen theory for the community. 

Berenice is a Certified Counsellor & Associate Fellow of the Hong Kong Professional Counselling Association (HKPCA).  She holds a Bachelor of Laws (Honours), Bachelor of Arts in English Language and Literature, Master of Arts in American Literature and Culture and Master of Counselling. She specializes in marital and family relationship counselling, parental guidance, personal coaching, psychotherapy for individuals, and workplace dynamics.

Fee:

· Enrolment of individual module: $4500 (COF Membership: HKD $4,275)

· Enrolment of 2 modules at the same time: $8,000

· Enrolment 3 modules at the same time: $12,000

Mode:

Hybrid (online + in-person)

Venue: International Social Service Hong Kong Branch, 6/F, Southorn Centre, 130 Hennessy Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong (香港灣仔軒尼詩道130號修頓中心6樓)