Our daily life is coloured by varying degree of emotions which add to the subjectivity of our experiences in personal functioning and interpersonal encounters.  Working on the subjective experiences of the client and identifying the “whys” of the client’s feelings constitute an important part of the therapeutic work in conventional therapeutic approaches.

Bowen theory takes a different direction. Bowen theory is about finding the objective facts in our subjective world. It is about studying the facts of functioning of our relationship system which is often filled with subjective experiences.  The ability to identify functional facts helps us to see the reciprocity of interactions, thus learning how one involves in the interaction chain, facilitating the willingness to look into oneself and to have self-change.  Functional facts are indicators of self and the intensity of the emotional process of the family system.  This presentation will explain with examples what functional facts are, and the differences between facts, functional facts and feelings.  The presenter will also share case examples of how to identify functional facts and how such contributes to therapeutic effectiveness, and better differentiation of self (equivalent to emotional maturity).  One big challenge is seeing but not seeing functional facts.  The presenter will also address this “observational blindness” in many of us.

Mrs. Peggy CHAN (陳蘇陳英女士), MEd, RSW
Approved Supervisor & Certified Marriage and Family Therapist, HKMFTA
Fellow & Approved Counselling Supervisor, HKPCA
Certified Social Work Specialist (HK Social Workers Association)

Mrs. Peggy Chan is a marriage and family therapist, and has been the Director of Programme of ISS Family Institute of the International Social Service Hong Kong Branch since 2002. She received her training in Social Work and Counselling in Hong Kong and Canada respectively. She started her family systems theory training in early 1990s in Vancouver, and attended 5 years of the Postgraduate Program in Bowen Family Systems Theory and Its Applications at the Bowen Center for the Study of the Family, Washington DC. from 2008-2013. Since then, she continues the study of Bowen theory at the Bowen Center’s Research Seminar Group. She was a plenary speaker of the 1st International Conference on Bowen Family Systems Theory, Pittsburgh, U.S.A. She was the Coordinator of the 2nd International Conference in Bowen Family Systems Theory held in Hong Kong in May 2018. Besides conducting training programmes on Bowen theory in Hong Kong, she has presented at conferences and workshops in China, Taiwan, and U.S.A. Working closely with non-governmental organizations, she conducts programmes for parents of school children and parents of substance abusers based on Bowen theory. She has more than 20 years of counselling families, couples and individuals, and training professionals. Her areas of specialization include marital and women‘s issues, sexual issues, loss and grief, parent-child relationship difficulties, and cultural adaptation. will also address this “observational blindness” in many of us.

Fee (whole day) :

Student price: 400 /person (Please upload relevant student ID document through online enrollment form)
Regular : HK$800 /person
COF: HK$760 /person
Group of two persons (Accompany Discount Package) : HK$700 /person

Mode:

Hybrid (online + in-person)

Venue: Multi- function Room, 7/F, Building 19W, 19 Science Park West Avenue, Hong Kong Science Park, Pak Shek Kok, Sha Tin, New Territories, Hong Kong (香港沙田白石角香港科學園科技大道西19號19W大樓7樓多功能廳)