2026 Clinical Application of Bowen Theory

Dr. Murray Bowen developed a comprehensive new theory of the family. Based on his view of the human as part of nature and the family as a natural system, Dr. Bowen described the emotional process and the automatic patterns of behavior among family members. He is best known for his concept of differentiation of self and the scale of differentiation that described the broad range of variation in human emotional functioning.

Keynote Presentation: Terri Pilarski MDiv, MSW
"Triangles: Exploring a Key Concept in Bowen Theory for Congregational and Organizational Leadership"

Drawing on nearly three decades of engagement with Bowen Family Systems theory, Terri Pilarski—faculty member at the Center for Family Consultation, Episcopal priest, and licensed clinical social worker—invites participants into a practical and reflective exploration of triangles, one of Bowen theory’s most foundational and challenging concepts.

This keynote focuses on the application of Bowen theory in congregations and other organizations. Using case studies from her own family of origin and congregational leadership, Terri explores how increased awareness of triangles—and shifts in one’s own functioning within them—can change the emotional field of an entire system.

The presentation integrates Bowen theory with insights from science and spiritual wisdom. This session is especially relevant for clinicians, clergy, congregational leaders, and organizational leaders seeking deeper understanding of emotional process and sustainable leadership.

Schedule for the Day

Attendees pick one workshop from each session when registering

8:30 a.m. - 9:00 A.M. Registration and coffee

9:00 a. m. - 10:15 A.M. Keynote Address: Terri Pilarski MDiv, MSW

10:15 a.m. - 10:30 A.M. Break

10:30 a.m. - 12:00 P.M. Bowen Archive Video Presentation with Discussion

12:00 p.m. - 1:30 P.M. Lunch (on your own)

1:30 p.m. - 2:45 P.M. Workshop Session One

Robert J. Noone, PhD.
"Extended Family and the Parental Triangle"

Cecilia Guzman, LCPC
"Managing Highly Reactive Symptomatology"

Alana Smith LCSW, LCDC
"Family Recovery Through Differentiation: Moving Beyond Unhelpful Helping"

2:45 p.m. - 3:00 P.M. Break

3:00 p.m. - 4:30 P.M. Workshop Session Two

John Bell, MDiv
"Sustaining Your Non-Profit with Bowen Theory"

Caitlin Baldauff, MA, LPC, SAS
"Crowded with Love: Family Projection Process"

Dr. Robin Shultz, LCSW, LMFT, CADC, CTRS, Licensed School Social Worker
"Coaching Maturity in Students and Clients: How the Eight Concepts of Bowen Family Systems theory Can Guide Practice for Both Seasoned Clinicians and School Mental Health Personnel."

DESCRIPTIONS OF PRESENTATIONS

Caitlin Baldauff, MA, LPC, SAS

"Crowded with Love: Family Projection Process"

The family projection process is one of four mechanisms Bowen theory views as a family’s way of managing fusion and chronic anxiety. In this presentation I will provide an overview of this mechanism using observations of my own family, my effort to reduce my anxious focus on my children, and present my thinking on using this concept in my therapy/coaching practice. I will discuss my own fusion and inherited chronic anxiety (multigenerational transmission process) as both a driver for my anxious focus and as a guiding light on where I can work on myself to reduce the amount of fusion and chronic anxiety I hold.

John Bell, MDiv

"Sustaining Your Non-Profit with Bowen Theory"

Non-profit leaders benefit from understanding how internal operations affect their organization's ability to meet external challenges and remain sustainable. This presentation explores how small and medium-sized organizations, including congregations, successfully utilize Bowen Family Systems Theory to manage their internal emotional process. By focusing on the dynamics within, leaders gain the clarity needed for organizational evolution and long-term adaptation. Join us to discover principles-based strategies for promoting thoughtful leadership and ensuring your vital mission endures.

Cecilia Guzman, LCPC

"Managing Highly Reactive Symptomatology"

This presentation introduces a new way of understanding and addressing highly reactive symptoms through the lens of Bowen Family Systems Theory (BFST). Participants will explore how looking beyond presenting problems to the broader family emotional system—by delving into family history, reducing emotional intensity, and proceeding at a deliberate pace—can lead to more effective and lasting outcomes.Key topics include emotional cutoff, the impact of chronic anxiety, and strategies for maintaining clinical objectivity when working with clients and their families.

Robert J. Noone, PhD

"Extended Family and the Parental Triangle"

The parental triangle that each person is born into and develops, is most central in shaping how we function in important relationships throughout life. Each child in the same family has their unique version of this triangle. Each triangle does not function in isolation but is embedded in the larger family relationship system. This presentation will focus on the extended family influence on one’s parental triangle. Knowledge of this influence is seen as vital in the effort to increase one’s level of differentiation of self. Family examples will be described.

Dr. Robin Shultz, LCSW, LMFT, CADC, CTRS, Licensed School Social Worker

"Coaching Maturity in Students and Clients: How the Eight Concepts of Bowen Family Systems theory Can Guide Practice for Both Seasoned Clinicians and School Mental Health Personnel"

Bowen Family Systems Theory provides a comprehensive theoretical framework for understanding why in school settings, students, staff, administrators, and parents might function as they do. According to Bowen theory, predictable patterns of reciprocal interaction operate in all relationships, all the time, including in those between individuals, groups, spouses, family members, and in society. A cornerstone of the theory is Differentiation of self, or an individual’s level of maturity characterized by their ability to develop their own principles and live by them from a position of “I”, while effectively managing their anxiety related to the possible perceived rejection of themselves by others.

Alana Smith LCSW, LCDC

"Family Recovery Through Differentiation: Moving Beyond Unhelpful Helping"

Families healing from addiction often become organized around anxiously helping the struggling member, but this focus — fueled by fusion, over-responsibility, and reactivity — keeps families stuck in what is best described as unhelpful helping. Bowen Family Systems Theory reframes family recovery through Differentiation of Self: the capacity to stay connected while thinking clearly, observing emotional intensity, and acting from principle rather than anxiety.

This presentation will clarify why understanding the Family Projection Process and the Multigenerational Transmission Process is essential for recognizing misplaced responsibility and the mechanisms that keep families stuck in focusing on symptoms. We will explore how this awareness clarifies the goals of differentiation of self in families impacted by addiction and offers a path toward recovery that is relational, sustainable, and systemic rather than centered on fixing one individual.