Why the Family Life Cycle Matters

Welcome to Elevator Systems! To end Season 3, we are interviewing Dr. Monica McGoldrick about her book The Expanded Family Life Cycle, the importance of systems thinking, and some of her memories with Dr. Murray Bowen.

Monica McGoldrick, M.A., LCSW, Ph.D. (Honorary), is the Director of the Multicultural Family Institute in Highland Park, New Jersey and Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Monica has written and spoken widely on topics such as culture, gender, the family life cycle, loss, and genograms. Three of her most notable books include: The Expanded Family Life Cycle, Ethnicity and Family Therapy, and Genograms: Assessment and Intervention.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Viewing life stages not just as individual but as interconnected with the family life cycle.
• Family diagrams (genograms) as a tool to understand family patterns and history and the usefulness of contextualizing individual experiences.
• Practical application of Bowen theory in therapy, how understanding family systems can aid in addressing current issues by exploring family relationships and dynamics.

• Considering the perspectives of both ancestors and future descendants, growing a broader understanding of one's place within the family lineage and the impact of one's actions on future generations.

Recommended Resources:

• Monica McGoldrick website: https://multiculturalfamily.org/
• Monica McGoldrick and Betty Carter: The Expanded Family Life Cycle
• Louise Aronson: Elderhood
• Patrick Stinson: Family Diagram App
• Living Systems online workshops and counselling information: https://livingsystems.ca
• Living Systems Aging Conference
• Email info@livingsystems.ca to purchase Aging conference recording - mention the podcast and receive a discount!
• Email dixie@livingsystems.ca for podcast questions or ideas

Thanks for listening to Season 3! Look for Season 4 of Elevator Systems in early 2026. 

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Living Systems Counselling and Training provides educational material for those interested in learning more about Bowen family systems theory: https://livingsystems.ca

Key Topics:#BowenFamilySystems #LivingSystems #MurrayBowen #MonicaMcGoldrick #Family #SystemsThinking #FamilyLifeCycle #LifeCycle #StagesofLife #Genogram #FamilyDiagram #FamilyHistory #Ancestry #Lineage #History #MentalHealth #Relationships #TherapyPodcast #DifferentiationOfSelf #Differentiation #Therapy #BowenTheory #ElevatorSystems #FamilySystemsTheory #ElevatorSystemsPodcast

DISCLAIMER: This podcast is general information about Bowen family systems theory and is not considered the practice of counselling or therapy.  The information presented are the views of the people who say them. Any information used from this podcast is used at your own risk.