Welcome to Elevator Systems! In Season 3 Episode 3 Kathleen Cotter Cauley joins Dixie Vandersluys and Katie White on the elevator to look at the role of pets in relationships — from cats and dogs to triangles and anxiety!

Kathleen Cotter Cauley is a licensed marriage and family therapist and has a private practice in both Virginia and Florida. She’s a faculty member of the Bowen Center and was involved in founding the Florida Family Research Network. She has worked with guide dogs for over 30 years.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

Viewing pets as active participants in the emotional field
How animals reflect family anxiety and calm
The concept of reciprocity in human-animal relationships
The four patterns of reactivity (conflict, distance, projection, triangles) observed in pets
How pet entries and exits impact family dynamics
Examples from guide dogs, breeders, and meet our own pets!

Whether you're new to Bowen Theory or a long-time learner, this episode offers surprising, insightful ways to observe functioning through your pets, watch anxiety move, and deepen your understanding of family systems.

Terms you don’t understand? We have episodes on all 8 concepts of Bowen theory and other ideas in Elevator Systems Seasons 1 & 2.

Recommended Resources:

The Murray Bowen Archives Project

Alan Entin: Pets in the Family
Dr. Murray Bowen: Family Therapy in Clinical Practice
Dr. Michael Kerr: “Family Systems Theory and Therapy” in A. Gurman & D. Kniskern (Eds.), Handbook of family therapy.

New podcast episodes released every Tuesday this season—stay tuned as we explore relationships across the lifespan!

Subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts so you don’t miss a weekly release.

Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and comment about what you’ve noticed in your own pet relationships.

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

Living Systems Hybrid Conference: October 17–18, 2025

Conference theme: Aging—Individual Challenge or Family Opportunity?

Learn more: https://livingsystems.ca/education/conferences/fall-2025-conference-on-aging/

Key Topics:
#BowenFamilySystems #LivingSystems #MurrayBowen #Therapy #SystemsThinking #Family #PetsAndPeople #EmotionalSystems #AnxietyInFamilies #Reciprocity #Triangles #PetTherapy #DifferentiationOfSelf #GuideDogs #CatsAndDogs #EmotionalRegulation #TherapyPodcast #MentalHealth #EmotionalMaturity #Differentiation #Relationships #BowenTheory #FamilySystemsTheory #ElevatorSystemsPodcast #TherapyPodcast #MurrayBowenArchives #TMBAP #TheMurrayBowenArchivesProject

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.

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