Ivan Boszormenyi-Nagy (May 19, 1920 – January 28, 2007) was a Hungarian-American

psychiatrist A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in psychiatry. Psychiatrists are physicians who evaluate patients to determine whether their symptoms are the result of a physical illness, a combination of physical and mental ailments or strictly ...

and one of the founders of the field of

family therapy Family therapy (also referred to as family counseling, family systems therapy, marriage and family therapy, couple and family therapy) is a branch of psychotherapy focused on families and couples in intimate relationships to nurture change and ...

. Born Iván Nagy, his family name was changed to Böszörményi-Nagy during his childhood. He emigrated from Hungary to the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

in 1950, and he simplified his name to Ivan Boszormenyi-Nagy at the time of his naturalization as a US citizen.

Contextual therapy

Boszormenyi-Nagy is best known for developing the ''Contextual'' approach to

and individual

psychotherapy Psychotherapy (also psychological therapy, talk therapy, or talking therapy) is the use of Psychology, psychological methods, particularly when based on regular Conversation, personal interaction, to help a person change behavior, increase hap ...

. It is a comprehensive model which integrates ''individual psychological'', ''interpersonal'',

existential Existentialism is a family of philosophical views and inquiry that explore the human individual's struggle to lead an authentic life despite the apparent absurdity or incomprehensibility of existence. In examining meaning, purpose, and value ...

, systemic, and ''intergenerational'' dimensions of individual and

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

life and development. The contextual model, in its most well-known formulation, proposes four dimensions of relational reality, both as a guide for conducting therapy and for conceptualizing relational reality in general: # Facts (e.g., genetic input, physical health,

ethnic An ethnicity or ethnic group is a group of people with shared attributes, which they collectively believe to have, and long-term endogamy. Ethnicities share attributes like language, culture, common sets of ancestry, traditions, society, re ...

cultural Culture ( ) is a concept that encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and Social norm, norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, Social norm, customs, capabilities, Attitude (psychology), attitudes ...

background,

socioeconomic status Socioeconomic status (SES) is a measurement used by economics, economists and sociology, sociologsts. The measurement combines a person's work experience and their or their family's access to economic resources and social position in relation t ...

, basic historical facts, events in a person's life cycle, etc) # Individual psychology (the domain of most individual psychotherapies) # Systemic transactions (the domain covered by classical systemic family therapy: e.g., rules, power, alignments, triangles, feedback, etc) # Relational ethics. These dimensions are taken to be inter-linked, but not equatable or reducible to one another.Le Goff, J.F. (2001). Boszormenyi-Nagy and Contextual Therapy: An Overview
''ANZJFT'', 22 (3)
: 147–157. The contextual model proposes ''relational ethics''—the

ethical Ethics is the philosophical study of moral phenomena. Also called moral philosophy, it investigates normative questions about what people ought to do or which behavior is morally right. Its main branches include normative ethics, applied e ...

or "

justice In its broadest sense, justice is the idea that individuals should be treated fairly. According to the ''Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy'', the most plausible candidate for a core definition comes from the ''Institutes (Justinian), Inst ...

" dimension of close relationships—as an overarching integrative conceptual and methodological principle. Relational ethics focuses in particular on the nature and roles of ''connectedness'', ''caring'', reciprocity,

loyalty Loyalty is a Fixation (psychology), devotion to a country, philosophy, group, or person. Philosophers disagree on what can be an object of loyalty, as some argue that loyalty is strictly interpersonal and only another human being can be the obj ...

, ''legacy'',

guilt Guilt most commonly refers to: *Guilt (emotion), an emotion that occurs when a person feels that they have violated a moral standard *Culpability, a legal term *Guilt (law), a legal term Music * ''Guilt'' (album), a 2009 album by Mims * "Guilt" ( ...

, fairness,

accountability In ethics and governance, accountability is equated with answerability, culpability, liability, and the expectation of account-giving. As in an aspect of governance, it has been central to discussions related to problems in the public secto ...

, and

trustworthiness Trust is the belief that another person will do what is expected. It brings with it a willingness for one party (the trustor) to become vulnerable to another party (the trustee), on the presumption that the trustee will act in ways that benefit ...

- within and between generations. It is taken to represent not just a set of prescriptive norms, nor simply

psychological Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Its subject matter includes the behavior of humans and nonhumans, both consciousness, conscious and Unconscious mind, unconscious phenomena, and mental processes such as thoughts, feel ...

phenomena, perspectives, or constructions. Rather, relational ethics is seen as (1) having some objective

ontological Ontology is the philosophical study of being. It is traditionally understood as the subdiscipline of metaphysics focused on the most general features of reality. As one of the most fundamental concepts, being encompasses all of reality and every ...

and experiential basis by virtue of being derived from basic

needs A need is a deficiency at a point of time and in a given context. Needs are distinguished from wants. In the case of a need, a deficiency causes a clear adverse outcome: a dysfunction or death. In other words, a need is something required for a ...

and from real relationships that have concrete consequences (i.e., as distinct from abstract or "value" ethics); and (2) as being significant explanatory and

motivational Motivation is an internal state that propels individuals to engage in goal-directed behavior. It is often understood as a force that explains why people or animals initiate, continue, or terminate a certain behavior at a particular time. It ...

dynamics operating - in both beneficial and destructive ways - in individuals, families,

social groups In the social sciences, a social group is defined as two or more people who interact with one another, share similar characteristics, and collectively have a sense of unity. Regardless, social groups come in a myriad of sizes and varieties. Fo ...

, and broader

society A society () is a group of individuals involved in persistent social interaction or a large social group sharing the same spatial or social territory, typically subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations. ...

. The construct validity and significance of relational ethics in clinical and educational contexts have been supported by a number of studies. In a later formulation of the contextual model, Boszormenyi-Nagy proposed a fifth dimension - the ''ontic dimension'' - which was implicit in the earlier formulations, but which considers more explicitly the nature of the interconnection between people that allows an individual to exist decisively as a ''person'', and not just a ''self''. ''(See also

Intersubjectivity Intersubjectivity describes the shared understanding that emerges from interpersonal interactions. The term first appeared in social science in the 1970s and later incorporated into psychoanalytic theory by George E. Atwood and Robert Stolorow, ...

and

Philosophy of dialogue Philosophy of dialogue is a type of philosophy based on the work of the Austrian-born Jewish philosopher Martin Buber best known through its classic presentation in his 1923 book '' I and Thou''. For Buber, the fundamental fact of human existence, t ...

.)''

Methodology

''Multidirected partiality'' is the main methodological principle of contextual therapy. Its aim is to evoke a

dialogue Dialogue (sometimes spelled dialog in American and British English spelling differences, American English) is a written or spoken conversational exchange between two or more people, and a literature, literary and theatrical form that depicts suc ...

of responsible mutual position-taking among family members. It consists of a sequential,

empathic Empathy is generally described as the ability to take on another person's perspective, to understand, feel, and possibly share and respond to their experience. There are more (sometimes conflicting) definitions of empathy that include but are ...

turning towards member after member (even absent members), in which both acknowledgement and expectation are directed at them. It is an alternative to the more common 'neutrality' or unilateral

partiality Impartiality (also called evenhandedness or fair-mindedness) is a principle of justice holding that decisions should be based on objective criteria, rather than on the basis of bias, prejudice, or preferring the benefit to one person over anothe ...

of other approaches. It requires an appreciation of the 'ledger' from each person's point of view, even that of the current victimizer. For example, a family comes into therapy desiring to fix their son's outbursts and oppositional defiant behavior. The therapist (and possibly a co-therapist where appropriate) would first seek basic information (including any relevant clinical or medical information), construct a

genogram A genogram, also known as a family diagram, is a pictorial display of a person's position and ongoing relationships in their family's hereditary hierarchy. It goes beyond a traditional family tree by allowing the user to visualize social patterns ...

if possible, and have each family member explain their side of the story (either conjointly or in individual sessions as appropriate), in order to begin to understand the problem in terms of background facts, the relational context (i.e., ''intergenerational'', ''interpersonal'', and systemic), and deeper

factors (e.g., psychological processes, hidden ''loyalties'' and ''legacies'', ''ledger'' imbalances, ''destructive entitlement'' resulting from real or perceived injustices, ''

scapegoating Scapegoating is the practice of singling out a person or group for unmerited blame and consequent negative treatment. Scapegoating may be conducted by individuals against individuals (e.g., "he did it, not me!"), individuals against groups (e.g ...

'', ''

parentification Parentification or parent–child role reversal is the process of role reversal whereby a child or adolescent is obliged to support the family system in ways that are developmentally inappropriate and overly burdensome. For example, it is develo ...

'' of the child, etc.), and not simply (as is commonly done in some other approaches) in terms of the '

behaviour Behavior (American English) or behaviour (British English) is the range of actions of Individual, individuals, organisms, systems or Artificial intelligence, artificial entities in some environment. These systems can include other systems or or ...

', ' systemic interactions', ' cognitions', or ' narratives' of the family and the son. Having gained this preliminary understanding of the situation, the therapist would firstly address any issues requiring urgent attention (e.g., physical welfare, prevention of violence, etc.), especially in relation to the interests of the most vulnerable member(s), whether or not they are present at the therapy sessions. The therapist would then go further, carefully and sequentially 'taking the side' of each member (while seeking to maintain overall balance, but not 'joining' the family as occurs, for example, in structural therapy), the aim being to begin a genuine dialogue of mutual accountability, to reduce the reliance on

dysfunctional In psychology, abnormality (also dysfunctional behavior, maladaptive behavior, or deviant behavior) is a behavioral characteristic assigned to those with conditions that are regarded as dysfunctional. Behavior is considered to be abnormal when i ...

acting-out, and to find resources (e.g., hope,

will Will may refer to: Common meanings * Will and testament, instructions for the disposition of one's property after death * Will (philosophy), or willpower * Will (sociology) * Will, volition (psychology) * Will, a modal verb - see Shall and will ...

) for rebuilding relationships through mutual acknowledgement of both entitlements and obligations, shifts in attitude and intention (but not 'relabeling' as in

strategic Strategy (from Greek στρατηγία ''stratēgia'', "troop leadership; office of general, command, generalship") is a general plan to achieve one or more long-term or overall goals under conditions of uncertainty. In the sense of the "art o ...

or constructivist approaches), fair

exoneration Exoneration occurs when the conviction for a crime is reversed, either through demonstration of innocence, a flaw in the conviction, or otherwise. Attempts to exonerate individuals are particularly controversial in death penalty cases, especial ...

, and redemptive or ''rejunctive'' (i.e., 'trust-building') actions, that will in turn build individual and relational maturity and integrity (i.e., ''self-validation'' and ''self-delineation'' - contextual counterparts of Bowen's ''differentiation''), and ''trustworthiness'', which contextual therapists see as the ultimate relational resource for individual and family well-being. The approach would be adapted - although the basic principles would remain the same - according to the particular case; for example: adults having problems with their siblings or elderly parents; couples issues; conflicts associated with

blended families A stepfamily (sometimes called a bonus family) is a family where at least one parent has children who are not biologically related to their spouse. Either parent, or both, may have children from previous relationships or marriages. Two known cl ...

adoption Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting of another, usually a child, from that person's biological or legal parent or parents. Legal adoptions permanently transfer all rights and responsibilities, along with filiation, fro ...

fostering Fosterage, the practice of a family bringing up a child not their own, differs from adoption in that the child's parents, not the foster-parents, remain the acknowledged parents. In many modern western societies foster care can be organised by t ...

, gamete donation and

surrogacy Surrogacy is an arrangement whereby a woman gets pregnant and gives birth on behalf of another person or couple who will become the child's legal parents after birth. People pursue surrogacy for a variety of reasons such as infertility, danger ...

;

migration Migration, migratory, or migrate may refer to: Human migration * Human migration, physical movement by humans from one region to another ** International migration, when peoples cross state boundaries and stay in the host state for some minimum le ...

and

cross-cultural Cross-cultural may refer to: *cross-cultural studies, a comparative tendency in various fields of cultural analysis *cross-cultural communication, a field of study that looks at how people from differing culture, cultural backgrounds communicate * ...

issues; different

mental disorder A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness, a mental health condition, or a psychiatric disability, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. A mental disorder is ...

addiction Addiction is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by a persistent and intense urge to use a drug or engage in a behavior that produces natural reward, despite substantial harm and other negative consequences. Repetitive drug use can ...

and

substance abuse Substance misuse, also known as drug misuse or, in older vernacular, substance abuse, is the use of a drug in amounts or by methods that are harmful to the individual or others. It is a form of substance-related disorder, differing definition ...

;

criminal behavior In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a State (polity), state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definiti ...

domestic violence Domestic violence is violence that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes r ...

, and so on. The contextual approach allows for the inclusion of many significant aspects of other approaches to psychotherapy and family therapy, provided that they are consistent with the overarching contextual principle of multilateral therapeutic ethical concern and accountability.Boszormenyi-Nagy, I., Grunebaum, J., & Ulrich, D. (1991). Contextual Therapy. In A. Gurman & D. Kniskern (Eds.
''Handbook of Family Therapy, Vol 2.''
New York: Brunner/Mazel.

Bibliography

*Boszormenyi-Nagy, I., & Framo, J. (Eds.) (1965; 1985)
''Intensive family therapy: Theoretical and practical aspects.''
New York: Harper & Row. (Second edition, New York: Brunner/Mazel) *Boszormenyi-Nagy, I., & Spark, G. (1973; 1984)
''Invisible loyalties: Reciprocity in intergenerational family therapy.''
New York: Harper & Row. (Second edition, New York: Brunner/Mazel) *Boszormenyi-Nagy, I., & Krasner, B. (1986)
''Between give and take: A clinical guide to contextual therapy.''
New York: Brunner/Mazel. *Boszormenyi-Nagy, I. (1987)
''Foundations of contextual therapy: Collected papers of Ivan Boszormenyi-Nagy, MD.''
New York: Brunner/Mazel. *Boszormenyi-Nagy, I., Grunebaum, J., & Ulrich, D. (1991). Contextual Therapy. In A. Gurman & D. Kniskern (Eds.
''Handbook of Family Therapy, Vol 2.''
New York: Brunner/Mazel.

References

External links

from Allyn and Bacon/Longman publishing
Interview with Psychology Today on Destructive Entitlement

Are trustworthiness and fairness enough? Contextual family therapy and the good family

Boszormenyi-Nagy's response to 'Are trustworthiness and fairness enough?'

Contextual Therapy with Multiple Personality Disorder

Video excerpt: Ivan Boszormenyi-Nagy on the ethics of optimism, constructive entitlement, the welfare of posterity

Conference video: Dr Catherine Ducommun-Nagy, Brussels, Nov. 2006 (in French)

Conference video: Catherine Ducommun-Nagy, colloque CITFA Les loyautés (avril 2012) (in French)

Video excerpt: 2014 congres Loyaalleven Nederland, Peter Goldenthal on Multi-directed partiality

Video excerpt: 2014 congres Loyaalleven Nederland Barbara Krasner on Loyalty and loyalty dynamics

* [http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=PI&p_theme=pi&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&s_dispstring=boszormenyi-nagy&p_field_advanced-0=&p_text_advanced-0=(boszormenyi-nagy)&xcal_numdocs=20&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&xcal_useweights=no Obituary: Philadelphia Daily News]
Memoriam
an
Profile
at EFTA by Tamás Kurimay M.D., Ph.D.
In Remembrance of Ivan Boszormenyi-Nagy M.D., by Margaret Cotroneo: ''Family Process'', Jun 2007.

Homage by Marlene F. Watson, Drexel University; July 2007.

Facebook page for Contextual Therapy / Ivan Boszormenyi-Nagy
{{DEFAULTSORT:Boszormenyi-Nagy, Ivan American psychiatrists Hungarian psychiatrists American psychotherapists Family therapists Existential therapists Relational ethics Hungarian emigrants to the United States Physicians from Budapest 1920 births 2007 deaths

Contextual therapy

Methodology

Bibliography

See also

References

Further reading

External links