An Evaluation of an Intergenerational Consultation Process to Increase Personal Authority in the Family System

Abstract

This paper reports an evaluation of an intergenerational consultation process designed to help people change significant relationships in the three-generational family system. The paper first describes the theory behind the consultation process that focuses on increasing personal authority in the family system; this is followed by a description of the consultation process. Clients who participated in the consultation process were compared to clients who participated in systems-oriented psychotherapy. The results indicate that clients who participated in the intergenerational consultation reported significantly more change in intergenerational triangulation and personal authority than did the control group. There were no differences between the groups in reported change in presenting problems, satisfaction with therapy, or helpfulness of therapy. Persons who had their parents in the office for a consultation also reported significantly more change in personal authority and less intergenerational intimidation than did clients who did not have their parents in the office for consultation. Implications of these findings for intergenerational theory and therapy as well as future research are discussed.