How to: Be a Systems Thinker
Learning to See the Forest for the Trees
The rings on an individual tree can tell us a lot more than its age. We can learn about the climate at any give point during a tree’s life, various events like wildfires, drought, temperature variations, and more. In other words, tree rings tell us about the context of the tree — just as systems theory does for humans.
Photo by Joel & Jasmin Førestbird on Unsplash
Not every Masters program teaches about Systems Theory — or family therapy in general — which is a shame considering a more systems approach recognizes the richness and diversity of the human experience. (I am well aware that I am wearing my bias clearly and vividly on my sleeve here!)
Don’t get me wrong, you likely got a cursory introduction if you were not in an MFT- or CFT-specific program, but it was probably more like dipping your toe in the water just to know what it feels like, not necessarily to learn how to swim.
I'll be honest, my systems training has influenced literally ALL areas of my life. It's not just a way to explore therapy cases, but an entirely different way of viewing the world that is not encouraged in our society. Rugged individualism reigns supreme, but systems thinking tosses that assumption out the window and views the individual as just one part of a much larger and dynamic whole.
Seeing the Forest for the Trees
"The whole is greater than the sum of its parts."
Read that again, read it a few times over and let it sink in.
This is the entire basis of systems thinking — that each individual is a part of the system, but the system is not just made up of these individuals. There are other factors and social constructs that arise when humans collect in groups such as gender roles, religious beliefs, life philosophies, political frameworks, economic structures, cultural norms, and many more that ultimately make the system much more complex than if we were to simply look at the individual within a society.
Yet, the idea of rugged individualism would have us believe that each person gets equal opportunity to do whatever one wants. That those who do not work hard enough, long enough, or even believe in a deity enough suffer due to their own shortcomings (Anyone else smell perfectionism?). We're told, "That's the American way", and it is indeed the White Supremacist's way too.
In the past 15-20 years, a more systemic way of thinking has been increasingly embraced in the US. With the advent of the Black Lives Matter movement, the voices of Black, queer, feminist thought leaders dating back to Sojourner Truth and Frederick Douglass to more contemporary leaders like Angela Davis, Toni Morrison, Audre Lorde, bell hooks, and other members of the Combahee River Collective have been amplified and brought increasingly into the mainstream. These leaders — abolitionists, writers, poets, activists, mothers, sisters, daughters, spouses — had a clear view of systems thinking well before psychology or other disciplines considered the possibility.
With this in mind, it is imperative that we begin training ourselves to be more systemic in our thinking if we are to rebuild a socially just, anti-oppressive, and anti-racist world — both in- and outside of the therapy room.
Here are some things to keep in mind:
Maintain a Wide Lens
The cornerstone of systems thinking is the ability to continually keep the bigger picture in mind -- seeing the forest for the trees. Yes, the individuals struggles are what often present in the therapy room and individualistic ways of thinking tell us to focus on how the individual can cope given the circumstances. All good advice to be sure, but we also need to take into account the impact of larger system on the individual.
For example, I work with those recovering from disordered eating and those wanting to break free of diet culture, especially those who occupy larger bodies. The amount of self-blame and shame that is present with these individuals is most definitely stemming from the individualistic view that they somehow failed at weight loss attempts, maintaining a smaller body if they did loose weight, or keeping to their "healthy lifestyle" (aka a diet) — and, of course, the same is true for those in thin bodies.
Maintaining a wider lens allows me to point out that it's not their fault! Our society would have us believe that the ideal body type is within everyone's reach, but that is simply not the case. We know that uncontrollable factors such as environment, genetics, socioeconomic status, race, gender identity, sexual orientation, and so much more have a much larger influence over body size and shape than diet and exercise alone. When this is pointed out to my clients, as well as the multi-billion dollar wellness industry, the shame a blame lessens almost instantly. This is just one example of how systems thinking can be used in the clinical setting.
Context Matters
As a systems thinker, I'm constantly asking myself, "How does this ("the problem": behavior, presentation, symptoms, etc.) make sense given the client's circumstances?" If we look at "the problem" as the individuals creative process in maintaining survival, we can be more curious about the context in which the client lives.
Let's take another look at that client in a larger body that feels deep shame and blame to "failing" yet another diet. If we're looking at the context, we can take any number of approaches. Perhaps we view the diet "failure" as the body protecting itself from self-imposed famine, especially after years of dieting. We might take a look at the internalized messages the client received from their family, friends, and greater society. Or we might see the continued desire to diet as the client's way of protecting themself from the oppression those in larger bodies experience — even the attempt at weight loss is protection. Considering the context can help the systems thinker be more compassionate toward others.
We are Always Part of a System
Systems therapists also recognize that the individual is never not a part of a system. Further, they're part of multiple systems simultaneously. It's a lot to keep track of indeed, but recognizing this complexity is imperative to understand the richness of their experience. And just because someone may not be active in a system, doesn't mean they still not a part of it.
Say our dieter decided it was better to not have contact with their family than continue to endure the deeply hurtful or even abusive talk about their body. For some, this is a good survival strategy that allows them space to work through their stuff. But just because they're no longer speaking to their family does not mean they are not still part of the system, or that the system doesn't continue to have an effect on the client. Old, internalized messages likely still play, their value as a fat person may still be questioned, thus leading to the continued desire to lose weight and occupy a smaller body.
Watch for Patterns
Finally, the systems thinker is always on the lookout for patterns. The phrase, "How you do anything is how you do everything," was a big mantra in my training program. That and, "process over content". Both basically mean that we're looking at deeper behavioral patterns that occur over and over again. We're looking at how this person moves through the world, not just what they're doing in the world, and which patterns are repeated across situations.
Our dieter likely has been in a binge restrict cycle from some time. They commit to their next diet, eat their "last supper" — a phenomenon often characterized by binging on all the foods they believe they will not have access to while dieting. They engage in dieting behavior for weeks, months, or even years before the body rebels and they "fall off the wagon" sometime in extreme ways before berating themselves for being such a failure. And round and round we go!
Systems therapist seek to interrupt unhelpful patterns in a non-pathologizing way. Remember, the pattern or dynamic was established for a reason and humans don't continue to do behaviors that don't — or didn't — makes sense on one level or another. The goals here is to explore the pattern because it may no longer be effective.
So, that's systems thinking in a not-so-small nutshell. There are, of course, plenty of nuances and future posts will expand on this concept and what it might look like in the therapy room. But, for now, I hope this gives those of you not trained in systems something to chew on and experiment with. And for those with this training, I'd love to hear your thoughts on what systems thinking looks like for you!
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