Steven C. Dawdy, Ph.D.
Mercy West Health Center
1601 NW 11th St. # 349
Clive, Iowa 50325
(515) 224-7233
FAX: (515) 224-0937
Dr.Dawdy@pedpsych.com

THE HEALTHY FAMILY

Comprehensive child/adolescent psychological evaluation must include assessment of the family system, including such dimensions as communication patterns, emotional responsiveness and involvement among family members, problem-solving capacity, disciplinary control, value structure, coping skills, and others. But before it can be determined if a family has some functional problems, we must know what it means to be "well-functioning" as a family. The following primary characteristics are typical of the well-functioning family in the American culture.
1. Parent(s) developed a clear and independent sense of their own identities before separating from their original family.
2. There is a clear separation of generational boundaries within the family, with adult and child roles clearly defined and maintained.
3. Parents have realistic perceptions and expectations for each other and for their children.
4. Loyalty to the immediate family is greater than to the extended family (family of origin).
5. The spouses put themselves and each other before anyone else, including the children, but never in an exclusionary manner.
6. There is a high respect for separateness, individuality, autonomy, and privacy among family members.
7. Family members maintain open, trusting, reaching-out relations, characterized by nonpossessive warmth and affection.
8. Communication is open, honest, and clear.
9. Interaction between family members is spontaneous and flexible, with regular doses of humor.
10. The family maintains an openness to relations with others outside the family, including relatives and friends.
11. Disciplinary control is firm, consistent across time and between parents, shared by all involved parents, and flexible (open to change and negotiation).