Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) Practice Exam

What is the process called when modifications are made to the boundaries between subsystems in therapy?

1. Boundary Clarification

2. Boundary Adjustment

3. Boundary Making

4. Boundary Refinement

The correct answer is: Boundary Making

The process of making modifications to the boundaries between subsystems in therapy is referred to as boundary making. Boundary making involves actively defining and adjusting the interactions and roles within family subsystems to improve relationships and dynamics. In family therapy, subsystems can include various relationships, such as those between parents and children or among siblings. By implementing boundary making techniques, therapists help clients understand and negotiate their roles and responsibilities, leading to healthier interactions. This process can involve creating clearer distinctions between different family members' functions or adjusting the way family members communicate and engage with each other. Boundary making is crucial for fostering autonomy within individual members while maintaining the integrity of the family unit, allowing for a more functional family system. Other terms, while related to boundary concepts, may not specifically describe this active process in the same way. For instance, boundary clarification might focus on simply identifying existing boundaries, whereas boundary adjustment could imply a more passive alteration of boundaries rather than actively creating new ones. Boundary refinement suggests making minor improvements but doesn't capture the dynamic and interventionist nature of boundary making. Therefore, boundary making is the most accurate term for the described process.