Systemic Maturation

Systemic maturation occurs both in the healthy functional family and the dysfunctional family. These stages are called The Early Phase, The Middle Phase and The Late Phase.


The Early Phase:
This is the time when new families form boundaries, rules, regulations and rituals to govern themselves. Some but not all are carry over practices from their family of origin. The healthy family establishes boundaries to meet the needs of the family members. The dysfunctional family establishes boundaries to meet the needs of the Prime Stressor and the systems, never the individual within the system. Accommodation rather than Cooperation is the primary factor. I live my life adjusting to someone else’s problem.


The Middle Phase:
This is a time of consolidation within the system. In the dysfunctional system, this phase is marked by the necessity of deeper commitment by the various members of the system to the system and a growing consistency of regulatory behaviour, rules and roles according to the needs of the system. It really boils down to each member of the family being there for the family but the family not being there for them. It is during this stage that dependency behaviour(s) of the Prime Stressor is reinforced. The family consistently meets the needs of the system that is being controlled by the Prime Stressor ... at the expense of the needs of the individual within the system. Members of the system are abandoned with everyone at home. During this phase there is strong resistance to either growth or change. New rules and norms form naturally around how the family operates. These become the rules of the road within the system. Everyone adapts:

The family adjusts their thinking to make the unacceptable acceptable. This is not healthy, but it is the norm and acceptable because it has been sanctioned by the system to define their Way of Doing Things.

Acceptable according to the rules

developed by the family to cope.

The Late Phase:
It is during this phase that the legacies for future generations form. The Way of Things for the family system becomes the customs and rituals especially at celebratory times of the year. Co dependent families experience this phase with the most difficulty. With the progression of the Co-Dependency Cycle severe health problems begin to arise and the family resists the need for change and becomes more rigid in their ways. As the family tries to cope with the crisis of the moment they are totally unable to prepare for their future and more importantly they have never considered facing the demons of their past.