Edward W. Beal, MD

Edward W. Beal, a graduate of the Menninger School of Psychiatry, first met Murray Bowen at the Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry in 1971. Intrigued by Bowen’s systems view of the family, Dr. Beal moved to the Washington, DC, area where he set up a private practice and participated in the Postgraduate Program, 1973-1975. Dr. Beal was appointed to the faculty of the Georgetown University Family Center in 1975.

His interest initially was focused on comparing different theories of family therapy and their application to psychiatric diagnoses. In the 1980s, his interest shifted to applying family systems theory to divorcing families. He coordinated an Annual Conference on Divorce sponsored by the Family Center, 1978-1983. He presented multiple papers and published several book chapters, as well as co-writing the book Adult Children of Divorce with Gloria Hochman. His clinical practice has included working with families with complex litigation issues surrounding divorce and child custody.

Dr. Beal also organized and participated in the Family Center faculty presentations at the national meetings of the American Psychiatric Association, the American Orthopsychiatry Association, and the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy.

During the first decade of the 21st century, he focused on the application of Bowen theory to societal emotional processes. His work led to presenting and publishing papers on the application of family theory to the separation of powers doctrine in the US Constitution. He developed a course on Societal Regression as Viewed Through the Lens of Our Founding Documents. In 2010 Dr. Beal began working part-time at Walter Reed Army Medical Center with service men and women who were deploying to and returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. This work resulted in the publication of his latest book, War Stories from the Forgotten Soldiers.

Contact information: malbeal83@gmail.com