History

Murray Bowen, MD, (1913-1990) was an original thinker whose theory, Bowen theory, offers a new way to understand the behavior of the human family in the natural world as the product of millions of years of evolution. His observations of human adaptive patterns allow an integration of systems at many levels, such as the cell, behavioral interactions, and societal emotional process.

Bowen’s Research

Beginning with his research and observations of family interaction at the Menninger Clinic, 1946-1954, and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), 1954-1959, Dr. Bowen developed a new theory of human functioning which conceptualized the family as an emotional unit. As a clinical professor of psychiatry at Georgetown University School of Medicine, 1959-1990, Dr. Bowen taught psychiatric residents and medical students. He began the Multiple Family Research Project at the Medical College of Virginia, where he conducted videotaped interviews with families to demonstrate the clinical application of his theory. The recorded sessions were observed by a professional audience and then discussed with the families present. He also conducted a similar project at Georgetown that was audiotaped.

A group of his graduating residents began the Annual Symposium for Family Theory and Family Psychotherapy in 1965. Each Symposium has featured a presentation by a Distinguished Guest Lecturer. In the early years, the lecturer was a pioneer in family therapy. Later, guided by the belief that understanding the family must be based on the human’s position in the natural world, Bowen invited scientists from a wide range of disciplines to present. Over 50 years, scientists such as Paul MacLean, Jack Calhoun, Stephen Jay Gould, E. O. Wilson, and Stephen Suomi have participated, permitting an exchange with systems ideas and the further development of Bowen theory.

Teaching

When a growing number of mental health professionals showed interest in learning more about his ideas, he began a Postgraduate Program in Bowen Family Systems Theory and Its Applications in 1969, taught by faculty he had trained. When Dr. Bowen was awarded a grant from NIMH for fellowships in family psychiatry, he founded the Georgetown University Family Center in 1975 and moved off campus to 4380 MacArthur Blvd. There he established a Clinic and expanded training to include a Special Postgraduate Program for mental health professionals who lived at a distance from Washington. It met for three days, four times a year.

Bowen was one of many pioneers interested in the family as an alternative framework to the individual thinking dominant in psychiatry. In 1978, the Family Center sponsored a special Annual Symposium, The Human Family, where thirty pioneers came to Washington to talk about the development of the field of family therapy and to recognize Dr. Bowen’s work.

Writing

Dr. Bowen wrote extensively about the development of his ideas. Family Therapy in Clinical Practice*, a compilation of his papers, was published in 1978, permitting wider exposure and more in-depth understanding of his ideas. In 1988, Family Evaluation* by Michael E. Kerr, MD, with an epilogue by Bowen, was published. Excerpts were featured in The Atlantic Monthly. In 1994, the first issue of Family Systems, the Center’s peer-reviewed journal of articles related to Bowen theory and the natural sciences, was published. The journal continues to feature articles by Dr. Bowen obtained from a large archive of his written work that is preserved at the National Library of Medicine.

Creation of the Georgetown Family Center

As Dr. Bowen added new faculty and expanded training opportunities, interest in the Center’s programs by clergy, organizational and financial professionals, and people from other disciplines grew. As out-of-town trainees returned home, they established a network of centers across the country that sponsored conferences and other educational programs. Interns and clinical fellows in family therapy and biofeedback staffed the Center’s Clinic, which had sliding scale fees. Research seminars were added for those who had participated for several years in the Postgraduate Programs. The annual Spring Conference was begun, engaging several scientists and Bowen thinkers around a central theme, such as Cutoff, Triangles, The Brain and the Family, and Stress and Relationships. The Theory Meeting, which Dr. Bowen began in 1963, continues to provide an opportunity for individuals to present their work and research. The Clinical Conferences, once held at the Medical College of Virginia, were moved to Washington, DC, in 1978 and became a formal monthly teaching conference led by Dr. Bowen and later by other faculty.

In 1990, the Georgetown Family Center (GFC) left Georgetown University and was incorporated as a nonprofit organization in the District of Columbia, receiving a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. When Dr. Bowen died that year, Dr. Kerr became the GFC director, with Dan Papero, PhD, and Ruth Riley Sagar serving on the board of directors. A fundraising effort permitted the Center to purchase a condominium suite at 4400 MacArthur Boulevard, giving it a permanent address.

The Bowen Center for the Study of the Family

Dr. Kerr added new faculty, who took on such responsibilities as hosting the Clinical Conferences, supervision, training (now “Learning & Development”), organizing meetings, and speaking at Bowen network centers. A videotaped show discussing Bowen theory, Family Matters, began at the University of the District of Columbia. An Advisory Board was appointed and assisted the Center in launching its website. It recommended a name change to The Bowen Center for the Study of the Family to recognize Dr. Bowen as its founder.

After Dr. Kerr stepped down as Director, the Board appointed Anne McKnight, EdD, in June 2010. Dr. Kerr became Director Emeritus in recognition of his years of leadership. Dr. McKnight has since been succeeded in the position by Carrie Collier (2020-2022) and Randall Frost (2022-present).

The Bowen Center Today

Dr. McKnight continued in the footsteps of her predecessors to foster an atmosphere of scientific inquiry to extend and develop Bowen theory through rigorous interchange with science and research. Efforts of the staff, the faculty, and donors made possible the renovation of the Center, creating the Roberta Holt Classroom, which honors a former faculty member, upgrading the technical capabilities of the Center to better serve the Learning and Development Programs at a distance, and launching a new website.

Members of the faculty contribute their knowledge and time to the development and dissemination of Bowen theory throughout different disciplines, including businesses and organizations, clinical work, and faith leadership and their communities. The expanded faculty have contributed to the sliding scale Clinic, the Internship Program, the Faith Leadership Seminar and Faith Leadership Conference, the Instituto Iberoamericano del Bowen Center (IIBC), a seminar for business leaders, and an Introduction to Bowen Theory program. The journal Family Systems is published twice a year, and Family Matters is hosted regularly. Research in and expansion of Bowen theory continues. The Bowen Center, with its staff and twenty-one faculty members, has developed into a vibrant place of collaboration and creative thinking in theory development and its applications. Anne McKnight retired in the summer 2020. She is now a Director Emeritus and remains on the faculty.

Carrie Collier, PhD, LPC, CRC, became the Center’s Director in September 2020, shortly after life was transformed by the COVID-19 pandemic. While the transition to fully-remote operations has expanded the Center's ability to fulfill its mission to extend theory throughout the world, growing program demands have brought new challenges. Dr. Collier's focused on maintaining and enriching the quality of the Center's programs through robust work collaboration and effective utilization of innovative technology.

In July, 2022, Randall T. Frost, MDiv, became Director of the Bowen Center. He describes his goals for the position in a post on the Bowen Center's YouTube channel. Since becoming Director, Mr. Frost has overseen a transition to a post-pandemic path for the Center. This has included sale of the physical building, as remote programs and work continue. He’s also led a return to in-person opportunities through the implementation of hybrid meetings which allow both in-person and virtual participation. Looking toward the future, Mr. Frost is engaged in collaborating with faculty and staff on proposals which will extend the reach of Bowen theory through expanded research efforts as well as pursuing new avenues for effective outreach.

Mission and Vision

The Bowen Center continues to promote, develop, and disseminate the ideas of Bowen theory, connecting to a world in which scientific research and technological advances allow new opportunities for the theory to become more widely known and relevant in the world.