Bowen Center for the Study of the Family

04/21/2026

This Thursday!
April 23, 2026 | 7:00 - 8:30 PM ET Online | The Professional Lecture Series.

Professional lectures are free and open to the public. Learn more and reserve your spot at https://www.thebowencenter.org/professional-lectures

Rob Dunn, PhD will present "The Role of Mutualisms with Other Species in Human Mental Health and Well-Being"

Dr. Dunn is the author of Never Home Alone: From Microbes to Millipedes, Camel Crickets, and Honeybees, the Natural History of Where We Live.
Learn More about him at https://robdunnlab.com/

Dr. Dunn's presentation will explore:
-The extent of human dependence on other species
-Some of the ways in which our daily interactions with other species affect well-being
-An understanding of the speed with which these interactions have changed
-Examples of successful interventions to better human relationships with the rest of life,

This series of speakers focuses on the family as a natural system and on knowledge from the study of other natural systems and the sciences. A distinctive feature of this meeting is the length of time the presenter is given to develop and illustrate ideas followed by audience discussion. The ideas p...

01/09/2026

Our next Clinical Conference is Friday, January 16, 2026 Online.
Faculty member Kenton Derstine, MDiv, DMin will present "The Effort in Family and its Impact Upon Workplace Effectiveness." The conference will explore the idea that the effort for differentiation of self in one's family contributes to enhanced functioning in the workplace. Learn more and register!

The Clinical Conference Series focuses on the clinical applications of Bowen theory. Each month, a different faculty member selects a topic of their own professional interest. The conference includes video interviews. It is designed for mental health and other professionals. CEs are offered for som

01/05/2026

Reserve your spot for the January Professional Lecture!
Thursday, January 15, 2026. 7-8:30 pm. Online. Free and open to the public.
Five Misconceptions of Bowen Theory and Clinical Practice
Vanessa Roulette Ellison, MSW, MDiv, LCSW

Learn more and register!

This series of speakers focuses on the family as a natural system and on knowledge from the study of other natural systems and the sciences. A distinctive feature of this meeting is the length of time the presenter is given to develop and illustrate ideas followed by audience discussion. The ideas p...

11/18/2025

Sign up before December 5th for the Bowen Center's Clinical Conference Package, which includes the December, January, March, and May Clinical Conferences at a discounted price. You may also sign up for individual conferences. CEs are available. Conferences are online from 9:30 am - 12:30 pm Eastern Time.

Our next Clinical Conference is Friday, December 5, 2025 "Mistakes Made Lessons Learned- Applying Bowen Theory to Family Business and Families of Wealth." Kathleen Wiseman, MBA
Learn more and register on our website at https://www.thebowencenter.org/clinical-conferences
Questions: info@thebowencenter.org

About the Clinical Conferences. Using presentations, videotaped interviews with family members, and ample discussion time, the conferences illustrate the interplay of Bowen theory and technique for a variety of human issues. The goals of each conference are to illustrate the application of theory in practice and to enhance people’s understanding of differentiation of self.

10/23/2025

Tonight! (Thursday, Oct 23, 2025 7 - 8:30 pm). The Professional Lecture Series. Guest speaker: Nathan H. Lents, PhD.

Online. Free and Open to the Public. Learn more and reserve your spot!

This series of speakers focuses on the family as a natural system and on knowledge from the study of other natural systems and the sciences. A distinctive feature of this meeting is the length of time the presenter is given to develop and illustrate ideas followed by audience discussion. The ideas p...

10/23/2025

The Annual Symposium is November 7-8 in Washington, DC and Online! We invite you to watch this short video in which the Symposium guest lecturer, Dr. Amy Arnsten, describes the important functions of the prefrontal cortex of the human brain and the impact of uncontrollable stress on its functioning.

For more information about the Symposium, visit our website thebowencenter.org.
https://youtu.be/2xrQZkWNq74?si=SDqzrs02zVV_Bcrc

In this video, Symposium Guest Speaker Dr. Amy Arnsten describes the important functions of the prefrontal cortex of the human brain and the impact of uncont...

03/06/2025

Check out this article, "The Adoptive Family as a Natural System," from faculty member Laura Brooks, recently published in the American Journal of Family Therapy.

Emotional and epigenetic processes in adoptive families have a profound impact on the adopted child’s development and life course. A common view of the family as a social or psychological unit with...

03/04/2025

Join us Thursday evening at 7pm EST as Lauren Errington from The Family Systems Institute presents "Tracking Emotional Process in Relationship Interactions in Clinical Practice."

Tracking Emotional Process in Relationship Interactions in Clinical Practice  Lauren Errington, MCFT Human emotional reflexes operate largely out of awareness in response to a huge range of stimuli. In relationships, the automatic reactivity that is stirred up in the stimulus-response s

02/27/2025

Faculty member Dr. Carrier Collier appeared on the Elevator Systems podcast. Give it a listen.

02/12/2025

Bowen Center faculty member Mariana Martinez was interviewed on the Elevator Systems podcast.

02/05/2025

Are you registered for the free professional lecture on Thursday evening? Dr. Lance Simkins is presenting on using Family Systems Coaching in Obesity Medicine. Hope to see you there!

The Professional Lecture Series is free and open to the public.

01/14/2025

Registration is now open for the Bowen Center’s Spring Conference
SEXUAL DIVERSITY AND THE HUMAN FAMILY: A BOWEN THEORY PERSPECTIVE
April 25-26, 2025 | Washington, DC or Online
Visit our webpage to learn more and Register!
https://www.thebowencenter.org/2025-spring-conference

This two-day conference will focus on s*xual diversity as a variation in natural systems, including the human family. The topic will be viewed through the lens of Bowen theory, evolution, biology, genetics, hormonal processes, and the environment.

Joan Roughgarden, PhD, will be the distinguished guest scientist speaker. Dr. Roughgarden is an American ecologist and evolutionary biologist. She is Emeritus Professor at Stanford University, Department of Biology, an adjunct professor at the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, and the author of numerous publications on s*xual diversity and evolution.

The conference features a screening of the documentary Second Nature which follows Dr. Roughgarden as she meets other groundbreaking scientists exploring the 1500+ animal species who engage in same-s*x s*xual behavior and parenting, change s*x, form matriarchies, and more…

Questions: info@thebowencenter.org