Integrating Structural Family Therapy into Family Enterprise Advising

WEEKLY EDITION • February 18, 2026

Family enterprise advisors are often trained through the lens of Bowen Family Systems Theory, which remains one of the most influential frameworks in the field. Yet advising complex business-owning families requires more than one conceptual tool. In this article, members of the FFI Systems Thinking Virtual Study Group explore how Salvador Minuchin’s Structural Family Therapy offers an actionable, present-focused approach to understanding family organization, boundaries, and hierarchy. By integrating Structural Family Therapy into advisory practice, consultants can expand their ability to diagnose systemic dysfunction and guide families toward healthier governance and relational continuity.