The Psychology of Everyday Life:Love, Marriage, and the Baby Carriage

Families

What is meant by triangulation?

This concept is associated with another pioneer of family therapy, Murray Bowen (1913-1990). In triangulation, a third person is brought into a two-person relationship as a means of diffusing tension between the original dyad. For example, a parent may align with a child in an argument against the other parent. When parents triangulate a child into their marital relationship, the generational boundaries are violated and the child is unduly burdened.