Relationships
Mapping Family Alliances and Coalitions
This assessment helps a client or family visualize the unspoken teams and power dynamics within the.
In family sessions, the conversation can get stuck on specific arguments while the underlying structural problems remain invisible. A client might feel consistently isolated or overruled but can’t pinpoint why. The family’s description of their dynamics often fails to capture the subtle coalitions and power plays that define their day-to-day interactions, leaving the root causes of conflict unaddressed.
This assessment externalizes those felt dynamics, providing a concrete diagram of the family structure. Instead of arguing about intentions, the family can now point to the patterns of who aligns with whom and where influence truly lies. Everyone walks away with a shared, objective picture that makes the system, not a person, the focus of the work.
Mapping Family Alliances and Coalitions
List every member of your family system who is regularly involved. Use this list to identify the unspoken teams that form. An alliance is a consistent pair. A coalition is a group of three or more.
Fill out the grid below, identifying as many distinct teams as you can observe. One team may have only two people; another may have several. Some teams are permanent, while others form only during certain conflicts or events. In the first column, write the names of the people who form a team. In the second, describe what unites them. In the third, name the person or people typically outside this specific group. In the last column, note when the team is most active.
| The Alliance or Coalition (List names) | What Unites This Group? | Who Is Outside This Group? | When Is This Group Most Active? |
|---|---|---|---|
Generated with Rapport7 — rapport7.com