58th Symposium on Family Theory and Family Psychotherapy - Saturday Morning

Includes the following presentations:

Introduction and Welcome to the Symposium

Moderator: Anne S. McKnight, EdD, LCSW

Differentiation of Self in a Polarized World - Carrie Collier, Ph.D., LPC, CRC

Teenagers Who Abuse Other Children: A Perspective From Bowen Family Systems Theory - Alejandro Astorga A.

The issue of sexual aggression that some young teenagers develop towards other children will be approached from Murray Bowen's family systems theory as a conceptual basis. Murray Bowen's family systems theory allows us to develop an understanding of such behavior as a symptom or manifestation of a broader emotional process.

Discussion

You are More Than What You Eat: The Rold of the Gut Microbiome in Ant Nutrition - Corrie Moreau, Ph.D.

Each organism is a walking rainforest supporting an entire ecosystem within and on it. We know that for many organisms their microbial partners may even outnumber the host’s own cells. Not all of these partners are pathogenic and in many cases are, in fact, necessary for the host to thrive and survive. Within the ants, there is variation in the diversity and reliance on gut-associated bacteria, but for some groups, they are absolutely essential. For herbivorous ants, gut bacteria synthesize important nutrients. Microbial contributions to ants are not limited to diet enrichment and we are now finding evidence for their role in cuticle formation. These multiple lines of evidence are illuminating a more complete picture of ant evolution and providing novel insights into the role that symbiosis plays to promote biological diversity.