In his most recent book, “Parental Alienation and Factitious Disorder by Proxy, Beyond DSM-5: Interrelated Multidimensional Diagnoses” Michael R. Bütz, Ph.D. has described how he had created a new way to identify and understand the challenging phenomena of Parental Alienation and Munchhausen's Syndrome by Proxy and/or Factitious Disorder by Proxy. He has proposed a shift away from individual diagnoses to relational and systems diagnoses, and a two-stage diagnostic process that addresses suspicions of these pathologies and the necessity of further study. Dr. Bütz has underscored the importance of the theoretical orientation of family systems. In doing so, he has advanced the idea that these complex pathological phenomena are the accumulation of individual characteristics and symptoms, family and other system dynamics which create the pathological dynamics described by the term Interrelated Multidimensional Diagnoses.
This is the second podcast in the series and describes more specifically what an Interrelated Multidimensional Diagnosis with certain premises from Chapter 4 of his book that hopefully conveys how to understand the concept, and its potential utility in identifying these pathological dynamics.
Dr. Bütz did his graduate work at San Francisco State and the Wright Institute in Berkeley, California, and one professional experience after another resulted in the insight about the necessity of this new diagnostic conceptualization, Interrelated Multidimensional Diagnoses. A diagnostic conceptualization created to help identify and intervene in these pathological dynamics in order to stem the abuse and suffering of the children impacted by Parental Alienation and Munchhausen's Syndrome by Proxy and/or Factitious Disorder by Proxy.
This work is supported by two articles from the American Psychological Association’s journal “Professional Psychology: Research and Practice” that he co-authored with F. Barton Evans and Becky Webber-Dereszynski.
Guitar music courtesy of pablohoney - Burial march for the sacrificial lambs.