S3 Ep2 Friendship with Dr. Guillermo Cancio-Bello

Welcome to Elevator Systems! In Season 3 Episode 2 hosts Dixie Vandersluys and Katie White are joined by special guest Dr. Guillermo Cancio-Bello to talk about the many aspects and facets of friendship from a Bowen family systems perspective.Dr. Guillermo Cancio-Bello is an Assistant Professor of Counseling at Barry University and integrates Bowen theory into his clinical, academic, research, and organizational work. His teaching and scholarship focus on systems thinking, leadership development, and the personal and professional growth of counsellors-in-training. Guillermo currently serves as President of the Florida Association of Marriage and Family Counseling (FAMFC) and is also a board member of the Florida Family Research Network, which works to advance the science of human behavior based on the natural systems theory of the family developed by Murray Bowen.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:Differentiation (staying connected and separate) in friendshipThe role of sibling position in friend selectionFusion, triangles, and anxietyHow family of origin impacts adult relationshipsBowen theory insights on digital vs. in-person connectionsExamples from the biblical friendship of David & Jonathan to sending memes! For counsellors or anyone interested in understanding relationships better, this discussion will get you curious about how you show up in your friendships.Terms you don’t understand? We have episodes on all 8 concepts of Bowen theory and other ideas in Elevator Systems Seasons 1 & 2.Recommended Resources:The Murray Bowen Archives Project The Relationships We Live In podcast: https://rss.com/podcasts/episode-1-the-relationships-we-live-in/The Anxious Overachiever newsletterDr Ronald Richardson: Jane Austen’s Guide to Good RelationshipsDr Kathleen Smith: Everything Isn’t TerribleDr Roberta Gilbert: Extraordinary RelationshipsDr. Robin Dunbar’s loneliness researchNew podcast episodes released every Tuesday this season—stay tuned as we explore relationships across the lifespan! Subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts so you don’t miss a weekly release.Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and comment about how systems thinking is useful in your own friendships.Living Systems Counselling and Training provides educational material for those interested in learning more about Bowen family systems theory: https://livingsystems.caLiving Systems Hybrid Conference: October 17–18, 2025Conference theme: Aging—Individual Challenge or Family Opportunity?Learn more: https://livingsystems.ca/education/conferences/fall-2025-conference-on-aging/Key Topics:#BowenFamilySystems #LivingSystems #MurrayBowen #Therapy #SystemsThinking #Family #Friendship #TherapyPodcast #MentalHealth #EmotionalMaturity #Differentiation #Relationships #BowenTheory #FamilySystemsTheory #ElevatorSystemsPodcast #TherapyPodcast #LifeSpan #MurrayBowenArchives #TMBAP #TheMurrayBowenArchivesProjectDISCLAIMER: This podcast is general information about Bowen family systems theory and is not considered the practice of counselling or therapy.  The information presented are the views of the people who say them. Any information used from this podcast is used at your own risk.