Family · Assessment
Family Cohesion & Adaptability Worksheet
Olson's Circumplex Model, plotted for your family
David Olson's Circumplex Model maps families on two axes: cohesion (how close) and adaptability (how flexible under change). Extremes on either end predict trouble; balanced middles predict resilience.
Cohesion — how close is close?
Disengaged — isolated, low support
Separated — independent + connected
Connected — close + individual
Enmeshed — fused, no privacy
Where our family sits on cohesion today
Adaptability — how well do we handle change?
Rigid — rules never bend
Structured — stable + can flex
Flexible — flex + still stable
Chaotic — no roles, no rhythm
Where our family sits on adaptability today
Communication — the third leg
How honestly and safely we talk (0–10) — and what would move it up one
One shift toward the balanced middle we'll try
Extremes cost more than the middle
Families at the extremes — enmeshed or disengaged, rigid or chaotic — pay in symptoms. Balanced doesn't mean bland; it means resilient.