The purpose of this article is to bring together the work of Jurgen Ruesch, Gregory Bateson, Paul Watzlawick, and Jay Haley in order to reveal their combined contribution to a systemic understanding of communicative behavior. Emphasis is upon the interactional and circular pattern of human communication, rather than on the linear, or cause/effect, analysis. The theoretical constructs and application of the systemic approach to human communication are developed in this article as a model for initiating change in human behavior. The article provides insight into the systemic nature of normal, daily communication and is of particular benefit to those interested in helper/helpee or health communication. (Author/JM)