What Novice Family Therapists Experience During a Session… A Qualitative Study of Novice Therapists' Inner Conversations During the Session

“What do novice family therapists experience during a session with a couple or family?” This is the central question in this article. A videotape‐assisted recall procedure was used to study novice family therapists’ inner conversations. The therapists' reflections were analyzed using thematic analysis. This resulted in a coding system that distinguishes four main domains: (a) reflections concerning the self; (b) reflections about the therapy process; (c) reflections on emotions about the family members; and (d) managing the session as well as own emotions. The study furthermore revealed that during a session, novice family therapists experience strong emotions, such as self‐criticism and irritation. Both emotions may encompass dangers, as well as opportunities for the therapeutic alliance and the process.     

Family Learning in Museums

This study of family learning in museums focusses on the assumptions of museums about family learning and the family audience. It calls for a widening of the base of theoretical knowledge brought to bear on the topic, and explores the range of that material. Applying that wider base, those multiple viewpoints to the specifics of family workshops presented at the Memorial Art Gallery of the University of Rochester, certain categories of family learning experience are developed. A framework in which to look at, discuss, and evaluate family learning activities is presented.     

Family Law and Family Systems: Multidisciplinary Training for Professionals

The Family Court in New Zealand has become the crucible for the mixing of legal and mental health professionals. Low key workshops convened by family therapists for multidisciplinary groups have made successful use of family therapy models and expertise to provide a base for the conciliation and mediation alternative to the adversary system so common in law and in earlier family litigation. Enhanced cross-disciplinary understanding and morale appear to have accompanied the more formal learnings in family therapy, and the programme as detailed is included as one possible structure on which such experiences might be offered by other therapists in other places.     

Therapists’ Assessment and Treatment of Internet Infidelity Cases

In this study, we investigated through an Internet survey of 508 practicing marriage and family therapists which treatment decisions varied by gender of the client and background variables of therapists. The subjects responded to several typical Internet infidelity scenarios. We varied the gender of the person initiating the infidelity for half of one sample. We also asked the family therapy participants to respond to how they might assess and treat each presenting problem. They also evaluated problem severity, prognosis of the case, number of sessions necessary for treatment, and the extent to which a therapist would focus individually or relationally. Results indicate that there were differences in how therapists assessed and treated clients based on client gender, therapists’ age, therapists’ gender, how religious therapists reported they were, and the extent of therapists’ personal experience with infidelity.     

The theory,structure, and techniques for the inclusion of children in family therapy: a literature review

Many barriers prevent therapists from including young children in family therapy, despite the theoretical belief that every family member should be present. Although there is a wealth of literature describing how to include children, the information has not been compiled in a way that is easily accessible to therapists. In this article, we report the findings of an exhaustive and systematic literature review of 64 publications, published between 1972 and 1999, related to including children in family therapy. The purpose of this article is to offer therapists a succinct compilation of theoretical, structural, and practical aspects as well as a comprehensive listing of specific techniques for including children in family therapy.     

Giving advice on advice-giving: a conversation analysis of Karl Tomm's practice

In this article we challenge a common definition of therapeutic advice as a linear, one-way accomplishment, enacted by therapists toward clients. We also offer a novel conception of advice as a dialogical "performance," to which both therapists and clients contribute. We discuss the results of a conversation analysis of a family therapy session by Karl Tomm, showing sequential practices employed by a family therapist and a family as they jointly work out common ground to set the stage for the therapist's eventual offering of advice. We discuss the results of this study in light of the literature on advice provision in various contexts.     

Clients as Teachers: Reciprocal Influences in Therapy Relationships

The value of the continuing education industry for therapists is questioned, as is the usefulness of therapy books and journal articles, as a means of engaging therapists in life‐long learning. Instead, it is argued that our clients are our best teachers and that therapists learn most effectively from their clients. Drawing on research studies with prominent theoreticians and therapists, and on case studies from clinical work, a number of important themes are identified as ways in which therapists are influenced by their therapeutic encounters with their clients. The themes explored in this article include: (1) intimacy and high emotional arousal with clients as we witness profound change; (2) being challenged by clients; and (3) allowing for boundary ‘crossings’ in order to develop more flexible ways of working with clients. The implications for professional development are discussed.     

Enhancing Family Therapy's Relationships With Research

The contention of this article is that systemic family therapy has much to gain from a realistic appraisal of its research base, which is as positive as possible. And that through such an appraisal we can find ways of developing the scope of family therapy to the benefit of the profession and thereby, of our clients. Family therapy will benefit if practitioners can present an informed view of research. As a preliminary approach to this objective, I review reasons why perceptions of family therapy underestimate its research base, and why therapists might resist involvement with research. The article then explores the reasons for regarding randomised controlled trials as a ‘gold standard’, and why they are not well fitted for the purpose of evaluating or developing a relational therapy. Next is a consideration of alternative approaches to research, including a consideration of what clients actually want from their therapy, then a brief review of the positive findings of outcome research. Greater emphasis on researching processes in therapy is proposed, and consideration of the ‘common factors’ debate is shown to support priorities that are specific to systemic therapies. The article concludes with suggestions for increasing the involvement of family therapists with research, both as consumers and as research practitioners.     

From Knowing to Doing: Guidelines for Socioculturally Attuned Family Therapy

Family therapists know that clinical concerns are not separate from larger sociopolitical contexts. Attunement to clients’ sociocultural experience is foundational to good practice, yet few guidelines integrate attention to the larger societal processes or address social equity. The purpose of this article is to help therapists move from knowing about sociocontextual issues to doing socioculturally attuned practice. We offer an overarching framework that returns to Bateson and the roots of family therapy through a call for third order transformation. The approach is responsive to societal context and an analysis of power while working through enduring concepts of major family therapy models. Transtheoretical guidelines that can be integrated across practice models to promote third order change are illustrated with case examples.     

Depression,the Family,and Family Therapy

The potential contribution of family therapists to the treatment of depression remains underdeveloped. Family therapists need to articulate how changes in family functioning might benefit depressed persons, as well as how other problems in the families of depressed persons tend to go unrecognised. Furthermore, family therapists need to be alert to how undetected depression in adults and children may interfere with their ability to meet their goals with families who seek therapy for other persons. This article provides family therapists with (1) an overview of the nature and experience of depression; (2) an introduction to antidepressant medication; (3) a summary of research findings relating depression to its family context and (4) a brief overview of developments in the marital and family treatment of depression.     

Integrating gender on multiple levels: a conceptual model for teaching gender issues in family therapy

As the field of family therapy has evolved, there has been growing recognition as to the importance of gender in family therapy. To prepare the next generation of family therapists adequately, it is important that they recognize the many and complex ways in which gender permeates their work. In this article we present an integrative model to help educators teach family therapists about gender issues. The model examines how gender influences clinical work on multiple levels, including contextual levels such as society and the marriage and family therapy field. The model also acknowledges how gender can influence individuals, including clients, therapists, and supervisors. Finally, the model attempts to capture the complexity of how gender can impact the relational dynamics between two or more individuals.     

Using the Therapist's Inner Conversation in Teamwork with Novice Therapists

Peter Rober's work (2005a) on the therapist’s inner conversation (TIC) has been a significant contribution to understanding the therapist's 'here and now' experience that focuses on the emergence of different voices responding to what is said in the therapy session. Frediani and Rober (2016) conducted an investigation into the experience and TIC of novice therapists concerning emotions aroused and how they deal with them during family therapy. Their research prompted us to ask how this methodology could work with recent graduates and those in the last year of their undergraduate training. This was addressed in the adolescent psychotherapy team that is part of the Equipo de Trabajo y Asesoría Sistémica (Systemic Counselling and Teamwork) (eQtasis) of the Psychology Department of the University of Chile. An important characteristic has been developing an ethics for clinical practice and generating a collaborative reflexive approach as a central aspect of the clinical training. The paper aims to promote the legitimacy of the experience of novice therapists who despite limited professional experience have many stories that connect with what is said in therapy.     

A graduate course in marriage and family enrichment

Legislation aimed at decreasing the divorce rate and the resurgence of interest in marriage and family enrichment have propelled educators to consider how well they are training new therapists in the preventive approaches to therapy. In this article, we present a graduate course to educate students about the enrichment movement and skill- and competency-based approaches to family intervention. We provide a general outline for teaching the course as well as specific resources and guidelines that can be of value to all marriage and family therapy practitioners.     

A perfect fit: connecting family therapy skills to family business needs

The purpose of this article is to encourage family therapists to become more interested in family business practice. It does so in three ways: (a) highlighting the number of therapists already involved in family business issues; (b) showing the parallels between family business and family therapy by applying family business research findings to couples therapy; (c) discussing how family therapists already have the practice wisdom to be effective in working with family business clients. Limitations of this practice are also discussed along with suggestions for overcoming them.     

How Do the Professional Lives of Family Therapists Affect their Private Relationships: A Qualitative Study

This article is based on a qualitative research project about how the professional lives of family therapists affect their private relationships. The overarching research question was: How does your professional work as a family therapist affect your private relationships? To answer this question, semi‐structured qualitative interviews were conducted with four therapists from two different Family Counseling Services. Through the use of interpretative phenomenological analysis, three main findings were identified: (1) family therapists’ knowledge and values are a basis for interpersonal encounters; (2) participants describe resonance in relation to clients’ stories; and (3) therapists can be challenged in managing confidential knowledge particularly where they belong to the same communities as clients. The study also explores societal expectations and discourses that accompany the role of therapist, which can affect therapists’ freedom of movement in their private lives. These issues are discussed in relation to family therapy theory and relevant research.     

Transformative learning through international immersion: building multicultural competence in family therapy and counseling

This study explores the experiences of graduate students who completed one of two international courses facilitated by family therapy faculty in a U.S. master's-level counseling psychology department. Participants reported that international courses were personally and professionally transformative. Spending time in a foreign country gave them opportunities to learn from cultural differences, ultimately increasing the social and global awareness required for multicultural sensitivity. Experiential learning, reflection, and dialogue resulted in raised critical consciousness among participants. In this article, we discuss the transformational learning processes embedded in international courses and the potential benefits of these experiences on the development of multicultural sensitivity in family therapists and counselors in training.     

The Impact of Family Therapists’ Adult Attachment Styles on Their Career Choice and Approach to Therapy: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis

Attachment theorists have highlighted the role of the therapist in providing a ‘secure base’ for therapy. This raises the question of how therapists with insecure as well as secure attachment styles manage the integration of their personal experience and their therapeutic work. This study explored the relationship between family therapists’ adult attachment styles, influences on their career choice and their approach to therapy. Participants’ (n = 11) attachment styles were previously assessed using the self-report Experiences in Close Relationship questionnaire. Three participants were assessed as having a ‘secure’ attachment style; three were ‘preoccupied’, three ‘fearful’ and two ‘dismissing’. They were interviewed about their practice and the impact of past or current relationships on their development as therapists. Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis was used to analyse the verbatim accounts into cluster of master themes and subthemes. The analysis identified two master themes: understanding one’s self and the impact of family of origin experiences, and the integration between personal experiences and therapeutic work. There were differences in responses relating to the therapists’ attachment styles. Therapists with ‘secure’ adult attachment styles were aware of their challenges and able to utilise their experiences in their practice and respond sensitively to their clients. Conversely, those with ‘insecure’ styles have difficulties in mentalisation and in using counter-transference responses in their practice. We suggest that family therapists, social workers and others engaged in therapeutic work with families should undertake an exploration of the ‘self’ of the therapist in the context of their own family relationships and adult attachment styles as part of their training and continuing professional development.     

FAMILY SYSTEMS THERAPY IN A PRIMARY CARE MEDICAL SETTING: THE ROCHESTER EXPERIENCE

Collaboration between family therapists and physicians has attracted increasing attention in the field of family therapy. Family therapists practicing in medical settings encounter many stimulating oppoutunities and challenges. This paper focuses on the experience of the authors providing family therapy in a primary care medical setting which is also a family medicine residency program. The authors discuss the role of physician and patient expectations in treatment as well as the influence of the medical context on the development of family therpists.     

Case‐Based Research in Family Therapy

Traditionally, case‐based research has not been considered as scientific by many in the field due to the lack of controlled conditions and objectivity. However, case‐study material may be more effective than once believed in educating family therapists. Future implications of the role of case studies in family therapy research are considered, including the manner in which case studies might be designed to be more rigorous so that they can serve as the basis for drawing causal inferences in clinical cases, and at the same time, provide family therapists with useful information to improve their skills. A discussion section highlights the future direction of case‐based research in the family therapy literature and how it may be used as an effective learning tool.     

Considering justice: an exploratory study of family therapy with adolescents

Feminist approaches to therapy with adolescents emphasize an empowering focus on the strengths of adolescents while simultaneously insisting that therapists become aware of their own biases toward today's adolescents. However, a review of the family therapy literature finds little mention of feminist approaches for addressing injustices (e.g., family scapegoating, negative societal views of adolescents, and gender oppression) that arise in family therapy with adolescents. Therefore, this study explores clinical approaches and resources suggested by a surveyed group of self-identified feminist family therapists. In addition, we also recommend several approaches and resources that will aid family therapists in creating a more just climate for family therapy with youth.