FAMILY THERAPISTS' RESPONSE TO AIDS: AN EXAMINATION OF ATTITUDES,KNOWLEDGE, AND CONTACT*

As the number of individuals and families impacted by AIDS continue to multiply, family therapists will increasingly be asked to become engaged in the challenge of caring for those affected. To date, little has been written in family therpy journals regarding the response of family therapists to this crisis. This paper represents an initial attempt to examine the atitudes of clinical members of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy toward AIDS and persons with AIDS. Included in the study are data regarding the therapists' contact with persons with AIDS, gays, and lesbians, and the impact of such contact on attitudes. Implications for future research, training, and treatment of those affected by AIDS are also provided.     

A Brief Note on Family Violence

This paper presents a preliminary report of the results of a project investigating discourse used in research, treatment and theory in the area of family violence. An overview of the understandings of family professionals in the field is set forth. In addition, the results of the analysis of family violence discourse and the direction of future research are discussed.>     

THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTIONS IN LIFE-THREATENING SITUATIONS*

Therapists who encounter life-threatening behavior in their clinical practice are at risk in providing interventions which do not take into account the systemic effects of their interventions. Specifically, therapists are likely to engage in “more of the same” behavior with clients who present with suicidal or homicidal threats. This paper presents two case studies that employed therapeutic methods derived from the systemic therapy of the Palo Alto group. In these case studies, the author illustrates the importance of the therapist's ability to speak the client's language in formulating an intervention that has the potential for reducing the likelihood of actual violence. The first case illustrates the use of the client's world view about her situation to assist her in dealing with domestic violence. The second case presented describes the use of systemic interventions in the case of a young woman known to have made homicidal threats. The author discusses the appropriateness, as well as the ethical issues, of the techniques described. Also offered, is a discussion clarifying the theoretical underpinnings of the clinical work presented and an amplification of some of the ideas originally presented by the Palo Alto group.     

Approaches to conflict modeling: A study of a possible USA-USSR nuclear confrontation

A possible nuclear confrontation between the USA and USSR is analyzed using five different models from game theory in order to compare the various approaches that can be taken in the analysis of conflicts. Of particular importance is an improved metagame analysis model that provides a comprehensive procedure for analyzing not only the nuclear conflict but also any other type of real world conflict that can arise in practice. When the improved metagame analysis model is linked with a new state transition model, the dynamics of the game can be thoroughly studied.