Alternative life styles: Relationship between new realities and practice

This paper discusses the relevance to clinical practice of current research on alternative family life styles. Attention is focused on therapists' countertransference reactions which interfere with the course of therapy. Source of information is an interdisciplinary research program at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine, on the development of 200 children in four family styles: single mothers; from triads to large communes; and, a comparative group of traditionally married nuclear families. These alternative life styles emerging from the counter-culture may be altering patterns of family dynamics and functioning. Awareness of such changes is essential to clinical practice.