bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Effects of Long‐Term Verbal Memory Deficits: A Case Study of an Adolescent and His Family
Authors: Todd John , Satz Paul
Published: June 2007

Only minimal attention has been focused on the impact that long‐term verbal memory deficits have on an adolescent and his family despite the fact that these deficits may disrupt the adolescents vocational, social, and emotional functioning as well as place significant emotional demands on other family members. This paper presents a case study of an adolescent and his family in an attempt to provide a detailed description of the multitude of problems created by the adolescents verbal memory deficits and to foster greater collaboration between neuropsychologists and family therapists in their efforts to help families resolve their problems.
Responsibility for Feelings: A Multilateral Approach to Causation
Authors: Crosby John F.
Published: June 2007

The multilateral approach to causation posits four possible causes which need to be considered in the assessment and treatment of discord between partners in a primary relationship. These causes include the precipitating event, the reaction of a person to the precipitating event, the interactional dynamics of the partners, and the goals and objectives of the relationship which are being frustrated. A multilateral approach permits a person to accept his or her own legitimate responsibility for behavior and feelings without a responsibility “underload” or “overload.” The use of multilateral causation is intended as a therapeutic safeguard against oversimplification.
Abstracts
Authors: Taggart Morris
Published: June 2007

Gerson, M. J. & Barsky, M. For the new family therapist: A glossary of terms. American Journal of Family Therapy.

Gunderson, J. G., Kerr, J. & Englund, D. W. The families of borderlines. Archives of General Psychiatry.

Mandelbaum, A. Family characteristics of patients with borderline and narcissistic disorders. Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic.

Liddle, H. H. On teaching a contextual or systemic therapy: Training content, goals and methods. American Journal of Family Therapy.

Pope, K. S., Schover, L. R. & Levenson, H. Sexual behavior between clinical supervisors and trainees: Implications for professional standards. Professional Psychology.

Robinson, B. & Thurnher, M. Taking care of aged parents: A family cycle transition. The Gerontologist.

Watzlawick, P. & Coyne, J. C. Depression following stroke: Brief, problem‐focused family treatment. Family Process.
Improving Functioning of the Remarried Family System
Authors: Sager Clifford J. , Walker Elizabeth , Brown Hollis Steer , Crohn Helen M. , Rodstein Evelyn
Published: June 2007

This report presents salient issues for therapists in understanding and treating the remarried (Rem, second, blended, reconstituted or step) family. The structure of the remarried family is differentiated from that of the intact family. Specific treatment goals for Rem families are elaborated and various treatment modalities advocated. The need to include former spouses and to consider the meta family system are discussed. Common reactions and difficulties engendered in therapists when working with Rem systems are explicated.
Assessing Intimacy: The Pair Inventory*
Authors: Schaefer Mark T. , Olson David H.
Published: June 2007

PAIR, acronym for Personal Assessment of Intimacy in Relationships, was developed as a tool for educators, researchers and therapists. PAIR provides systematic information on five types of intimacy: emotional, social, sexual, intellectual and recreational. Individuals, married or unmarried, describe their relationship in terms of how they currently perceive it (perceived) and how they would like it to be (expected). PAIR can be used with couples in marital therapy and enrichment groups.
Rational Suggestions for Pre‐Marital Counseling
Authors: Ball J. D. , Henning Lawrence H.
Published: June 2007

Pre‐marital counseling purports to help clients discover and challenge unrealistic expectations they may have for themselves and for one another. Rational‐Emotive Therapy (RET) is ideally suited to locating and correcting irrational thoughts that precipitate personal and interpersonal conflict. In order to demonstrate the utility of RET pre‐marital counseling, this article presents examples of specific irrational beliefs which clinicians can use to help couples develop and maintain intimacy with minimal conflict. Mental health practitioners are encouraged to apply these principles to other specific irrationalities they may discover in their own work experience.
A Comparative Outcome Study of Behavioral Marital Therapy and Communication Therapy*
Authors: O'Leary K. Daniel , Turkewitz Hillary
Published: June 2007

Distressed couples were assigned to Behavioral Marital Therapy, Communication Therapy, or a Wait‐List. Treated couples demonstrated more change than controls in marital problems and general communication patterns, but not in feelings toward spouse or communication during conflict resolution discussions. Wives in treatment reported more positive change in personal, nonmarital problems than control wives. There were no overall differences between treatment groups; treated couples reported increases in marital satisfaction and communication from pretreatment to the 4‐month follow‐up. There was an interaction between age and response to treatment: young couples changed more in Behavioral Marital Therapy, while older couples responded better to Communication Therapy. Results are discussed in terms of the need for developing client‐tailored treatment programs.
A Holistic Approach to the Treatment of the Crisis of Infertility
Authors: Bresnick Ellen R.
Published: June 2007

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the importance of assessing the impact of infertility on couples/individuals and understanding the relevance of the impact in the context of psychological treatment. The assumption is that infertility can have a significant negative impact which can at least be minimized by therapeutic intervention. Three psychological‐behavioral categories are posited as the result of several years work with infertile individuals/couples. Detailed case presentations of couples in each category are given so that the total impact of the crisis of infertility and the role of psychological intervention can best be understood.
Abstracts
Authors: Olson David H.
Published: June 2007

Ahrons, C. R. Divorce: A crisis of family transition and change. Family Relations,

Elmer, E. Child abuse and family stress. Journal of Social Issues.

McCubbin, H. I. Integrating coping behavior in family stress theory. Journal of Marriage and the Family,

Reiss, D. & Oliveri, M. E. Family paradigm and family coping: A proposal for linking the family's intrinsic adaptive capacities to its responses to stress. Family Relations,

Richman, J. The family therapy of attempted suicide. Family Process,

Stanton, M. D. Family treatment approaches to drug abuse problems: A review. Family Process,

Unger, D. G. and Powell, D. R. Supporting families under stress: The role of social networks. Family Relations,

Wiseman, J. P. The “home treatment”: The first steps in trying to cope with an alcoholic husband. Family Relations,
System Therapy: Epistemology, Paradigm and Pragmatics
Authors: Guntern Gottlieb
Published: June 2007

In this paper the author presents a model of therapy which he proposes to call ‘system therapy.’ Episteme, some basic concepts, stages of the therapeutic process and the training of system therapists are discussed. This paper is meant to be an introduction into system therapy and does not claim to attempt an exhaustive presentation of a complex subject.
Dysfunctional Transactions and Therapeutic Functions: An Evolutive Model
Authors: Fivaz Elizabeth , Fivaz Roland , Kaufmann Luc
Published: June 2007

The present study is a result of an interdisciplinary team's work, where a physicist, a family therapist and a developmental psychologist try to share their knowledge and epistemologies. In this kind of conflictual companionship, models of one discipline are tentatively applied to another. This doesn't imply that the different disciplines are isomorphic, but it provides for unusual frames of reference: questions, possibly essential ones, are reformulated in a new language, or in a perspective which was not accessible within the conceptual framework developed for one particular discipline. Our experience is that this kind of effort, in itself a provocative learning experience, is also conducive to original tentative answers in all disciplines involved. Be they of theoretical or experimental nature, it is then up to the specialists of these disciplines to validate the evolved propositions in terms of their own categories.
Personal Authority via Termination of the Intergenerational Hierarchical Boundary: A “New” Stage in the Family Life Cycle
Authors: Williamson Donald S.
Published: June 2007

This paper proposes a stage in the family life cycle, occurring in the fourth decade of life, the goal of which is to terminate the hierarchical boundary between the adult client and the older parents. This requires a radical renegotiation of the power structures in the relationships between the two generations, and in the interactional political patterns which ensue from these. The essence of the process is a redistribution of power in the direction of equality, with the intention of establishing a peer relationship between the first and second generations in the three generational family cycle. This experience is understood to be power politics at the source.
Cultural and Class Values In Family Process
Authors: Miller Justin
Published: June 2007

Based on the sociological research of Kohn (1977), several clinical and theoretical perspectives on the family are criticized for paying insufficient attention to class and cultural distinctions both in constructing normative images of the family and in conceptualizing therapeutic intervention. It is suggested that the “democratic” model of healthy family interaction is, to some degree, class‐ and culture‐specific so that sociologically undifferentiated views of the family are likely to prove ethnocentric. Family therapists are therefore urged to be attentive to sociodynamic as well as psychodynamic factors present within both family and therapeutic interactions.
Resistance in Marital Therapy*
Authors: Luther Grace , Loev Irv
Published: June 2007

This paper offers a conceptual approach as well as examples of resistance to marital therapy. It is aimed at beginning marital clinicians to provide an understanding of the natural existence of resistance to therapeutic change. A model which conceptualizes resistance based on two divergent emotions is presented. This model can aid the clinician in assessing each individual's willingness to improve throughout the process of therapy. The examples of marital resistance may aid clinicians to be more aware of the forms which resistance can take.
Tomorrow's Family Reforms: Marriage Course, Marriage Test, Incorporated Families, and Sex Selection Mandate*
Authors: Shostak Arthur B.
Published: June 2007

Ideas abound for specific new laws and programs to strengthen family life, as evident in the 34 detailed reform proposals hammered out and endorsed by 2000 delegates to the 1980 White House Conference on Families. Looking beyond even these 34 items, however, to valuable reform possibilities still too controversial for the likes of a White House Conference, four in particular stand out. This article discusses these possible reforms.
ORGANIZATION OF EXPERIENCE AMONG FAMILY MEMBERS IN THE IMMEDIATE PRESENT: A GESTALT/SYSTEMS INTEGRATION
Authors: Kaplan Marvin L. , Kaplan Netta R.
Published: June 2007

How processes of family functioning are conceptualized influences a therapist's understanding and use of immediate experiential phenomena in the therapy setting. This article outlines two basic formulations that generate different conceptual perspectives of immediate phenomena. One recognizes that the family system has a time‐enduring stability, while the second postulates that the family system has an immediate and temporary organization. The latter position is developed as an appropriate and useful application of systems thinking. Integrating systems thinking and Gestalt Therapy provides a framework for this application, one that recognizes individual experience as organized and as embedded in a mutual causal, self‐maintaining system of the whole. The nature of such wholes, how they maintain their stability, their potential for change, and implications for therapy are described.
EFFECTS OF A FAMILY‐ORIENTED TRAINING EXPERIENCE ON THE ROLE OF THE PHYSICAL THERAPIST
Authors: Shapiro Johanna , Green Janet
Published: June 2007

This article describes ways in which a family‐oriented psychologist contributed to a reconceptualization of the appropriate role for the physical therapist in patient care. The article identifies aspects of the changing role of the physical therapist, specifically its expansion to include skilled psychosocial interaction with patient and family for the purposes of reassurance, support and instruction. A primary shift involved changing from focus on the individual and his or her disability to focus on the patient in the context of his or her family. The article briefly describes elements of appropriate psychological training which can be incorporated successfully in a physical therapy educational experience, and concludes with a case example illustrating the basic points relevant to this type of interdisciplinary collaboration.
A MEN'S SUPPORT GROUP FOR SIGNIFICANT OTHERS OF RAPE VICTIMS
Authors: Rodkin Lawrence I. , Hunt E. Joan , Cowan Suzi Dunstan
Published: June 2007

This article discusses the trauma for rape as experienced by women rape victims and focuses on a men's support group for male‐significant‐others of women who have been raped. The project describes the various developmental phases through which the male‐significant‐others of rape victims must pass in order to achieve resolution and the impact of the male's response upon the relationship with the victim.
ATTRIBUTIONAL EFFECTS OF THERAPY WITH INCESTUOUS FAMILIES*
Authors: Sagatun Inger J.
Published: June 2007

This study examines the effects of a self‐help program, Parents United, on the members of families in which incest has occurred. Fifty‐six male incest offenders, including three grandfathers, and thirty‐five spouses were studied to assess the impact of the program on participants' attributions of responsibility for incest, changes in family relationships, and subsequent referral and recidivism. The program was successful in increasing participants' feelings of responsibility, and decreasing recidivism, but less successful in keeping the families together.
CUSTODY RESOLUTION COUNSELING: AN ALTERNATIVE INTERVENTION*
Authors: Cleveland Martha , Irvin Karen
Published: June 2007

As the number of divorces increases, so does the number of families litigating child custody. In Minneapolis, Minnesota, the Hennepin County Domestic Relations Division, a social services arm of the Family Court, has developed Custody Resolution Counseling (CRC) as an alternative to the traditional Custody Study intervention. The CRC process helps families toward making their own decision regarding custody as opposed to the court imposed decision which follows a Custody Study. The article describes the CRC process and presents a case illustration.
THREE APPROACHES TO FAMILY THERAPY: A STUDY OF CONVERGENCE AND DIVERGENCE*
Authors: Green Robert G. , Kolevzon Michael S.
Published: June 2007

The literature on professional development suggests that the process of segmentation or specialization within a profession logically accompanies the aggregation, dissemination and application of new and expanding bodies of knowledge. The present study empirically examines the extent and dimensions of this process of segmentation within the family therapy movement by comparing the belief and action systems of 1000 experienced family therapists oriented to one of three major models of family therapy. Two theses are suggested which may explain the findings depicting a unique patterning of similarities and differences among the three models; each implying different directives and implications for the continued growth of the interdisciplinary practice of family therapy.
THE FAMILY THERAPIST'S ROLE IN TREATING FAMILIES IN RURAL COMMUNITIES: A GENERAL SYSTEMS APPROACH
Authors: Bagarozzi Dennis A.
Published: June 2007

In this article the author demonstrates how concepts derived from General Systems Theory can be used to understand and treat families living in impoverished, isolated rural communities in the South. The very nature of the communities described in this paper requires the therapist to modify, sometimes radically, his/her approach to treatment and forces the clinical practitioner to think of intervention in terms of the larger rural community of which the identified patient families are only subcomponents. Working in such communities makes one realize that interventions frequently will have to be directed at the community system as a whole if community rules are to be modified and second‐order change is to be brought about. If the therapist treats only those families and groups which have been identified as deviant by the community, he/she runs the risk of becoming one whose main function is to preserve the community's homeostatic balance. Guidelines for gaining admittance into the community and for bringing about changes are discussed in a case example.
UTILIZATION AND INDIRECT SUGGESTION IN MULTIPLE‐FAMILY GROUP THERAPY WITH ALCOHOLICS
Authors: Lovern John D. , Zohn Joseph
Published: June 2007

The great versatility and utility of Ericksonian approaches to psychotherapy are demonstrated by the application of these techniques to large, multiple‐family group therapy of alcoholic families. Using such techniques as unconscious conditioning, therapeutic binds, indirect suggestion, and the utilization approach, a therapist can manage an unwieldy group of 70 or 80 resistant patients and lead them in a positive, therapeutic direction. This paper describes how a set of specific goals are achieved using these techniques.
THE FAMILY PSYCHE OVER THREE GENERATIONS: THE GENOGRAM REVISITED*
Authors: Wachtel Ellen F.
Published: June 2007

The genogram is a structured method of taking a three‐generational family history. This paper describes a variety of ways the clinician can use the genogram in addition to the standard uses described in the literature. It also demonstrates using the genogram as a quasi‐projective technique which reveals unarticulated fears, wishes and values of the individuals comprising the family unit. Practical suggestions as to technique in creating genograms are offered, as well as a discussion of when, with whom and under what circumstances genograms should be undertaken.
LATINO FAMILIES IN THERAPY: ENGAGEMENT AND EVALUATION*
Authors: Bernal Guillermo , Flores‐Ortiz Yvette
Published: June 2007

General guidelines are offered for the successful engagement of Latino families in family therapy. It is suggested that a therapist's involvement of Latinos in therapy requires both skills in family therapy and sensitivity to cultural issues. Factors found to be useful in the family assessment are presented. Furthermore, issues in the engagement and evaluation phases of family therapy with Latino families are discussed, and illustrative clinical material is presented.
THE USE OF HISTORY IN FAMILY THERAPY: A BRIEF REJOINDER TO SLUZKI*
Authors: Jordan John R.
Published: June 2007

The use of history by psychodynamically oriented family therapists is often misunderstood. In place of a traditional “lifting of repression” paradigm, contemporary psychodynamic family clinicians emphasize intervening in the transmission of emotional patterning over generations in families. This model has both diagnostic and therapeutic utility for family therapists. While differences exist between this model and “systems” approaches, it is argued that integration of the two is both possible and desirable.
THE INTERPERSONAL CONTEXT OF OBJECT RELATIONS: IMPLICATIONS FOR FAMILY THERAPY*
Authors: Mallouk Thomas
Published: June 2007

Psychodynamic theory and family systems theories have come to represent competing orientations in the understanding of human behavior. This paper extends the quest for an integration of these perspectives. This is done by mapping ideas from one orientation onto constructs from the other. Case examples illustrate the ideas and demonstrate how inner dynamics and interactional behavior dovetail to create systemic and personal crises. Clinical implications highlight the need (a) for psychodynamic therapists to recognize the contextual forces that activate personality structures and (b) for systems therapists to recognize the idiosyncratic meanings of interactional behaviors.
HOME‐BASED MARITAL THERAPY FOR MULTIPROBLEM FAMILIES*
Authors: Rabin Claire , Rosenbaum Hannah , Sens Moshe
Published: June 2007

This paper describes a project designed to reach low‐income, multiproblem families, utilizing couples therapy in the home. By targeting a population of young couples under the age of 30 and with children no older than 7 years, the project aimed at prevention of severe family dysfunctioning and child disturbances. The major characteristics noted in the literature on multiproblem families are reviewed here, as are the treatment goals and techniques with such families. Most programs working with multiproblem families have focused primarily on the parental functioning in family therapy, and little has been reported on work with the couple in multiproblem families. The project described here used home visits by a male‐female therapist team, including frequent individual and couple sessions. Therapeutic techniques based on modeling, role playing and demonstration were emphasized. In addition, tasks which increased the individual and couple functioning of the spouses were designed and successful completion was reinforced. An attempt was made to integrate the couple into the community and to create a network of support outside of the family, including friends and community services.
THE LONG‐TERM EFFECTS OF THE COUPLE COMMUNICATION PROGRAM
Authors: Joanning Harvey
Published: June 2007

The immediate and long‐term impact of the Couple Communication Program was assessed. Seventeen married couples were assigned to training groups. Change was assessed using self‐report measures of marital adjustment and communication quality along with behavioral ratings of couple verbal interaction. Couples increased significantly on all measures at immediate posttest. Marital adjustment returned to pretest levels by five month follow‐up. Couple perceived communication quality and rater judged communication quality maintained posttest levels. The findings suggest a need for more skills training in the program, an increase in length of the program, and consideration of program improvements designed to enhance generalization.
EVALUATING FAMILY THERAPY TRAINING: THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN INSTRUMENT*
Authors: Breunlin Douglas C. , Schwartz Richard C. , Krause Merton S. , Selby Lynn M.
Published: June 2007

The difficulties involved in evaluating family therapists or family therapy training are evidenced by the virtual absence of instruments to guide such evaluations. This paper describes the product‐in‐progress of the authors' struggle with these difficulties; an instrument consisting of a videotape of an enacted family therapy first session and a series of multiple‐choice questions regarding the respondents' observations, conceptualizations and recommendations about the tape. It is hoped that the instrument itself as well as the description of the process of its development will be of heuristic value to the family therapy field.
EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CONJOINT TREATMENT OF ALCOHOL‐COMPLICATED MARRIAGES: CLINICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL ISSUES*
Authors: Zweben Allen , Pearlman Shelly
Published: June 2007

This paper addresses a number of clinical and methodological issues that have arisen in conducting the Marital Systems Study, a research project evaluating the efficacy of systems‐oriented conjoint treatment with couples in which one spouse is abusing alcohol. These include: (1) standardizing and monitoring the intervention; (2) developing and maintaining an interactional perspective on the alcohol‐related difficulties; (3) selecting an appropriate control group; (4) offering conjoint treatment as the primary therapeutic intervention; and (5) developing comprehensive, valid and reliable assessment/follow‐up procedures. The manner in which the Marital Systems Study has attempted to resolve these important issues, rather than the outcomes emerging from the study, constitutes the focus of this paper.
ENGAGING THE NON‐ATTENDING SPOUSE IN MARITAL THERAPY THROUGH THE USE OF THERAPIST‐INITIATED WRITTEN COMMUNICATION
Authors: Wilcoxon Allen , Fenell David
Published: June 2007

There is currently rather widespread acceptance among clinicians that conjoint marital therapy is the preferred format for treating marital difficulties. However, more often than not, it seems that the marital referral or inquiry for therapy stems from the efforts of one spouse, with the other spouse remaining uninvolved or resistant. Consequently, engaging the non‐attending spouse in therapy is an important issue for professionals working with married couples.
TREATMENT ACCEPTABILITY OF ALTERNATIVE MARITAL THERAPIES: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
Authors: Bornstein Philip H. , Ballweg Bernard J. , Weisser Charles E. , Fox Steven G. , Kirby Kristie L. , Andre John C. , Sturm Cynthia A. , Wilson Gregory L. , McLellarn Robert W.
Published: June 2007

Client acceptability of treatment procedures has recently become a significant concern in the assessment of psychotherapeutic effectiveness (Kazdin, French & Sherick, 1981; Wolf, 1978). Formally, acceptability refers to the fairness, appropriateness and intrusiveness of the treatment procedure as judged by clients, lay persons and nonprofessionals (Kazdin, 1980a). Unfortunately, marital and family therapists have yet to utilize this criterion in an evaluation of their psychotherapeutic interventions. Consequently, the purpose of the present investigation was to examine the acceptability of four differing therapeutic models (psychoanalytic, behavioral, systems and eclectic) used in the treatment of marital discord.
IDENTIFYING SEPARATION THREATS IN FAMILY THERAPY
Authors: Argles Paul
Published: June 2007

Separation anxieties are a part of normal family life, whether they arise from the progress of children toward independence or from accidental crises, which threaten the integrity of the family (Argles & Mackenzie, 1970). Family conflict tends to heighten such anxieties, and moreover they are often deliberately or unconsciously exploited, for a variety of reasons. This exploitation usually takes the form of separation threats, either explicit or implied in certain types of family transactions. Children are especially vulnerable to such threats, and experience them more commonly than may be supposed (Newson & Newson, 1968).
FAMILY THERAPY RESEARCH AND THE “NEW EPISTEMOLOGY”*
Authors: Gurman Alan S.
Published: June 2007

Epistemological critiques of the theory and practice of family therapy recently have also been brought to bear on mainstream strategies and methods of research in family therapy. In this paper, it is argued that standard research methods are the only ethically responsible means presently available by which we can assess the efficacy of family therapy. It is also argued that standard research models have already provided data of practical relevance to clinicians, patients and public policy makers and should not be abandoned in haste. Finally, it is argued that there are insufficient grounds for divorce between the “new epistemology” and standard research, since commonplace research designs and methods are far more compatible with systemic thinking than some observers have suggested.
HOW TO STAKE A TERRITORY IN THE FIELD OF FAMILY THERAPY IN THREE EASY LESSONS
Authors: Sluzki Carlos E.
Published: June 2007

Three strategies to claim a piece of territory in the increasingly populated field of family therapy are spelled out and exemplified for easy use by readers.
NEURO‐LINGUISTIC PROGRAMMING™ AND FAMILY THERAPY*
Authors: Davis Susan L. R. , Davis Donald I.
Published: June 2007

A brief introduction to Neuro‐Linguistic Programming™ (NLP™) as taught by the developers of NLP, Richard handler, John Grinder and their associates, is presented. This is followed by case examples. The cases illustrate what the authors believe are some of the substantive gains which NLP techniques have provided in their own and others' work with couples and families. NLP's major contributions involve understanding new models of human experience. This paper, however, is focused principally on a consideration of useful technology. The intent is to share from over three years' experiences certain fundamental and consistent benefits derived from the addition of NLP to clinical practice.
EVALUATION OF A FAMILY THERAPY TRAINING PROGRAM
Authors: Byles John , Bishop Duane S. , Horn Dorothy
Published: June 2007

This paper describes the evaluation of a training program designed to impart family therapy skills to 24 social workers on the staff of a large metropolitan “family service” agency. While its impact somewhat surpassed initial expectations, the need for reliable instruments capable of measuring change in trainees' perceptual and executive skills, is noted. It begins with a brief description of the training program.
A FAMILY SYSTEMS APPROACH TO CRISIS REACTIONS IN COLLEGE STUDENTS
Authors: Held Barbara S. , Bellows David C.
Published: June 2007

This article presents a systemic orientation to the conceptualization and treatment of crisis reactions in college students. Crisis reactions are explained as an expression of and a “solution” to the dilemma of feeling the need to both achieve for, and remain overinvolved with, the family system. It is proposed that this dilemma occurs in the context of enmeshed systems in which unfulfilled aspirations from prior generations are transmitted to the student in crisis. Based on this conceptualization, a treatment approach that incorporates the use of strategic and structural interventions within a predominantly family of origin framework is provided.
ETHICAL, LEGAL AND PROFESSIONAL ISSUES IN FAMILY THERAPY: A GRADUATE LEVEL COURSE
Authors: Piercy Fred P. , Sprenkle Douglas H.
Published: June 2007

This paper reports on the curricular components of a course entitled “Ethical, Legal and Professional Issues in Family Therapy.” To aid in replication and assessment, selected teaching strategies are also presented.
STRUCTURED SEPARATION FOR MARITAL TREATMENT AND DECISION‐MAKING*
Authors: Granvold Donald K.
Published: June 2007

Structured marital separation is an intervention method designed to assist distressed marital couples during their critical period of decision‐making either to divorce or maintain the marriage. This paper presents a brief review of separation models and addresses separation counseling including: assessment, contracting, initial adjustment to separation, relationship enhancement and individual change. Particular attention is given to the terms of marital separation contracting and a complete sample contract is provided.
A COMPARISON OF THE RELATIONSHIP ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM AND THE MINNESOTA COUPLE COMMUNICATION PROGRAM*
Authors: Brock Gregory W. , Joanning Harvey
Published: June 2007

This study assessed the comparative effectiveness of the Relationship Enhancement Program (RE) and the Minnesota Couples Communication Program (CC). Couples in the treatment groups (RE‐26, CC‐20) received RE and CC training from certified leaders. Results at posttesting showed that RE was more effective in increasing marital communication (both behavioral and self‐report) and marital satisfaction than CC. A three‐month follow‐up showed that RE couples' outcome remained superior to CC couples'. Additional analyses revealed that couples' experiencing low marital satisfaction prior to training were best helped by the RE program.
ON THE VALUE OF INTEGRATING APPROACHES TO FAMILY THERAPY
Authors: Lebow Jay L.
Published: June 2007

This paper considers the strengths and weaknesses of an integrative approach to family therapy. An integrative approach can explain a broad range of human behavior, can shape intervention strategy in a manner appropriate to each case, can allow for treatment of a broad client population, can combine the strengths of each of the specific approaches, can promote objectivity in selection of strategies of change, and can permit easy expansion of the repertoire of techniques. The potential pitfalls basically revolve around the complexity of practice; in particular, the possibility of inconsistency of approach. With care, these pitfalls can be avoided. Integration is viewed as a viable alternative to school‐specific practice in family therapy.
A MODEL FOR COLLABORATIVE TEAM PROCESSING IN BRIEF SYSTEMIC FAMILY THERAPY*
Authors: Bernstein Robert M. , Brown Elliott M. , Ferrier Mary‐Jane
Published: June 2007

While there has been considerable growth in recent years in the use of collaborative teamwork in Systemic Family Therapy, there has been a dearth of literature concerning the process of team functioning. Based upon a careful analysis of actual teamwork, a model for conducting more efficient and effective team conferences has been developed. The ensuing discussion examines the risks in working in teams and proposes ways to counteract these. Further avenues of research are suggested.
AN APPROACH TO SUPERVISION OF SYMBOLIC‐EXPERIENTIAL PSYCHOTHERAPY
Authors: Connell Gary M.
Published: June 2007

A model of experiential psychotherapy supervision is outlined and applied to a case study. Four stages of experiential supervision are identified with issues relevant to each stage presented. Various techniques for working with issues pertaining to the supervisory process are discussed and exemplified by case illustration.
DYSFUNCTION AND FAILURE IN OPEN FAMILY SYSTEMS: II. CLINICAL ISSUES*
Authors: Constantine Larry L.
Published: June 2007

The “open family” model is widely used as a point of reference for healthy family functioning, but potential dysfunctional aspects of open families are not well understood. A unified theory is used to integrate diverse typological models of families to build a composite clinical picture of the disabled open family. The disabled open family is found to be chaotically enmeshed, caught in its commitment to collective problem solving. Its need for closure, tolerance for ambiguity, and expressive communication style can lead to intensely emotional sustained conflicts. Stress‐related symptoms and aggressive acting out may be manifest in individuals, especially children. Dispersal of members may ultimately be necessitated by the exhausting process. Family therapy with the open family requires special attention to its style as a family and its characteristic responses to interventions. The unified theory is shown to be useful in planning strategy and choosing techniques for treatment of open families. The treatment issues connected with the pseudo‐open family, a family with open values but severely limited resources in actual operation as an open system, are also highlighted.
STRATEGIC THERAPY WITH DEPRESSED MARRIED PERSONS: INITIAL AGENDA, THEMES AND INTERVENTIONS*
Authors: Coyne James C.
Published: June 2007

A strategic approach to depression is outlined. Reasons are given for initially working with each spouse separately. For the purpose of discussion, three interrelated aspects of depressive marital situations are distinguished: the unsatisfying marriage, the distress of the depressed person and the spouse's response. Interventions focus on dampening the marital conflict rather than solving the problems that are presented; reframing depression as an active, dignified practice; and blocking the spouse's tendency to become over‐involved in well‐meant but unhelpful efforts to assist the depressed person. A case example is provided.
PREVALENCE OF FAMILY THERAPY MODELS: A RESEARCH NOTE
Authors: Quinn William H. , Davidson Bernard
Published: June 2007

A survey was undertaken to assess the prevalence of family therapy models utilized by a sample of members in the American Association for Marital and Family Therapy. Frequencies and rankings of widely recognized therapeutic frameworks are reported. Brief discussion centers on the highest ranking choice, the notion of eclecticism, and cautious interpretation of the data.
THE PROCESS OF FAMILY THERAPY EDUCATION
Authors: Piercy Fred P. , Sprenkle Douglas H.
Published: June 2007

This article discusses basic theoretical assumptions underlying the process of family therapy education as the authors conceive it. The application of these assumptions is illustrated by the description of various teaching strategies that may be used in a wide range of graduate family therapy courses.
MODES OF EXPRESSION IN FAMILY THERAPY: A PROCESS STUDY OF ROLES AND GENDER*
Authors: Mas C. Haydee , Alexander James F. , Barton Cole
Published: June 2007

Twenty‐two two‐parent families with a referred adolescent were seen by 11 male and 11 female trainees in family therapy. Mothers, fathers, adolescents, and therapists were rated for verbal expression in affective, behavioral, and cognitive! attributional modes during the first session. Results clearly point to role and content difference in modes of expression. Of particular importance are differences by role which occured as a function of therapist gender. These differences suggest that therapist gender has an impact on family therapists' and family members' verbalizations in first sessions of family therapy.
UNDERSTANDING BATESON AND MATURANA: TOWARD A BIOLOGICAL FOUNDATION FOR THE SOCIAL SCIENCES*
Authors: Dell Paul F.
Published: June 2007

The attempts to clarify (purify) the conceptual foundations of family therapy by means of “epistemology” have bred excitement, boredom, irritation and confusion. In the belief that at least the confusion can be alleviated, the present paper is offered as a study guide and something of a Rosetta Stone for translating the work of Gregory Bateson and Humberto R. Maturana. The paper demonstrates that Maturana's work is highly compatible with that of Bateson. In addition, several major points of contrast are argued: (1) Maturana's concept of structure determinism is an explicit ontological claim which directly implies an epistemology, whereas Bateson delineated an epistemology, but never clearly developed a corresponding ontology; (2) structure determinism is a more general concept than Bateson's concept of “mind” (i.e., cybernetic epistemology); (3) structure determinism deletes the remnants of objectivity from Bateson's theory (i.e., “the difference that makes a difference”); and (4) Maturana's concept of instructive interaction is a more general, nonsystemic version of what Bateson meant when he used the term “epistemological error.” Finally, it is claimed that the emphasis on epistemology has distracted proponents and detractors alike from the essential message of Bateson and Maturana: social systems and all human endeavor must be understood in light of our existence as biological entities that are coupled to a medium. The biological ontology implicit in Bateson's writings and explicitly delineated in Maturana's may (at long last) provide a sound foundation for the social and behavioral sciences.
AN EXISTENTIAL PERSPECTIVE ON DIFFERENTIATION/FUSION: THEORETICAL ISSUES AND CLINICAL APPLICATIONS
Authors: Wright Sara E.
Published: June 2007

This paper calls for a recognition of existential issues in family therapy. It begins by noting the importance of “big questions” to families, reviews the roots of existential philosophy and existential therapy, offers an example of the usefulness of connecting existential thought to the family field by discussing differentiation/ fusion from an existential perspective, and offers guidelines for clinical application.
REFOCUSING FROM CHILD TO MARITAL PROBLEMS USING THE MARRIAGE CONTRACT GAME
Authors: Rabin Claire , Blechman Elaine A. , Kahn Dalia , Carel Cynthia A.
Published: June 2007

Couples experiencing marital distress often request treatment for child behavior problems. These families have been found to respond poorly to behavioral parent‐training programs and to reject offers of marital therapy. The Marriage Contract Game (MCG) structures and teaches problem‐solving and communication skills; the game can be used to improve the skills of distressed couples and to refocus their attention away from their children and toward their own marriages. A multiple‐baseline design was applied to four distressed couples who requested treatment for a target child. Results showed that game play improved couple's problem‐solving and positive feeling statements in home discussions of problems, parents' ratings of target children's problems, and, in three cases, couples' perceptions of the difficulty of resolving their problems. Therapists untrained in behavioral methods were able to use the game with success and comfort. While four sessions of the MCG were not sufficient treatment for this population, intervention improved couples' skills and shifted their focus away from child problems and toward their own.
THE FAMILY CRISIS INTERVENTION LITERATURE: WHAT IS MEANT BY “FAMILY”?*
Authors: Sugarman Stuart , Masheter Carol
Published: June 2007

Family crisis intervention is a rapidly growing area of clinical care in family therapy which lacks clear conceptualization, especially with respect to how “family” fits into crisis intervention theory. This paper integrates recent concepts from the family therapy literature into three views: family as background, family as context, and family as a unit. The family crisis intervention literature (56 publications) is reviewed and categorized according to these three views. Clarity in how “family” is viewed and consistency between theory and practice are examined. Recommendations for improving the conceptualization of “family” in family crisis intervention theory and practice are made.
SPOUSES' COGNITIVE STYLES AND MARITAL INTERACTION PATTERNS*
Authors: Tyndall Larry W. , Lichtenberg James W.
Published: June 2007

This study explored the relationship between spouses' cognitive styles and interaction patterns that were characteristic of their marriage. Three measures of cognitive style and one measure of relational interaction patterns were used. Participants were 60 married couples. Results indicated that spouses' reports of parallel, complementary and symmetrical interaction could each be predicted from spouses' intolerance of ambiguity. Husbands reported more parallel interaction when more similar to their wives in cognitive complexity, and more symmetrical interaction when more dissimilar. Findings suggested a dimension of flexibility‐rigidity exists for cognitive style and interaction style. Additionally, interaction patterns could be predicted from marriage length and the number of individuals at home. Implications of these findings for counseling are discussed.
THE CLIENT'S INTERVIEW OF THE THERAPIST
Authors: Kantor David , Kupferman Wendy
Published: June 2007

This paper presents a framework for thinking about interactions between client and therapist systems in terms of the participants' personal explanatory systems and models of reality. The therapist's contribution to forming structures throughout the therapy is examined. The elements of a covert interview of the therapist performed by the client system are described. A model is presented for training therapists to think systemically about client/therapist fit in the context of the client's interview. A case presentation illustrates the value of the interview.
EMPHASES OF THE MAJOR FAMILY THERAPY MODELS: A FAMILY FIRO ANALYSIS
Authors: Doherty William J. , Colangelo Nicholas , Green Anne M. , Hoffman Georgianna S.
Published: June 2007

This paper analyzes 13 models of family therapy according to their special emphases on the Family FIRO model's dimensions of inclusion, control and intimacy. We first examined chapters on each model in Gurman and Kniskern's Handbook of Family Therapy; we then sent our preliminary ratings to the authors of the chapters for comment. The final conceptual analysis of the models indicated that 4 family therapy models emphasize inclusion as a primary focus, 4 emphasize control, and 5 emphasize intimacy. We also rated the secondary and tertiary emphases of the models. This analysis provides a possible guide for therapists who wish to be eclectic or integrative in their work, specifically, by suggesting a way to match therapy techniques from different family therapy models to the presenting family issues that each model emphasizes most strongly.
A COMPARISON OF FAMILY ADAPTATIONS TO HAVING A CHILD WITH CYSTIC FIBROSIS
Authors: Johnson Mark C. , Muyskens Martha , Bryce Marguerite , Palmer Judith , Rodnan Joan
Published: June 2007

The effect of Cystic Fibrosis (CF) on the structure and social climate of the family was examined with self‐report scales and independent observations of family functioning. Families in which the child with CF was not the firstborn were found to be functioning more healthily than those in which the child was the firstborn. This was found on 7 of 10 family environment scales, a family hierarchy test, and on all three of the family system scales used by the independent observers (power, cohesion and closeness). Significant correlations between specific family variables and problem behaviors and social competencies were also found.
AFFECT IN MARITAL THERAPY
Authors: Greenberg Leslie S. , Johnson Susan M.
Published: June 2007

Affect has been conceptualized in various ways. These conceptualizations have influenced the manner in which emotion is dealt with in marital therapy. Using a network theory of emotion, the role of the evocation of emotion in emotionally focused marital therapy to create intimacy and facilitate conflict resolution is discussed. Accessing underlying primary emotional responses in partners makes available adaptive action tendencies which promote problem solving and helps change self‐ and relationship definitions. The role of emotion in creating change in cognitions, motivation and communication patterns in marital therapy is discussed.
POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION: AN INTERACTIONAL VIEW
Authors: Kraus Mary Ann , Redman E. Scott
Published: June 2007

This article posits postpartum depression as an evolving interpersonal system and provides treatment recommendations derived from an interactional/problem resolution viewpoint. Postpartum depression is conceptualized as a predictable developmental, family crisis, which occurs when the natural difficulties of childbirth are benignly mishandled. Seven tactics are illustrated for interdicting maladaptive interpersonal spirals: accepting and normalizing conflicting complaints; accessing significant others as customers for change; reframing depression as positive but costly; deriving adaptive behavior from maladaptive premises; regulating involvement of others in childrearing; restraining new mother from overly rapid resumption of roles; and predicting and prescribing relapse.