Family Therapy As Socially Transformative Practice

This thorough review of social justice in family therapy guides practitioners to incorporate concepts of equity and fairness in their work. Expanding on the relationships between larger social contexts and individuals’ family functioning, it offers practical strategies for talking with families about power disparities, injustice, and respect, and for empowering clients inside and outside the therapy room. Case studies and discussions with therapists illustrate how family challenges are commonly exacerbated outside the home, and the potential for this understanding to help clients work toward positive change while improving therapists’ professional development. The book’s accessible, solution-focused approach shows small therapeutic steps changing families, communities, and clinical practice for the better. Included in the coverage: Family therapy + social justice + daily practices = transforming therapy. Researcher as practitioner: practitioner as researcher. Learning to speak social justice talk in family therapy. Supporting the development of novice therapists. Everyday solution-focused recursion: when family therapy faculty, supervisors, researchers, students, and clients play well together. Family therapy stories: stretching customary family therapy practices. At once down-to-earth and inspiring, Family Therapy as Socially Transformative Practice is a must read for those interested in family therapy and family-centered practices and policies.

Personal and relational problems are situated in broader social issues to form a healing context."--BOOK JACKET.

A master class in family therapy--now updated with an additional ten years' case experience Few people have had as profound an impact on the theory and practice of family therapy as Salvador Minuchin. As one commentator put it, "Memories of his classic sessions have become the standard against which therapists judge their own best work." This new edition of the classic, Mastering Family Therapy, offers beginners and experienced practitioners alike the opportunity to learn the art and science of family therapy under this pioneering clinician and teacher. In elegant clinical interplays, Minuchin, his colleagues Wai-Yung Lee and George Simon, and eight advanced students provide answers to such critical questions as: * What does it take to master the art of family therapy? * How do I create an effective personal style? * How can I become an instrument for growth for troubled families? This updated Second Edition features: * An overview and critique of new models of treatment in the field, especially evidence-based models of family treatment * New case material highlighting the impact of societal context on families * Minuchin's conceptualization of a four-step process of family assessment, including how history can impact current family functioning A new and thoroughly revised version of the classic text, Mastering Family Therapy, Second Edition is essential reading for all those who practice, study, or teach family therapy.

Socioculturally Attuned Family Therapy, 2nd edition, is a fully updated and essential textbook that addresses the need for marriage and family therapists to engage in socially responsible practice by infusing diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout theory and clinical practice. Written accessibly by leaders in the field, this new edition explores why sociocultural attunement and equity matter, providing students and clinicians with integrative, equity-based family therapy guidelines and case illustrations that clinicians can apply to their practice. The authors integrate principles of societal context, power, and equity into the core concepts and practice of ten major family therapy models, such as structural family therapy, narrative family therapy, and Bowen family systems, with this new edition including a chapter on socio-emotional relationship therapy. Paying close attention to the "how to’s" of change processes, updates include the use of more diverse voices that describe the creative application of this framework, the use of reflexive questions that can be used in class, and further content on supervision. It shows how the authors have moved their thinking forward, such as in clinical thinking, change, and ethics infused in everyday practice from a third order perspective, and the limits and applicability of SCAFT as a transtheoretical, transnational approach. Fitting COAMFTE, CACREP, APA, and CSWE requirements for social justice and cultural diversity, this new edition is revised to include current cultural and societal changes, such as Black Lives Matter, other social movements, and environmental justice. It is an essential textbook for students of marriage, couple, and family therapy and important reading for family therapists, supervisors, counselors, and any practitioner wanting to apply a critical consciousness to their work.

This book is a comprehensive introduction to social constructionist ideas and their application within the psychological therapies. Whether you are a trainee or qualified therapist, this book will support you to think about therapy as a socially constructed and relational process, and to develop as a more culturally, socially and politically aware practitioner. It advocates for ‘therapist activists’ who understand the interplay between the micro and the macro in therapeutic contexts and debunks the idea of the ‘isolated client’ to examine how broader societal conditions create problems for the individual. Chapters are designed to engage, offering a variety of features to support learning, including: - Introductory and concluding chapter summaries - Textboxes summarising content & spotlighting key information - Case studies and vignettes throughout - Reflective questions & thought-provoking exercises - Recommended Further Reading. This book has wide applicability, with author affiliations across both North and South America - the University of New Hampshire in the US and the Federal University of Uberlandia in Brazil.

This book examines the implications of exploring spirituality through the lens of human relationships. It addresses systemic supervision and training and explores a systemic approach to the development of the self. The book provides an educational methodology that lays a foundation in describing an operational model of spirituality that is applicable for both theistic and nontheistic perspectives. In addition, it details how spirituality is itself a diversity as well as explores spirituality through a lens of diversity. In addition, a pilot research project on spirituality set in a MFT Live Supervision Group illustrates how to apply a systemic approach to spirituality. Finally, the book offers examples of practice using spirituality in various training settings. Key areas of coverage include: · How a systemic approach to spirituality enables the lens of relationship and diversity to enrich supervising and teaching family therapy emerging from the self of therapist concerns. · Theoretical perspectives that connect systemic practice with spirituality in an approach for family therapy. · How a systemic spiritual approach can be used in training marriage and family therapists. · Interventions that focus on how a relational systemic approach views transcendence and immanence from both clinical and spiritual perspectives. · Concepts that inform supervision and training with the goals of educating students to be spiritually literate and spiritually sensitive. · Barriers to implementing this approach with examples of how to address such obstacles. Spirituality in Systemic Family Therapy Supervision and Training is a must-have resource for researchers, professors, graduate students as well as clinicians, supervisors, and professionals in clinical psychology, family studies / family therapy, and public health as well as all interrelated disciplines.

This book examines systemic family therapy research, addressing key topics across the interrelated disciplines of psychotherapy, social work, and counseling. Drawing from contributions at the 2017 International Systemic Research Conference in Heidelberg, it includes both quantitative and qualitative research perspectives and outlines a wide array of approaches, using systems theory and constructivist epistemology. In addition, the book focuses on innovative paradigms, research strategies, and methods, seeking to bridge the gap between research and practice in the field of systemic family therapy. Finally, it provides guidance on submitting and maximizing the likelihood of research paper acceptance to leading family therapy journals. Topics featured in this book include: Effectiveness of research-informed systemic therapy. Mindfulness and compassion-based interventions in relational contexts. Use of SCORE (Systemic Clinical Outcome and Routine Evaluation) as an indicator of family functioning in Europe. Systemic approaches for working with couples with high conflict behaviors. Therapeutic-Factor-Oriented skill building in systemic counseling. Importance of client feedback in development of professional knowledge base. Systemic Research in Individual, Couple, and Family Therapy and Counseling is a must-have resource for researchers, professors, and graduate students in family therapy, clinical psychology, general practice/family medicine, and social work as well as all interrelated psychology and medical disciplines.

The SAGE Handbook of Social Constructionist Practice is the first major survey of innovations in professional practice emerging from a social constructionist orientation to social science. This key perspective has been unique in its stimulation of pioneering practices over a broad number of professions. This volume offers insights into the latest developments in theory, showcases the range and variations in practical outcomes, while pointing to emerging directions of development. The Handbook focuses on hands-on practices, while offering the theoretical tools for further enriching their application. The authors are leading figures in their fields, including organizational development, therapy, healthcare, education, research, and community building. The volume will be particularly useful for students, scholars, professional practitioners, and change makers from across the globe. PART ONE: Introduction PART TWO: Research Practices PART THREE: Practices in Therapeutic Professions PART FOUR: Practices in Organizational Development PART FIVE: Practices in Education PART SIX: Practices in Healthcare PART SEVEN: Community Practices