Medical Family Therapy

The authors demonstrate how therapists can coordinate care with other health professionals dealing with medical problems ranging from infertility to terminal and chronic illness.

This thorough update of a classic text describes the impact of recent economic and structural changes in health care on the role of the medical family therapist, and how medical and mental health providers can learn to collaborate in various settings.

“High praise to Hodgson, Lamson, Mendenhall, and Crane and in creating a seminal work for systemic researchers, educators, supervisors, policy makers and financial experts in health care. The comprehensiveness and innovation explored by every author reflects an in depth understanding that reveals true pioneers of integrated health care. Medical Family Therapy: Advances in Application will lead the way for Medical Family Therapists in areas just now being acknowledged and explored.” - Tracy Todd, PhD, LMFT, Executive Director of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy Integrated, interdisciplinary health care is growing in stature and gaining in numbers. Systems and payers are facilitating it. Patients and providers are benefitting from it. Research is supporting it, and policymakers are demanding it. The emerging field of Medical Family Therapy (MedFT) is contributing greatly to these developments and Medical Family Therapy: Advanced Applications examines its implementation in depth. Leading experts describe MedFT as it is practiced today, the continuum of services provided, the necessary competencies for practitioners, and the biological, psychological, social, and spiritual aspects of health that the specialty works to integrate. Data-rich chapters model core concepts such as the practitioner as scientist, the importance of context in health care settings, collaboration with families and communities, and the centrality of the relational perspective in treatment. And the book's wide-spectrum coverage takes in research, training, financial, and policy issues, among them: Preparing MedFTs for the multiple worlds of health care Extending platforms on how to build relationships in integrated care Offering a primer in program evaluation for MedFTs Ensuring health equity in MedFT research Identifying where policy and practice collide with ethics and integrated care Recognizing the cost-effectiveness of family therapy in health care With its sophisticated insights into the current state – and the future – of healthcare reform, Medical Family Therapy: Advanced Applications is essential reading for researchers and practitioners in the fields of clinical psychology, counseling, family therapy, healthcare policy, psychiatric nursing, psychiatry, public health, and social work.

This landmark text describes research-informed practices and applications of Medical Family Therapy (MedFT) across a range of care environments and clinical populations (e.g., family medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, psychiatry, alcohol and drug treatment, community health centers, and military and veteran health systems). It is a timely release for a rapidly growing field. It includes the work of some of MedFT’s most innovative leaders, who expertly: illustrate MedFT in action across primary, secondary, tertiary, and other unique health contexts describe the make-up of healthcare teams tailored to each chapter’s distinct environment(s) highlight fundamental knowledge and critical skillsets across diverse healthcare contexts detail research-informed practices for MedFTs who treat patients, couples, families, and communities Clinical Methods in Medical Family Therapy is a comprehensive source for any behavioral health student, trainee, or professional looking to understand the necessary skills for MedFTs entering the healthcare workforce. It is also an essential read for trainers and instructors who are covering the fundamental MedFT knowledge and skills across diverse healthcare contexts. This text was written to be applicable for a wide variety of healthcare disciplines, including family therapy, counseling nursing, medicine, psychology and social work.

This text provides students of family therapy with a unique opportunity to understand and compare the inner workings of 14 traditional and non-traditional family therapy models. The book demonstrates, through innovative “guiding templates,” how the different therapeutic models are applied in an actual family therapy situation. The second edition features a new chapter on neuroscience, new interviews with master therapists on topics such as LGBT families, EMDR and research, and coverage of ethical issues concerning electronic safety and telephonic therapy. Overviews of every model include history, views of change, views of the family, and the role of the therapist. Chapters on every model also provide responses to one, realistic case study with commentary and analysis by master therapists to illustrate how each one addresses the same scenario. Interviews with master therapists illustrate how each mode of therapy actually “works” and how therapists “do it.” Print version of the book includes free, searchable, digital access to the entire contents! New to the Second Edition: Examines neuroscience and its role in family therapy New chapter on solution focused narrative therapy with families Includes enhanced coverage of self-care and mindfulness for the therapist Contains educator resources including instructor’s manual, PowerPoint slides, and a test bank Updated references provide current developments in the field of marriage and family therapy Provides insight on submitting research articles for publication through an interview with a current journal editor Reports on current, revised ethical guidelines from the AAMFT Key Features: Provides a guiding template for each family therapy model from assessment through termination Describes a practice-oriented approach to family therapy Uses a single case study throughout the book where different approaches to therapy are applied by master therapists Introduces the theory, history, theoretical assumptions, techniques, and components of each model Includes numerous interviews, case study commentary, and analyses by master therapists

No other available text offers such a hands-on approach to marriage and family therapy theory. At the core of Systemic Family Therapy are comprehensive sections devoted to each developmental phase of the family therapy movement. With clear descriptions and session-by-session case examples, the author explores specific approaches within each of these phases. With this pragmatic tenor, students will gain a clear and in-depth understanding of how family theory concepts relate to practice–as well as ways those concepts interact with each other. Key Features Uses specific examples and session-by-session case studies to illustrate how theoretical construct actually work in practice Outlines the shifts in thinking of the family therapy field–from modern to postmodern Uses rich graphic representations and straightforward tables to illustrate key theoretical concepts Incorporates compelling questions and learning exercises that will lead to dynamic class discussions Intended Audience A refreshing departure from traditional instruction of family therapy theory, this core textbook is an excellent resource for upper-level undergraduate and graduate students of family therapy, counseling, social work, and family studies.

This new Handbook of Family Therapy is the culmination of a decade of achievements within the field of family and couples therapy, emerging from and celebrating the dynamic evolution of marriage and family theory, practice, and research. The editors have unified the efforts of the profession's major players in bringing the most up-to-date and innovative information to the forefront of both educational and practice settings. They review the major theoretical approaches and break new ground by identifying and describing the current era of evidence-based models and contemporary areas of application. The Handbook of Family Therapy is a comprehensive, progressive, and skillful presentation of the science and practice of family and couples therapy, and a valuable resource for practitioners and students alike.

Family therapy is a rapidly expanding field. This book introduces a range of concepts, skills and applications from a systemic approach. The first part sets out the theory and examines relationship types, the family life cycle, interactional sequences and different models of change. The next section puts the theory into practice. It describes verbal and non-verbal techniques which are used to elicit information and initiate change. The last part considers some of the necessary conditions for the successful integration and application of this approach in social work practice, illustrated by detailed case examples. A series of graduated exercises is designed to encourage readers to explore the theory and practice of family therapy in their own agencies.