Describes use of battery of structured family measurement procedures to conduct systematic, comprehensive assessments of families who enter treatment. Describes the assessment as multimodal, examining the entire family unit, the marital subsystem, the individual family members, and the larger social context affecting a family. (Author/ABL)

Presents model for conceptualizing interactional patterns in families presenting for treatment of obesity and method for organizing assessment and for prioritizing treatment strategies. Uses the Family FIRO Model as a framework to organize complex assessment issues, to assign priorities for treatment of issues, and to select appropriate treatment…

Research investigating training in family therapy is scant. This paper describes existing models of training in marriage and family therapy, major issues pertinent to the evaluation of the effectiveness of such training, and suggests a methodology for such evaluation. (Author)

Focuses on the overall family treatment process. Sub-steps involved in the major stages of Assessment, Contracting, Treatment and Closure are operationally described, and objectives for each sub-step are indicated. The model offers a guide for the basic treatment approach and a foundation for the work of advanced therapists. (Author/RC)

Describes theoretically based structural family assessment procedure designed for use in evaluating therapy outcome. Explains how procedure involves evaluating family's interactional patterns on three tasks along six dimensions (structure, flexibility, resonance, developmental stage, identified patienthood, and conflict resolution). Presents…

Describes the McMaster Family Assessment Device (FAD), a newly developed questionnaire designed to evaluate families according to the McMaster Model of Family Functioning. Discusses the procedures used to develop the FAD and presents scale means and scale reliabilities from a sample of 503 individuals. (Author/JAC)

Discusses the importance of assessing the impact infertility has on couples/individuals and understanding the relevance of this impact in the context of psychological treatment. Infertility's negative impact can be minimized by therapeutic intervention. Three psychological-behavioral categories for couples are posited, with case studies. (Author)

Graphic family therapy based on changing family dysfunctioning through self-discovery is described. The stages of this design are discussed and specific graphic excercises for eight categories of family dysfunction are described. Two illustrative cases are presented. Conclusions regarding results, future research, training and other clinical…

Describes the initial evaluation phase of family therapy, which clarifies the circular interaction maintaining the symptom, the family structure, and its relationship to the therapist. Suggests using first sessions to collect data and organize it meaningfully. Presents phenomenological and mythical models of family functioning as guides for…

Delineates and examines the psychodynamics of the paranoid wife syndrome and its concomitant characteristic intrapsychic and interpersonal dynamic phenomena. Diagnostic indications and treatment modalities and strategies are noted. (Author)