Presents family professional with overview that highlights challenges and opportunities in the field by describing several troubling trends in family life (divorce, teenage pregnancy, domestic abuse/violence, poverty), growing diversity and complexity among families in the United States, and the importance of prevention. Emphasizes prevention,…

Describes the Circumplex Model of Marital and Family Systems and its diagnostic inventory, the Family Adaptation and Coping Evaluation Scales, as important tools for the family counselor. A brief case example demonstrates how the model can be used in counseling a multiproblem family. (NB)

This paper describes how a family diagnostic instrument has been utilized and what advantages it may have as a tool for family therapy. (Author)

Examined validity, reliability, and curvilinearity of Clinical Rating Scale and tested scale's ability to discriminate between clinical families and nonclinical families on family cohesion, adaptability, and communication. Data from two groups of problem families and two control groups supported curvilinear hypothesis that problem families are…

Marital and family therapy has gained credibility and emerged as a viable treatment approach for most mental health problems. The field is beginning to develop integrative conceptual models, utilize clinically relevant assessment techniques, conduct systematic outcome research, and develop preventative and enrichment programs. (Author)