The experiential humanistic family systems approach of Virginia Satir lacks a theoretical structure and is thus vulnerable to losing its experiential nature and being reduced to a mere collection of creative techniques. A way to effectively keep Satir's transformative presence alive is to integrate her approach with a model that is solidly…

Presents a model for organizing presession and midsession therapy team conferences. Examines the risks in working in teams and proposes ways to counteract these risks, based on experiences at the Family Therapy Center at the Worcester Youth Guidance Center. (JAC)

This paper assesses the engagement of family therapy and family practice with families with children, who are living in poverty. It analyzes four promising models from two perspectives. The first perspective relates to critiques, which have been made of the practice of family therapy with families living in poverty; and the second relates to the…

Suggests that the Milan systemic approach probably reflects a significant advance in family therapy and possibly in psychotherapy in general. Provides a historical overview of the development of the approach, an articulation of some major assumptions and background theory, and a brief description of the overall pattern of practice. (Author/JAC)

Considers addictions and construct of codependence. Offers critical review and synthesis of codependency literature, along with an intergenerational family systems framework for conceptualizing the relationship of the dysfunctional family to the construct of codependence. Presents theoretical basis for systemic clinical work and research in this…

Discusses effective treatment of adolescents in long-term psychiatric hospitals or residential treatment centers and the need for a family treatment model that integrates a long-term psychodynamically oriented residential treatment approach with family systems theory. A four-stage model for working with families having a hospitalized adolescent…

Describes a systems framework for conceptualizing and delivering paradoxical interventions (where the counselor tells the family what to do with the expectation of noncompliance) during family therapy. Notes appropriate times for use of paradox, and potential problems with this intervention. (WAS)

Argues that family therapy is failing to attend to the contexts in which family mental health services are provided. Presents a model for describing the institutional contexts of family mental health treatment in North America, and explores how these contexts influence family treatment, using 3 levels: primary, secondary, and tertiary care.…

Q-sorts by experts were used to compare four structural/strategic/systemic therapy models. Results suggest that the models share a practical, strategic orientation to change, emphasizing reframing, but attach different importance to history, inference, abstraction, and contextual breadth. (Author)

This paper presents a model which integrates a wide range of possible interventions using family treatment, and provides a method of differential decision making with regard to the intervention to be used in a given case. This model uses an ecological perspective. (Author)

Argues that there are severe and insurmountable problems in attempting to maintain a systemic perspective in family therapy. Advocates decentering family therapy to a more peripheral space within social network perspective. (Author/NB)

Presents a brief model which integrates an individual, cognitive-behavioral approach with a strategic approach to therapy, at both pragmatic and theoretical levels. Justifies the selective use of behavioral frames in strategic therapy in this Strategic-Behavioral model, and offers guidelines for their selective application. Presents and discusses…

Discusses the advantages and disadvantages of the systems model and proposes an alternative approach, the paired bind model. The paired bind orientation retains the major advantage of the systems approach (its focus upon couple and family interactions) while eliminating its major disadvantage (its oppositional tone). (Author)

Presents an overview of the Integrative Problem-Centered Therapy (IPCT) Model, and describes its core principles and premises, and basic methodological steps. The IPCT provides a technique for applying individual and family therapy and behavioral, communicational, and psychodynamic orientations to client problems. Its goal is to create efficient…

Proposes a theoretical and practical hybrid model for family counseling based on integrating the rational-emotive and family systems approach. Notes that these combined approaches offer the counselor a systematic theoretical structure for conceptualizing family dysfunction, from which additional strategies for changing inappropriate belief systems…