Introduces fundamental concepts of problem-determined linguistic systems approach to counseling and demonstrates utility of these concepts for students, trainers, supervisors, and practitioners. Contends that problem-determined linguistic system provides alternative approach to developing meaning that has implications for how mental health…

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…

Physical and social loss which accompany aging are often believed to promote dependency upon family, social services, and health care providers. Clinicians frequently complain about dependent clients and patients who leave the clinician feeling worn out, or worse, burned out. Very few publications have defined or addressed this problem identified…

Develops a detailed profile of dysfunction and disablement in the open family system: its intrinsic defects, response to crisis, and likely process of breakdown when overstressed. Suggests that somatic symptoms of stress in children may grow out of accelerated independence combined with parental overinvolvement. (JAC)

This paper sets forth a community family life education model within the structure-functional framework. Attention is first focused on societal and family needs, followed by the model, its goals, organization, and implementation. Finally, several recommendations and a challenge are given to family educators. (Author)

This paper focuses on the systems approach in family therapy and attempts to further the development of this approach by defining its assumptions and delineating the relationship between the assumptions and their operationalization in assessment and therapy. The first section identifies two basic assumptions of a systemic approach, i.e., that the…

This paper describes the application of a systems approach model to assessing families with a labeled noncompliant child. The first section describes and comments on the applied methodology for the model. The second section describes the classification of 61 families containing a child labeled by the family as noncompliant. An analysis of data…

The Total Performance System (TPS) concept, a conceptual tool to aid management of a wide variety of complex systems such as classrooms, courses, schools, and businesses is presented as a unit of analysis for systems approaches to educational and management problems. A description of the TPS concept defines the classroom as a processing system…

School psychology is a very complex field further complicated by current socio-political contexts which mandate the development of a psychology of school psychology, requiring two things as first steps. The first step is a model which outlines the conceptual map of the area, gives direction to investigations in the area, and checks on the…

Systems thinking involves seeing relationships between the parts to the whole within the school improvement effort. After providing the key principles and examples of systems thinking, the article emphasizes the importance of staff development, highlighting experiences at a Wellesley (Massachusetts) middle school and an Alaskan high school. (SM)

Periods of executive change provide an ideal time for the development of planning efforts for public school systems and for self-examination of the system's strengths, weaknesses, and long-range needs. In the anonymous school system under study, the new superintendent's application of general systems theory to school district management entailed a…