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This paper critically examines Louise Silverstein's and Carl Auerbach' s paper on Deconstructing the Essential Father. The paper provides research support for their position that children benefit from stable, consistent, loving, low-conflict parenting arrangements; irrespective of the gender of the parent. Silverstein and Auerbach, however, go beyond this conclusion to also recommend that children would benefit from being reconnected with their 'absent' fathers. The current paper challenges this particular conclusion to their critique and explores the apparently contradictory position that there is no essential need for fathers vet efforts should be made to proactively develop and support social and emotional connections between children and their fathers. The paper also examines other literature and research findings around the 'unique' contribution of social fathering in raising children, and concludes that there is no social, psychological, or developmental justification to legislate for father presence. There is no research-based credibility in promoting patriarchal, nuclear family formation as a preferred social and family structure to optimise children's emotional, social, physical, and economic outcomes. The political and social pretext that underlines 'hither absence fear' is just that; a pretext to retain the hegemony of patriarchal nuclear family life and restore fathers to their `rightful positions of power and control within families. In developing a conclusion to this critique, the paper draws on a briefcase-study from a lesbian-parented family research project conducted in Victoria, Australia, and illustrates implications for family therapists with a brief clinical vignette. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we talk about creating coherence and transparency in the relationships between teacher, model of adult learning and subject taught. We describe how we have made connections between adult learning theory and family therapy to generate resources for action in teaching on the qualifying level course at Northumbria University. Using a recent teaching session and the voices of trainees, we illustrate these connections with an example of teaching about relational reflexivity, using methods which enabled us to generate reflexive ‘flow’ in the learning context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of marketing is no longer confined to private business, but is becoming increasingly popular in the social services area. The application of marketing principles to the marriage and family therapy field is also promising. Yet many therapists are hesitant or resistant to a marketing approach because of the misconceptions that abound about marketing. This paper describes what marketing is and is not, and applies a marketing perspective to relevant issues within the marriage and family therapy field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Educational contexts can be both enriched and impoverished by our relationship with learning and our ‘identity stories’ as learners influence how we construct contexts for learning. Keenoy et al. (2007) describe identity as a ‘transient bridging concept’ between the individual and society which is constructed through ‘reflexive processes of naming, labelling, classifying and associating symbolic artefacts and social actors in a dialogical process of social definition and redefinition’. Can methods of assessment be constructed to afford reflexive, dialogical learning opportunities? This paper outlines the design and methodology of a reflexive framework for the summative assessment of abilities used on the Intermediate Level course at Northumbria University. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Family therapy models often do not reflect the realities and desires of many gay and lesbian couples. Therapists working with this population are left to decide whether to apply these models as they are, to discard them, or to attempt to modify them as they assist their clients. Using research findings and case examples that describe the intergenerational boundaries for gay and lesbian couples as well as the nonmonogamous relationships of gay men, this paper illustrates how therapists can adapt family therapy models to suit the needs and preferences of this client population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a brief introduction about repertory grid technique in the study of families, with the author's comment on the paper "A comparative study of repertory grid and clinical methods for assessing family structure," by A. Karastergiou-Katsika and J. P. Watson. A simplified description of the repertory grid approach is offered, and some of its applications and uses in family work is discussed. The author notes that the paper of Karastergiou-Katsika and Watson has presented an interesting and potentially useful application of grid techniques in the field of family work.

A literature review revealed few papers discussing the process of teaching family therapy. Described are some alternative teaching methods for a beginning level course. A film about a troubled family stimulated discussion and construction of a series of hypothetical therapy sessions. Course evaluations improved and students were encouraged about applying specific theories to practice. Innovative teaching provides protection against instructor burnout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a study comparing the efficacy of Milan family therapy with that of other treatments routinely used in an out-patient child psychiatry department. Some 118 subjects were allocated on a random, prospective basis to one of two treatment groups, the Milan family therapy group or the other treatments group. The methods of assessment included semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, visual analogue scales and standardized therapy schedules. The results showed that whilst subjects in both treatment groups achieved comparable symptomatic improvement at the end of treatment and at six-month follow-up, the Milan approach produced more changes for family members other than the referred child as well as requiring less treatment time than the other treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports a study of interaction in families with a child suffering from bronchial asthma. Eighteen families, subdivided into two groups according to the severity of the child's illness, were given the Consensus Rorschach following Willi's procedure. Quantitative assessments of family members on cognitive-affective functioning and social interaction were obtained. Factor analysis of quantitative scores revealed diversified interactional strategies among family member groups. Families as wholes varied as to patterns of cross-generational alliances and/or domination of different family members and could be clustered into four interactional pattern groups. There was no correlation between this grouping and the severity of the child's illness. Some measures of cognitive-affective functioning differentiated between family members of asthmatics from the two severity subgroups. The correspondence of these findings to prevailing family theories of psychosomatic illness is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper looks at some of the issues associated with attempting to provide training in family therapy on a low budget of time and money. It also considers some more general points to do with providing training..The more extensive programmes referred to which take place in the U.S.A. are not yet viable in the U.K. It is not suggested that they should be copied, since professional cultures differ, but some learning can usefully take place. The aims and methods of teaching on introductory and intermediate low budget short courses are described and compared, and some vignettes given in order to propose ways of making such training effective. Course outlines and trainee evaluation of such training are given in the appendices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the usage of observation and interviewing techniques adapted from ethnography and ethnomethodology in life-span human development courses. It also describes ethnographic-type assignments designed to assist students in family studies in integrating theories and information on human development through the life span. The exercises are assigned sequentially to complement the study of different concepts and developmental periods covered in life-span human development courses. As a central component of these assignments, students are required to identify their values and assumptions, and then step out of their own experience in an attempt to understand others. While engaged in this application of newly acquired knowledge, the students also hone observation and interviewing skills, which are vital to their future success as family professionals. The skills, which can be developed through these techniques, are appropriate in the areas of family therapy and family counseling.

The purpose of this study was to explore the experience of female faculty in family therapy and family studies graduate programs. Specifically, we were interested in how female faculty members in these programs experienced their roles as academics, partners, and/or parents. We conducted a discovery-oriented study qualitative study of 62 female academics in family studies and family therapy disciplines to identify the greatest concerns and benefits experienced by women in a family-studies-oriented academic field. Using a content analysis, we found that women in family studies/family therapy academic programs experience both high rewards and high demands and struggle with choosing among competing values. Additionally, the participants perceived support from colleagues, professional institutions, and family members as crucial to a female academic's ability to perform up to expectations. We also offer suggestions for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Systemically trained counselors have a distinctive set of skills that make them well suited to prepare teachers to work with students’ families. In this article, we discuss our experiences as family counselors in developing and teaching a required course in family–school collaboration to elementary teachers in training. We first describe the teacher dispositions that need to be developed to support such family–school relationships and the skills possessed by family systems counselors for promoting these dispositions. We then describe the course goals, instructional methods, and course activities, and report the impact of this course experience on our students and ourselves. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article offers news briefs related to family health in Australia. The Centre for Child and Family Development will offer a four-unit course and advance studies in child and family development in April 2008 in Melbourne. The 29th Australian Family Therapy Conference will be held on October 1-3, 2008 in Brisbane. Mark Galliker, Madeleine Grivel and Margot Klein joined the debate on co-dependency, comparing the wives of men with and without alcohol problems.

In this article, we report the results of a survey that accessed the perceptions of family studies and family therapy international master's and doctoral students across the United States. Our goals included giving collective voice to the experience of international students and gathering their suggestions for improving programs. Themes that emerged from responses to open- and closed-ended questions included feeling (mis)understood and (de)valued; forming personal connections and experiencing marginalization; the importance of including international perspectives in curricula; considering the relevance/transferability of knowledge; and attending to barriers to learning. Based on the results, we share suggestions for improving family studies and family therapy graduate programs relative to program planning, curricula revision, teaching strategies, and faculty development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dialogue in the polyphony of inner and outer voices in the present moment of family therapy is analysed. In Western Lapland a focus on social networks and dialogues in the meeting with families has proved to be effective in psychotic crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge of how one should manage suicidal, homicidal, child maltreatment, and domestic violence situations is paramount in the training of marriage and family therapists (MFTs). Simulated patient modules were created to help clinical faculty address these crisis situations in a protected learning environment. The modules were implemented by the MFT faculty in collaboration with the Office of Clinical Skills Assessment and Education at East Carolina University’s Brody School of Medicine. Qualitative data over the course of 2 years revealed six thematic domains regarding therapists’ performance, therapists’ emotions, the simulation experiences, and lessons learned. Educational, clinical, and research recommendations include tools to implement simulation exercises into marriage and family therapy programs as well as suggestions to assess for teaching effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines factitious illness by proxy, which is when children are put at risk of emotional and physical harm by parents who seek unnecessary medical care. For family therapists to treat this behavior, they must understand past experiences of danger and how parents reacted. Mental representations, which attempt to predict behavior, can be helpful to engage, assess, and treat parents who display factitious illness by proxy behavior. A case study is presented that utilizes these techniques in family therapy.

The aim of this article is to explore the benefits of using movies as a medium of instruction in the acquisition of introductory-level marriage and family counseling skills. The specific goals of this article are: to discuss skills training relevant to teaching family therapy at the graduate level; to highlight advantages and disadvantages of movie analysis for student and instructor, and to provide an illustration of a class assignment requiring students to analyze a "movie family" according to the tenets of family systems and trainings. The framework for this training consists of perceptual, conceptual, and executive level skill attainment. The analysis of movies involves the use of films that portray families experiencing the types of difficulties that might bring a "real life" family into counseling. As these films were obviously not designed with the intent of training marriage and family counselors, they do not reflect a neat and straightforward account of conflict or family dynamics as a "canned" case study or role play might offer. This serves to mimic the complexity inherent in actual families and motivates trainees to closely follow the story line in an attempt to identify systems concepts.

The utilization of the research process as an intervention has recently been described in the family therapy literature. However, it is important to draw a distinction between research as intervention and research as a unique family therapy intervention technique. From a family systems perspective, research as an intervention technique may make therapy more palatable for some families. A case study is presented in which this technique created the context for change for a family involved in a chronic illness research project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a longitudinal study of psychosocial factors in children with recent onset of rheumatic disease (N = 72), it was hypothesized that FACES III cohesion sum scores would be correlated with family closeness as measured by the Kvebaek Family Sculpture Technique (KFST). A second aim was to examine how these instruments were associated with semi structured interview assessments of child and family psychosocial function, and whether these associations were linear or curvilinear. FACES Ill cohesion sum stores and KFST family mean interpersonal distance were not correlated, whereas the cohesion sum scores were related to the mother-father distance on the KFST. Where associations with child and family psychosocial function were found, they were linear. The results support the usefulness of a distinction between cohesion as a family or group characteristic and dyadic closeness, especially between the parent figures. The need for further conceptual clarification and more thorough empirical validation procedures in this area is emphasized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Family therapy theory, practice, and research across many orientations are concerned with multiperson interactional phenomena such as intercepts, disconfirmations, and indirect communications. This study reports a successful criterion validity test of the rules for coding these triadic features in the Family Relational Communication Control Coding System (FRCCCS) (Friedlander & Heatherington, 1989). Thirty-five experienced family therapists observed two videotaped family therapy interactions and reported their perceptions of each of 25 communications. These perceptions—the criterion—significantly corresponded with the FRCCCS coding rules about the relational control aspects of triadic communications. Discussion focuses on the future use of the FRCCCS in research on family therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous sociological and psychological research has reported differences in patterns of interaction between ethnic groupings of families; much of this literature has been confounded by methodological shortcomings and social class differences between the ethnic groups. This study utilized observational ratings of family interactions using the Beavers Interactional Scales, comparing interactional qualities of 89 White, 79 Black, and 18 Mexican-American families. Importantly, no significant global Competence or Style differences were found between groups, but differences in theoretically important component qualities of Competence and Style generally supported previous literature and clinical reports. Implications for therapists dealing with families of different ethnic groups are also addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study compared the mail questionnaire responses of 132 training directors and 79 clinical members of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT). The findings about preferred criteria for accreditation, training requirements, and attitudes toward major professional issues suggested several key differences between training directors and clinical members, as well as important similarities. These divergent and convergent trends are described and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines whether adult male and female children of alcoholic and nonalcoholic parents differentially exhibit generational boundary distortions. Individual needs that remain unmet in one generation are experienced as accounts due, leading later in development to the subjective distortion of a relationship as if one's partner or even one's children were his parent. In these systems, parentification thus serves to help stabilize the family and to gratify the needs of fragile and undifferentiated adult figures. Only recently have researchers begun systematically to study parentification, spousification, and parental children. One line of investigation has explored the effects of these processes on the younger generation. In a study descriptive data were used from family therapy sessions with five families and naturalistic observations of a sixth family, in which at least one child was part of a pathological parentification process. It was found that these youngsters had an increased capacity to care for others and a strong sense of accountability within the family. Pathological effects, however, were also found, the most important of which involved impairment of individuation and autonomy.

This study examined the childhood perceptions of their parents of college students scoring deviantly on Scales of psychosis proneness measuring physical anhedonia and perceptual aberrations. The family measures administered included the Kvebaek Family Sculpture Technique and the Childhood Experience Scale. As compared with control subjects (n = 29), the anhedonic subjects (n = 21) reported less support and greater disinterest from their mothers during childhood, while the perceptual aberration subjects (n = 29) reported more criticism, less support, and greater distance from their mothers as well as more criticism from their fathers. Interactions with dependence-independence of the childhood behaviors and sex differences are described, along with implications and future directions for research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Family systems thinking is too abstract to be testable and too discontinuous to be related to the field of psychology as a science and as a profession. Its basic untestability might be necessary, but it remains insufficient to account for behavior in the family. After a detailed discussion of these and other shortcomings, a reductionistic proposal submits three major dimensions of family behavior. The major dependent one is development, which is a function of two process functions: the ability to love and the ability to negotiate power. Much published evidence tends to support the present proposal; however, it will be the purpose of future research to question whether two major process functions are necessary to describe behavior in the family or whether additional and/or different functions will be necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study assessed obese and normal-weight family members' perceptions of their nuclear family's social and environmental characteristics. Preliminary results support previous correlational and case studies that suggest obese families are dysfunctional. Results from the Family Environment Scale indicate that obese families perceive their family characteristics differently compared to normal-weight families or to a representative sample of families. Specifically, obese families perceive their homes as less cohesive, more conflictual, less interested in social and cultural activities, and less organized compared to normal-weight families. Obese parents also perceive themselves as more controlling and their families as less independent compared to nonobese parents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Functional Family Therapy with status delinquents has undergone careful scrutiny in well designed studies that included random assignment, realistic comparison treatment programs, formally trained therapists, and reasonable follow-up periods. The current report describes three replications in which FFT has been extended to new populations, has utilized less formally trained therapists, and has been applied in new treatment contexts. Taken together the replications provide important support for the generalizability of FFT across client and therapist populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was an attempt to evaluate two methods of training family therapists (n = 26). Specifically, this research evaluated the relative effectiveness of observation-feedback (OF) and skill-based (SB) training methods, as well as OF-SB and SB-OF sequences of training on the acquisition of structuring and relationship skills. The only significant finding was that the OF-SB sequence resulted in significant gains in the acquisition of relationship skills. Implications are discussed for the training of family therapists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experiential technique for teaching the Family Life Cycle is presented. Participants are asked to create simulated families and are assigned a series of structured exercises that focus the emotional, developmental, and systemic issues of each Family Cycle stage. Directions for each exercise, questions designed to develop observation skills, and discussion of specific workshop issues are also included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In their discursive study of circular questioning in a systemic family therapy session, the authors raise some interesting perspectives on the original Milan therapy team's guidelines for the therapist as the conductor of therapy. By emphasizing circularity from a discourse point of view, they suggest these guidelines can be used to help family members hypothesize about their own perspectives on themselves and the other family members in circular terms, and, drawing upon Cecchin's notion of neutrality, by creating a state of curiosity in their talk and maybe in their minds. Their emphasis on circularity also helps us to become more sensitive to ways in which the natural recursion in language can help us to appreciate the new guiding lines circular questions can suggest with previously spoken elements. If we follow this line of argument, then circular questions can be seen as a critical part of a therapy we can call recursive family therapy in which we use the recursive element of all natural living languages to help our clients to recursively change their language and lives naturally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on several important issues of family policy that affect women and their families around the world. It also offers an understanding of contemporary family structures and patterns, the changes taking place, and the implications of such changes for policy and practice. It reflects on the present condition of the international family policy of which feminist therapy should be aware of. It also discusses how Great Britain's social policy and feminist family therapy have been co-evolving, how family policy sustains limited and dominant gender roles and family construct, and how feminist-informed family therapy and family support are influencing change. The author also presents the two qualitative studies of women's experiences of family policy.