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An interview with psychotherapist Jim Crawley is presented. Crawley describes the first milestone in his career in psychotherapy and counselling. He discusses the synthesis between the systemic and psychoanalytic approaches. Crawley also shares his views regarding spirituality and his practice considering that he was an Anglican minister.

In the family therapy literature there is increasing interest in the dialogical approach, particularly as it becomes well-grounded in psychotherapy research. One embodiment is 'open dialogues', which has developed over a 30-year period in Western Lapland, Finland. This paper outlines my experience of visiting Keropudas Hospital in Tornio, Finland, the birthplace of open dialogues. It explores the seven theoretical principles of open dialogues, associated elements of clinical practice, and the therapist use of self. The author utilises these aspects to reflect on dialogical moments through words and images based on three conceptual themes, which illustrate the relevance of open dialogues for family therapy practitioners and their contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on the first phase of a larger study aimed at investigating factors hindering family work and exploring ways to improve the amount and quality of family contact within a community aged mental health service in Melbourne, Australia. During the first phase of the project, 28 mental health professionals were interviewed about their views and experiences. Interviews were transcribed, coded, and analysed in terms of repeating themes. The range of attitudes, beliefs and feelings about family work is summarised in this paper. Polarities emerged around questions of whether or not to engage family members, and if so, what function family work fulfils. The interviews also provided useful information on clinicians' beliefs about what would increase the possibility of family work. The paper concludes with a discussion about how to recognize and value family work in this area and target sustainable interventions during the second phase of the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Adult Exploration of Attachment Interview (AEAI) is a therapeutic interview developed by the author to assist adults to understand themselves and their relationships with others, especially with a partner, co-parent and/or children. It is suitable for individuals and couples struggling to overcome repeated patterns of relating, helping to improve their intimate or parenting relationships through greater self and other understanding. The AEAI explores an adult's early relational learning, especially in regard to attachment needs, in order to allow change. The interview uses specific externalising language to help persons tolerate difficult memories, reduce guilt and shame and integrate their thoughts and feelings. It applies key implications of attachment theory and the approach is illustrated by examples from therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article two streams of thought within family therapy, one representing a traditional research focus and the other postmodern oriented practices are brought together. A qualitative study is described that used standardised measures to monitor therapeutic practice and provide feedback on process and outcome to therapists. The opportunities and pitfalls concerning this approach are discussed and illustrated. The use of measures as conversational tools increases and expands opportunities for collaboration between children, parents and their therapists. However, in organisations these measures risk becoming tools of competition instead of conversation, which is helped when managers take responsibility for implementing and supporting a culture of feedback. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Therapeutic Assessment with Children (TA-C) is a brief semi-structured intervention in which psychological assessment is used to help families with children and adolescents to change. In this paper we introduce the TA-C model, describe its semi-structured format and exemplify how it can be applied by family therapists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is underpinned by the premise that for recovery, healing and post-traumatic growth to occur after traumatic events such as technological and natural disasters, massacres and terrorist attacks, effective therapeutic services need to be offered at both the individual and community level. Frequently, responses to such traumatic instances have been conceptualised as discrete, polarised interventions offered by various groups of health and welfare professionals at various points post the traumatic event. Traditionally when therapeutic interventions are considered, many practitioners assume that the response would, and should, focus primarily and narrowly, on individuals or their families and the symptoms of post-traumatic stress. Conversely, the perceived role of community wide interventions has been unnecessarily limited to disaster relief or organised emergency responses most usually offered at the time of the crisis. The consequence of these limited understandings is an apparent failure to explore fully the therapeutic or mediating role of social or community support in surviving trauma. Interventions encompassing the level of community might be therapeutic in two fundamental ways. First, if practitioners embraced ideas from systemic family therapy literature, ideas that acknowledge the importance of social networks, this would encourage a more holistic vision of resilience and recovery. Second, if practitioners recognised that whole communities and social networks might also be traumatised, they could provide support and interventions oriented toward healing at this broader level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Working with survivors of trauma is mostly challenging, exhausting, long-term and often messy', when interventions that should' work, don't, or the unexpected arises. Nevertheless, explanations that speak to recovery from trauma more and more rely on neurobiological concepts to account for any positive change. Combining the family systems approach of Murray Bowen and recent research on the brain and trauma, post trauma symptoms are viewed as part of the 'family emotional process' even when traumatic events have emanated from outside the family system itself, Variations in responses to trauma, including dissociation and self-harm are discussed in relation to chronic anxiety and 'differentiation of self'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the major ways child sexual abuse can have an impact on individuals is in their later ability to have and maintain fulfilling couple relationships. Survivors may experience avoidance behaviours that become problematic in their adult intimate relationships. If couple therapists fail to focus on these traumatic imprints, the therapy may founder. This paper proposes that a multi-theoretical approach enables the couple therapist to deal with the complex problems such couples present including sexuality and intimacy concerns. Such an approach integrates trauma theory, attachment theory feminist principles, body-oriented psychotherapy, and systemic couple therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to show how a trauma lens can be incorporated into existing family therapy practices, changing how therapists perceive presenting problems and therefore the issues and sites of intervention. After reviewing the family therapy literature concerning trauma and defining different types of trauma, the paper discusses how traumatic memories differ from ordinary memories. Ten principles for practice are described to guide therapists in integrating the trauma lens into their family therapy practice. Three case studies are used to illustrate these principles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is located in the field of custody and day-to-day care, with a focus on experiences of mothering where mothers no longer have everyday care of their children. At the time of writing, tens of thousands of mothers live separately from their children in Aotearoa, New Zealand. However~ there is a general perception of rarity associated wi:h non-resident mothers, partly due to their reluctance to speak of loss of custody In this article, we develop a theoretical discussion around the inside/outside relationships between non-resident mothers and their children that informs therapeutic practice. We argue that mothers who live apart from their children are situated at the edge or periphery of their children's day-to-day lives and experience this as outside the lives of their children. Nevertheless, mothers' stories speak of qualities of (m)othering that have been born of and nurtured by longstanding and long-term commitment to their children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this plenary address is to advocate for the role that research can play in family therapy, with particular reference to our future as a field in Australia. I will argue: I) that we have been in transition as a field in the past 15 years or so, from a fairly closed system, to one that is more amenable to holding itself to account through research; 2) that we hold a number of misconceptions about research that need to be explored if we are to continue; 3) that we need to develop a research agenda that is consistent with our values and 4) that there are a host of research methodologies that are consistent with our epistemologies and modes of practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the relationship between levels of group cohesion, defined as whole group relationships, and between-session therapeutic homework adherence in a multi-family group therapy (MFGT) for people with schizophrenia. Participants from I 8 consenting families attending MFGT groups completed weekly homework adherence ratings, group cohesion and spontaneous between-session activity measures. Levels of group cohesion at each session were compared with measures of scheduled and spontaneous homework adherence reported at the next session. It was hypothesised that higher levels of group cohesion would be related to homework adherence and other spontaneous between-session therapeutic activity completed by group members. Results show higher levels of group cohesion were associated with higher rates of spontaneous between-session therapeutic activity. However~ contrary to expectations no significant relationship between cohesion and scheduled homework completion was found. The implications of the findings for group processes and homework adherence are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nine-year-old Ben was said to hate women. His mother was terrified he'd grow up a woman basher'. This paper describes the work done with Ben and his family at the Hobart Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service. We drew predominantly on three therapeutic modalities: Theraplay, Family Attachment Narrative Therapy and Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy. Our work enabled Ben's mother to navigate the aftermath of her own trauma history in order to heal Ben's attachment trauma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we describe an intervention that focuses on the needs of children in families where a parent has a mental illness and attends a community adult mental health setting. After a brief outline of the literature, we present a family approach that includes children and young people, their parents and grandparents. Case studies then illustrate the work as a best practice' for parents who are clients in community adult mental health services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, discussion about clinical practice has been dominated by a focus on evidence-based treatments, whilst the translation of evidence-based treatments into practice has been neglected or avoided. The single session therapy (SST) field reflects this general trend. As a result, the community has not benefited from available service improvements simply because they have not found their way into core practice or been translated across state-wide services. This article draws on a range of implementation projects managed by The Bouverie Centre, in particular a successful state-wide SST implementation project conducted in collaboration with Victorian community health counselling services, to raise implementation dilemmas and suggest practical ideas about the translation of SST ideas into mainstream clinical practice. It is hoped this discussion will be of interest to those wanting to translate any new idea into practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Setting up and implementing a single session family consultation in a specialist child and adolescent mental health setting, which fora long time has been an organisation and culture that has undertaken a traditional detailed child and family assessment and treatment, brings with it challenges. This paper will look at the history of single session consultation within the field of child and family services and, in particular, child and family services in mental health. It will also look at the development and implementation of a single session therapy program, and associated research on the effectiveness of the program, at the Alfred Child and Youth Mental Health Service. Clinical examples will assist in illustrating the program and its model and structures. Lastly, it will review the research data and compare this with other research data in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In November 2009, the Bouverie Centre, a centre for training, research, and clinical family therapy in Melbourne, Australia, embarked on a 12-month trial involving the implementation of single session work as our main model of service provision for all new family appointments. We were interested in evaluating clients' and therapists' experiences of this change in our clinical service delivery This article discusses some clinical dilemmas that arose for staff in this process, and how they were addressed. Clients' responses to single session work are outlined, followed by a discussion of outcomes of the implementation for our organisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes walk-in single session counselling, a form of service delivery that enables clients to receive one session of counselling without the usual hurdles of intake and wait times. We distinguish between walk-in counselling and single session therapy by appointment. We describe a mindset for therapists that supports walk-in work. We also describe the workings of a walk-in session using a transcript, with commentary, of an actual session. Benefits and possible applications of the walk-in counselling concept are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2001 Bloom produced a comprehensive review of single-session approaches to therapy (SST). In his paper he outlined the concept of single session therapy and considered the evidence that could be used to support implementation of single ses- sion approaches. At the time, Bloom's was probably the most comprehensive review of research on single session therapy available: he considered papers that provided overviews of approaches to developing and delivering single-session treatment, as well as papers that used controlled and uncontrolled methods to evaluate outcomes. What I will do in this paper is to informally review the literature on single session therapy that has been published since Bloom's 2001 paper The paper is not intended as a formal review or meta-analysis of research data, partly because the field still does not have such methodological rigour [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The three main findings of studies conducted by Hoyt, Rosenbaum, and myself during the years 1986- 1990 at the Kaiser Permanente Medical Group, were: I. Single session is the most common length of psychotherapy. 2. The first session in psychotherapy is potentially the most therapeutic and often has the greatest influence on the outcome of therapy. 3. Single session therapy (SST) is the most cost-effective mode of therapy. The fact that less is very often better in psychotherapy is by now one of the most validated and consistent findings in evidence-based psychotherapy research. We now think of it as a very common, very useful way of conducting therapy, employing many different approaches and methods to address a wide range of presenting problems. In retrospect, 25 years later. I believe that the essence of single session therapy is still about being present in each and every session as a whole. The goal has always been to make the most of every therapeutic session, whether seeing a client only once or over a long period of time. In a personal communication in 1978, Haley (in Talmon, 1990) predicted that a single interview could become the standard for estimating how long and how successful therapy should be.' This article explains why it didn't happen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Family therapy understands the benefits of therapeutically supported dialogue amongst family members when there are challenging themes and topics that need to be discussed. This paper is an attempt to explore ways that family therapists can work with family members who are thrust into therapy rather than voluntarily' signing up for it It applies ideas from the drug and alcohol field such as Stages of Change theory and Motivational lnterviewing. The paper explores how these ideas and approaches might help family therapists to formulate a concept of resistance and to make helpful dialogue more likely They are applied to families experiencing sibling sexual assault, where they become involved with a legal response that necessitates a therapeutic intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses how the concepts of hope and hopelessness can affect therapeutic interventions when working with people affected by cancer The concepts of hope and hopelessness are considered within the therapeutic relationship and the biomedical model. This explores whether there is a difference between hope and denial and considers how culture, religion, and spirituality influence an individual's interpretation of hope. For some people living with a cancer diagnosis, the word 'hope' can become a burden. They can feel a pressure to present as strong, positive, and hopeful in the face of extremely confronting situations. Therapists need to give patients time and space to explore their feelings of hopelessness without rushing them to a place of hope for which they are not ready. Case examples are provided and the author reflects upon her own family therapy practice working in an acute health care facility. This stresses the importance of critical reflection, supervision, and peer support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is an exploration of family therapy in France by an Australian social worker and family therapist. It also reports on the 2010 European Family Therapy Conference and includes an interview with Dr Mony Elkaïm that provides an overview of his work. All this is discussed in terms of its relevance for family therapists in Australia. It is followed by a brief response from Dr Elkaïm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When multidisciplinary teams review their work, it is common for clinicians to hypothesise about their clients from the perspective of their role or theoretical model. The outcome of this review process may depend on the team's views. Here the epistemological position taken by team members about reality and objectivity can lead to starkly different pathways. There can either be a dialogue about different hypotheses, with the team jointly constructing new meanings; or, conversely, there can be a monologic exchange based on competition between different hypotheses. This paper explores why teams may struggle with coordinating different theoretical approaches and models. It suggests the dialogic nature of a reflecting team process offers one approach for helping teams to find ways of 'putting their differences to work'. Ideas for implementing this process within multidisciplinary teams are illustrated with comments provided by teams who have begun to experiment with this approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When marriages and long-term relationships break down, parents may refer their children and adolescents to therapy for a variety of reasons. While the systemic therapist's preference may be to work with the family system/s, high conflict separation may prohibit such an approach. This article discusses family-focused child therapy that prioritises the needs of children while seeking to preserve a systemic approach. At a practice level this may involve: (a) individual child therapy, (b) engaging with smaller subsystems including siblings, (c) joint therapeutic work involving child/ren plus parent/s, and (d) any of these combinations; all while continuing to maintain a systemic understanding of the work. The article discusses the challenges of working with children from separated families, where there is restricted or no possibility of engaging with the broader family system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article I explore the use of Pearce and Pearce's' (1998) notion of 'curating stories' and 'transcendent story-telling' for teaching about models in family therapy. Taking a position of curator, the discussion invites students into inclusive and pluralist thinking about the many models in family therapy's collection. Two story-making frameworks of Stratigraphy and Australian Aboriginal 'Dreaming' are curated in a sequential way allowing a thick description and lived story of pluralism to emerge. Creative use of metaphors invites a context for transforming knowledge and abilities towards pluralism. I outline how family therapy can be taught using these metaphors as a way of freeing students to see its history as both interpretation and lived experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes counselling practice as social action, reporting on a case of children witnessing community violence and its aftermath. Highlighted is the role of friends who made a stand of solidarity against such violence. Outsider witness practices helped recruit and grow a community of care for the client and his friends. This community of care was significantly enhanced by the involvement of a lawyer/musician/activist who composed a song with the three friends to take a stance against guns and violence in their society. Caring solidarity, generosity and doing hope together formed small but significant alliances against entrenched practices of violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the aims of this research project was to develop a fuller understanding of the process of disclosure of child sexual abuse. Face-to-face in-depth interviews were conducted with 22 men and women aged 25 to 70 years old, who had an early sexual experience at the age of 15 or under with someone of 18 or over. Narrative inquiry methodology was used and data was analysed using Rosenthal and Fischer-Rosenthal's (2004) process of data analysis. Disclosure can be concep tualised as a complex and life-long process, and most participants did not make a selective disclosure until adulthood. The findings extend Alaggia's (2004) model of disclosure to include the life stage and the person to whom the disclosure is being made. The main barriers to disclosure and possible gender differences are discussed. Family therapists need to manage the challenges inherent in disclosure of child sexual abuse at any age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes Filial Therapy, a structured and straightforward approach to working with parents and young children in family therapy; it highlights the congruence between Filial Therapy and the values and principles of family therapy. The historical, theoretical and research foundations of Filial Therapy are described. The family science and child socialisation literatures are also briefly reviewed, linking key predictors of positive child outcome with the goals of Filial Therapy. Finally, we discuss the consistencies between Filial Therapy and experiential and structural models of family therapy. We conclude with a description of Filial Therapy followed by a case example to illustrate the process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the difficulties a mainstream family therapy service experienced in working with families from a refugee background. The experience of six therapists and five bicultural workers, who are also the referring agents, was captured in focus groups, and the reflections that emerged shaped a four-part approach for working with families from a refugee background. Live consultation, either by the family therapist or bicultural worker, is suggested as a way to marry the expertise of family therapists who are not cultural insiders' with the lived experience' and cultural expertise of bicultural support workers. The process of reflecting on therapeutic failure resulted in several principles for working therapeutically with families with a history of refugee trauma, unmet resettlement needs and family relationship challenges. These include maintaining a flexible approach to therapy, ascertaining a clear understanding of the referral context, defining an explicit therapeutic contract from the first session, being mindful of the important role that language plays and terminating therapy if it is contra-indicated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teaching family therapy to clinical psychology trainees is not common practice in Australian clinical psychology training programs. There is sparse discussion in the literature. Family therapy is an evidence based intervention that complements a diversity of established theories and psychotherapies and would complement the intervention skills of trainee clinical psychologists. The aim of this paper is to illustrate how family therapy training may be integrated into a postgraduate clinical psychology course. The literature on core family therapy knowledge, skills and training methods will form the backdrop to a review of specific family therapy training courses for clinical psychology trainees. This will then be mapped against a consideration of accreditation requirements of clinical psychology courses in Australia and suggestions made for integrating family therapy into their training curriculum. Anecdotal feedback from students provides an initial step toward evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is the second of two articles to map the landscape of practice theory in systemic family therapy. The first article gave a particular chronology of the development of family therapy practice theory, beginning with the frameworks that emerged in the 1960s- 1970s and then tracing the transitional decade of the 1980s. The convergences of three sets of influences • ecosystemic epistemology, the feminist challenge and postmodernist ideas • led to the changed landscape of post-1990 practice theory.This second article picks up at this point, mapping four contemporary influential approaches in Australian family therapy • the Milan-systemic, narrative and solution-focused frameworks, and the dialogical perspective. Social constructionist and narrative ideas together constitute the dominant common theory influence in the post- 1 990 practice frameworks, although intersected and used in different ways in the different frameworks. Throughout the history of the development of practice theory, context and relationship remain the enduring parameters of the systemic family therapy field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The treatment of challenging behaviour in intellectual disabilities has evolved dramatically since the 1950s, from a reliance on psychopharmacological restraint and operant conditioning to a multifaceted support plan that recognises the communicative intent of the client alongside their need for meaningful community participation. In recent years there has also been an increasing recognition of the critical role of family relationships in the maintenance and amelioration of challenging behaviour, as well as in attempts to integrate the fields of family therapy and applied behaviour analysis. The aim of this article is to describe a model of tertiary consultation that draws on the skills of systemic family therapy to assist clinicians who might be struggling with responding to challenging behaviour in settings characterised by complex and 'stuck' mediation problems. This model applies principles of reflective practice to assist such clinicians to develop a sophisticated understanding of the nature of interactions and relationships in the clients life, a critical prerequisite to the application of behavioural intervention. A detailed description of the model and a case study will be provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bioethics movement has long promulgated a model of 'principled decision-making' in which ethical dilemmas and conflicts between various rights, interests, and ethical principles are central. In many respects this movement has had a laudatory impact on health care and on health professionals, but we will also argue that the bioethical model of ethical analysis has important limitations. The model's theoretical orientation is discontinuous with the training and skills of health professionals, the manner in which health professionals conceptualise and solve problems that arise in a clinical setting and the time constraints inherent in most clinical situations. As such, the model is not readily applicable to much of the day-to-day work of clinicians and, in particular, to the routine ethical questions and situations that arise in caring for patients. What we suggest is that the bioethical model does not take into account that health care professionals, as part of their daily work, encounter and manage difficult, often conflictual situations and that they do so by bringing to bear conceptual frameworks and therapeutic techniques that have, embedded within them, the ethical values and goals of their own fields, as well as established ways of dealing with problems and addressing competing priorities. We further argue that from a systems perspective, the bioethical model and the pragmatic, problem-focused ethical decision-making of clinicians operate on different levels of complexity; whereas the former is especially appropriate for situations that resist consensus or that raise significant issues of public policy, the latter serves as an effective framework in less difficult or complex situations that can be moved effectively toward consensus and closure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How might we engage with the concept resilience in a world obsessed with the measurement and cataloguing of deficits and virtues alike; with predicting outcomes, producing certainty and the reification of stable identity? This article is based on a plenary address presented to the Australian Family Therapy Conference in 2009 and takes Deleuze's paraphrase ol the 17th century philoso- pher Spinoza as a point of departure from common sense views of identity Can resilience be possessed by some as a personal quality enhancing their coping skills or might resilience be a vital aspect of living which passes through us? Perhaps resilience bounces back towards us and enables the unsettling of dogmatic beliefs and a stable sense of identity. Enquiry might then shift from the moral: What kind of person am I? How should I live? towards an ethical position of wonder: What else might there be? What might I be capable of? This article invites an ethical exploration of desire, its capture and of resistance and explores the politics of identity: illustrated with men's journeys of struggle with violence, sexuality and belonging and the discovery of ethics and generous forms of love in the face of adversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article concerns the use of language in both therapy and supervision, and how it contributes to the necessary risk-taking that will be a part of therapists' and supervisors' repertoires. The focus will be on my own examples in both roles, and will refer to both successes and failures, while questioning the usefulness of either concept. Within a postmodern paradigm, and influenced by thinkers including Foucault and Bakhtin as well as systemic clinicians, I will examine the use of language (including in cross-cultural settings where risks can sometimes be amplified) and of humour and self while exploring the meanings of identity. I contend that all relationships contain some element of risk and the ways in which we create a safe enough context, through the uses of language as well as nonlinguistic means, are the crucial elements in our endeavours as supervisors and therapists. I favour the idea that therapy is more of an art than a science and that this is most exemplified in the graceful use of language by which we strive to engage rather than alienate people. The article may be considered by some as being useful advice, and by others as a risk too far, such is the controversial nature of language, which highlights the importance of relationships and context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses an approach to relational ethics in contemporary systemic practice. It explores the possibilities offered by traditions of moral philosophy in attending to problems from a relational ethics perspective. This includes a focus on relationships as a crucial element in the development and maintenance of a moral self and how couples and families construct an ethical platform together, both consciously and unconsciously; and also how relational ethics may inform ideas about the values-driven problems people present in therapy Finally it suggests how ethical responsibility and accountability can be constructed as relational responsiveness. Despite our associations with morality as judgmental and rule driven, moral conduct and decision-making can involve imaginative, creative and aesthetic possibilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article we explore the role of differentiation of self in facilitating forgiveness in the context of couple and family relationships. Differentiation is defined from the Bowen perspective as the ability to connect with others without being excessively emotionally reactive to the ebb and flow inherent in all significant relationships (being able to connect to others yet also being able to self-regulate). Forgiveness is described as the releasing of an emotional injury via a complex psychological and relational process that is less an act of will than a discovery or possibility through understanding and empathy. Differentiation of self is related to emotional intelligence and empathy The developmental and relational benefits of such are illustrated and discussed. A rationale for viewing differentiation and forgiveness in a contextual, historical, and relational attachment paradigm is suggested. Relevant clinical cases illustrate the dynamics of differentiation and forgiveness as discovery in the context of an understanding and empathic relational environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advances in brain research are increasingly having an impact on clinical interventions in all fields of psychotherapy. For adolescent family therapists it is important not only to understand the developing adolescent brain, but also how brain research can influence interventions aimed at interrupting problematic familial interactions. Interpersonal neurobiology and the ideas of Dr Daniel Siegel synthesise the interpersonal with the scientific, offering practical clinical methods of incorporating the research into everyday practice. This article incorporates a verbatim interview with Dr Siegel about the adolescent brain, interpersonal neurobiology and attachment with an outline of key concepts from interpersonal neurobiology including the hand model of the brain, nine functions of the prefrontal cortex, the triangle of wellbeing and eight domains of integration. Clinical applications are suggested using a common presenting problem of escalating conflict between teenagers and their parents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the process of family therapy with a Turkish-speaking single- parent family with four children in which suicidal behaviour and family violence have become the norm. The following example describes a pivotal experience early within my career as a family therapist. The universality of first, being a beginner family therapist, and second, receiving a referral of a daunting, difficult case has led me to share my experience here. Central to this article is the focus on therapeutic process as a means to navigate beyond impasse. It is my hope that those who read this article will consider taking the risk to prioritise the therapeutic relationship, even when anxiety about doing something' to fix the problems is high. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary aim of the three Milan principles of hypothesising, circularity and neutrality was to proffer an effective methodology for interviewing families, with a secondary aim of casting off the stereotypical personal therapist qualities such as intuition, charisma and concern. The progression of the principles from the original Milan model through to contemporary approaches is intriguing. The following article consists of two sections. First it tracks the progression of the three principles through the Milan, post-Milan and postmodern approaches to family therapy. Given their recursive nature, they are revealed as responsive to developments in theory and practice, as well as the influence of the wider societal context. The second section of the article explores hypothesising, circularity and neutrality in the contemporary approach of dialogical family therapy. The relevance of the three principles to the therapeutic process, the therapeutic role and the therapeutic relationship is considered. Such an exploration does not seek definitive answers or truths', but seeks to conceptualise a vague knowing' that there is continual learning and growth in grappling with the tensions in this field, in remaining ever curious, in asking the questions [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is the first of two articles to map the landscape of practice theory in systemic family therapy. In this first article, the representation of knowledge for practice is explored, and an argument is made that while frameworks remain important, the relationship to them is now more conditional and pragmatic. A particular chronology is offered of the development of family therapy practice theory frameworks, beginning with the frameworks that emerged in the 1960s to the 1970s. An analysis is given of the important transitions in the 1980s and three sets of influences in this decade - ecosystemic epistemology the feminist challenge and postmodernism - are identified. This reading emphasises hidden continuities in the transition, despite the seemingly discontinuous shifts in practice theory from the beginning of the 1980s to the beginning of the 1990s. Context and relationship are identified as the enduring parameters of systemic family therapy knowledge, though understandings of context and relationship have been recast in the contemporary (post-1990s) practice theory. The second article will explore the four contemporary influential approaches in Australian family therapy - the Milan- systemic, narrative and solution-focused frameworks, and the dialogical perspective - and point to intersections in practice ideas and integrative movements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single parent families sometimes represent specific challenges to family therapists. In this article a dialogical frame with important concepts such as voice and positioning is proposed to reflect on family therapy practice. This frame is used to reflect on a common invitation in family therapy with single-parent families: the invitation to take the place of the absent parent A case of family therapy with a single-parent family is presented in order to illustrate the importance of flexibility in the therapist's positioning and the way the therapist's experiencing can be used as an empathic bridge to create a dialogical space in which the important issues at stake can be addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among the Maori of New Zealand, Aboriginals of Australia, and other Indigenous peoples, family dynamics strongly influence the ways that issues emerge in counseling. This study explores aspects of gender and power within the context of birth practices in rural Nepal. In-depth interviews were conducted with I S postpartum women, as well as family members, to collect narratives of birthing experiences that highlight issues of oppression, marginalisation, and power struggles. Implications for multicultural and social justice awareness in family therapy are discussed, especially with regard to the subtle, disguised ways that power operates behind the scenes, often sabotaging efforts by health and mental health professionals to be most helpful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Family-based treatment has for at least two decades now come to be seen as the treatment of choice for adolescents with anorexia nervosa (AN).Yet, involving the parents in the treatment for adolescents with bulimia nervosa (BN) have remained largely unexplored. We have recently adapted manualised family-based treatment for adolescent AN (FBT-AN) to a large group of adolescents with BN (FBT-BN). This manuscript will highlight the key tenets of manualised FBT-BN, briefly describe the three treatment phases, and summarise the main differences of this model in its application for AN versus BN. Finally, reference will be made to the first randomised controlled trial of FBT-BN showing preliminary support for the parents' involvement in the treatment of adolescent BN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multisystemic therapy (MST) is a family- and community-based treatment of serious emotional and behavioural problems presented by adolescents. The development of this model began in the late 1970s, and today MST is a leading evidence-based treatment of serious antisocial behaviour in youths, with programs transported to more than 30 states in the United States and 12 nations, including Australia and New Zealand. This article reviews the theoretical rationale that underlies MST and presents the central clinical features of the intervention model. In addition, the training and quality assurance protocols used to promote MST program fidelity and treatment adherence are described. Finally, findings from approximately I 5 published randomised and two quasi-experimental clinical trials with youths presenting serious clinical problems (e.g., violence, substance abuse, serious emotional disturbance, sexual offending, and chronic illness) are summarised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MDFT is a family-based intervention for adolescent substance abuse and associated mental health and behavioural problems (Liddle, 20 10). Integrative in several ways, MDFT uses an ecological or contextual conceptual framework to understand the developmental tasks of teens and their families. Research-derived knowledge about risk and protective factors, and proximal causes, correlates and contributors to adolescent drug and related problems inform clinical thinking and interventions with every case. A multisystems approach, MDFT assesses and intervenes in four areas: (1) the adolescent as an individual and a member of a family and peer network; (2) the parent(s), both as individual adults and in his or her role as mother; father or caregiver; (3) the family environment and family relationships, as manifested in day-to-day family transactional patterns; and (4) extrafamilial sources of influence such as peers, school and juvenile justice. Interventions are made within and coordinated across domains. Progress in one area or with one person has implications for and use in others. Individual meetings with parent(s) and teen set the stage for family sessions, and family meetings may offer content and new outcomes that need to be brought to extrafamily meetings with juvenile justice or school personnel. MDFT was developed and tested as a treatment system rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. A treatment system offers different versions of a clinical model that vary according to factors such as clinical sample characteristics (older versus younger adolescents, juvenile justice involved versus no involvement in juvenile justice systems), and treatment parameters (type of clinical setting and treatment dose). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A growing evidence-base shows that family therapy works, but many gaps in our knowledge remain about the conditions under which family therapy is effective and how it works. In this paper, ten critical research questions about family therapy that need to be addressed are considered. In short these are: 1. Is family therapy as effective in community settings as it is in specialist clinics? 2. For what problems is family therapy cost-effective? 3. Does family therapy work for under-researched problems and populations? 4. Do social-constructionist and narrative approaches to family therapy work? 5. Can family therapy protocols be enhanced for non-responders? 6. Can family therapy be combined with other psychotherapies to effectively treat specific problems? 7. Can family therapy be combined with pharmacotherapy to effectively treat specific problems? 8. What specific factors contribute to the effectiveness of family therapy with particular problems? 9. What common factors contribute to the effectiveness of family therapy? 10. What therapist and client factors contribute to the effectiveness of family therapy? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The following article was written by Dr Michael Kerr in response to questions put to him by Barbara Fraser, Linda Mackay and Lu Pease when he visited Australia two years ago. These three family therapists took it upon themselves to prepare this interview in recognition of Dr Kerr's unique vantage point on Bowen Theory and family therapy. Michael Kerr was trained by Murray Bowen in the 1970s and subsequently went on to work as faculty at the Georgetown Family centre. He succeeded Bowen as director of the centre where he has devoted his professional life to the understanding, application and extension of theory. He is the co-author with Dr Bowen of Family Evaluation: An Approach Based on Bowen Theory (Kerr & Bowen, 1988), which remains the most esteemed text on this theory. He is also the editor of Family Systems: A Journal of Natural Systems Thinking in Psychiatry and The Sciences. Bowen's Family Systems Theory grew out of years of research from the 1950-1970s, which included observations of inpatient families with a schizophrenic member and using data from Bowen's own interactions with his family of origin (Bowen, I 978).The theory continues to be influential in family therapy, with its most well-known contributions being the process of triangling, the intergenerational transmission of family patterns and the concept of differentiation of self. (Brown, 1999).The following discussion from Dr Kerr brings a fresh perspective on the current applications and developments of this systems theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]