“My Family as Animals”: A Technique to Promote Inclusion of Children in the Family Therapy Process

This paper, directed to family therapists in training, presents a practical analysis of family therapy process in an attempt to establish a framework for understanding family therapy regardless of the individual therapist's personality, techniques or theoretical formulations. The therapist's role and family change are seen within the context of three distinct stages: the Confrontation Stage during which the therapist deals with the ‘here and now’ of family interaction; the Interpretation Stage in which current interaction is linked to past conflict; and the Separation Stage where the family works through termination of therapy. The resistances used by the family to prevent change and to maintain its pathologic equilibrium are categorized as Resistance to Therapy, Resistance to Interaction and Family Specific Resistances. The discussion deals with the increasing diversity of family therapy as families of widely different pathologies and social backgrounds are accepted in treatment, requiring continual adaptation of therapeutic techniques and goals as well as specialized methods (such as videotape and role-playing) for teaching inexperienced therapists to handle a complex range of practical problems.

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An Eclectic View of the Family Therapy Field

Contemporary Psychology ◽

10.1037/025797 ◽

1988 ◽

Vol 33 (6) ◽

pp. 527-528

Author(s):

Thorana S. Nelson

Keyword(s):

Family Therapy ◽

The Family ◽

Therapy Field

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The Family Therapy Of Substance Abuse: Implications For The Caribbean Church

10.2986/tren.051-0067 ◽

1991 ◽

Author(s):

Patrick H. O'connor

Keyword(s):

Substance Abuse ◽

Family Therapy ◽

The Family ◽

The Caribbean

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News and Announcements

PEDIATRICS ◽

10.1542/peds.57.3.436 ◽

1976 ◽

Vol 57 (3) ◽

pp. 436-438

Keyword(s):

Family Therapy ◽

Annual Conference ◽

Child Guidance Clinic ◽

Family Therapy Training ◽

Guidance Clinic ◽

Child Guidance ◽

The Family ◽

Center Boulevard ◽

Civic Center ◽

Hilton Hotel

WHO WORKS FOR CHILDREN: THE REALITIES: 11th Annual Conference sponsored by the Association for the Care of Children in Hospitals, Hilton Hotel, Denver, Colorado, March 24 to 27. Preregistration is required. For information write: Ms. Lynn Moulthrop, ACCH Colorado Affiliate, P.O. Box 613, Aurora, Colorado 80010 PSYCHOSOMATIC MEDICINE AND FAMILY THERAPY: Symposium sponsored by the Family Therapy Training Center, Philadelphia Child Guidance, Clinic, May 1 and 2. Fee $100. For information write: Ms. Helene Davis, Philadelphia Child Guidance Clinic, 34th St. & Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104.

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Prevention of Progression to Severe Obesity in a Group of Obese Schoolchildren Treated With Family Therapy

PEDIATRICS ◽

10.1542/peds.91.5.880 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 91 (5) ◽

pp. 880-884

Author(s):

Carl-Erik Flodmark ◽

Torsten Ohlsson ◽

Olof Rydén ◽

Tomas Sveger

Keyword(s):

Family Therapy ◽

Conventional Treatment ◽

Severe Obesity ◽

Therapy Group ◽

Control Group ◽

Obese Children ◽

Treatment Groups ◽

Conventional Treatment Group ◽

The Family

Study objective. To evaluate the effect of family therapy on childhood obesity. Design. Clinical trial. One year follow-up. Setting. Referral from school after screening. Participants. Of 1774 children (aged 10 to 11), screened for obesity, 44 obese children were divided into two treatment groups. In an untreated control group of 50 obese children, screened in the same manner, body mass index (BMI) values were recorded twice, at 10 to 11 and at 14 years of age. Intervention. Both treatment groups received comparable dietary counseling and medical checkups for a period of 14 to 18 months, while one of the groups also received family therapy. Results. At the 1-year follow-up, when the children were 14 years of age, intention-to-treat analyses were made of the weight and height data for 39 of 44 children in the two treatment groups and for 48 of the 50 control children. The increase of BMI in the family therapy group was less than in the conventional treatment group at the end of treatment, and less than in the control group (P = .04 and P = .02, respectively). Moreover, mean BMI was significantly lower in the family therapy group than in the control group (P < .05), and the family therapy group also had fewer children with BMI > 30 than the control group (P = .02). The reduction of triceps, subscapular, and suprailiac skinfold thicknesses, expressed as percentages of the initial values, was significantly greater in the family therapy group than in the conventional treatment group (P = .03, P = .005 and P = .002, respectively), and their physical fitness was significantly better (P < .05). Conclusions. Family therapy seems to be effective in preventing progression to severe obesity during adolescence if the treatment starts at 10 to 11 years of age.

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Considering Family Therapy Process and Relevant Theories

Review of European Studies ◽

10.5539/res.v9n1p182 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 182

Author(s):

Hamid Aran

Keyword(s):

Family Therapy ◽

Social System ◽

Family Members ◽

Power Structure ◽

Problem Solution ◽

Therapy Process ◽

Family Function ◽

Psychological Space ◽

Living Together ◽

Effective Performance

Family is more than a group of individuals living together in certain physical and psychological space. In other words, family is a natural and social system with specific features. It is a system postulating certain principles, roles, power structure, socializing relationships and communications, talking methods, and problem solution for effective performance of diverse duties.Most difficulties in life are traceable best way within family. Families are powerful forces in their entirety effective on members’ health or compatibility, whether in their advantage or disadvantage. Consequently, family therapy is interference concentrated on dealings among family members that attempts to enhance family function as a unit made of individual members of family.

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Multifamily Group Therapy: Impact on Family Functioning and Child Behavior

Families in Society The Journal of Contemporary Social Services ◽

10.1606/1044-3894.1796 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 79 (1) ◽

pp. 32-44 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

William Meezan ◽

Maura O'Keefe

Keyword(s):

Family Therapy ◽

Group Therapy ◽

Social Competence ◽

Family Functioning ◽

Parental Support ◽

Self Report ◽

Traditional Family ◽

End Of Treatment ◽

The Family ◽

Treatment Changes

The authors compare the effectiveness of multifamily group therapy (MFGT) with traditional family therapy with abusive and neglectful caregivers and their children. Positive changes in the family functioning of the MFGT group occurred in areas critical to the reduction of child abuse and neglect, whereas changes in the family functioning of those in traditional family therapy occurred only in the area of parental support. The MFGT group children became significantly more assertive and less submissive according to their self-report and, according to their caregivers, showed significantly fewer overall behavior problems and greater social competence at the end of treatment. Changes in the children in the comparison group were not self-reported and did not occur in the area of social competence. These positive findings argue that agencies should consider adopting this modality in the treatment of this population and that it should be included as a treatment option in family-centered child welfare services.

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