The use of family myths as an aid to strategic therapy

The concept of family myth can be used by the therapist to help organize the wealth of information provided by a family in therapy. Rituals, symbols and metaphors can be viewed as structurally related components within the family myth system which enable the therapist to interpret non-literal, analogic communications as a coherent yet primarily symbolic, narrative about the family's shared perceptions of its functioning. The concept of myth is explored in relation to mythology, the family therapy literature, and a case study. Several strategic intervention strategies are proposed which utilize the family's own metaphors, symbols and rituals to re-edit the family myth. Re-editing the myth on a symbolic level should be associated with improved system functioning, including more concrete areas of the family's life.     

Our'other history': poetry as a meta-metaphor for narrative therapy

This paper explores certain distinctions betwen narrative and poetry as metaphors for the consciously authored life. It is suggested that such phenomena as 'self,', 'authorship', 'knowledge' and'time' are experienced differently within the narrative discourse and the discourse associated with poetry. Five aspects of'poetic' knowledge are explored: form (or containment); aesthetic knowing; non-identity with self (participatory creation), nothingness (and not knowing); and radiance. Two examples from couple therapy are then given to illustrate these aspects and the interface between this way of knowing and the lived life.     

Attachment narrative therapy: integrating ideas from narrative and attachment theory in systemic family therapy with eating disorders

This paper proposes that recent developments in attachment theory, especially the move to the study of representations, offers some helpful new directions for systemic family therapy. Some of the findings of a close association between early attachment experiences and the coherence of the narratives are reviewed. It is suggested that this offers a useful link for systemic approaches in showing how early interactions in families promote not only particular emotional attachment patterns, but also shape the content and style of the narratives that are formed. These implications are then explored in the context of work with anorexia nervosa. It is suggested that commonly observed patterns, such as avoidance of conflict and apparent difficulties in discussing relationships and feelings, is consistent with transgenerational experiences of insecure/avoidant attachments. Some implications for systemic therapy with families are outlined and an illustrative case study is offered.     

Childhood asthma: family therapy as an adjunct to routine management

A controlled trial of the effectiveness of family therapy for asthmatic children has been completed, and the results indicate that family therapy may have a part to play in the management of asthma. Our observations have shown that an interaction of psychosocial factors can have a significant effect on the course of the asthma by setting up a circular system which may ultimately lead to clinically intractable asthma, as well as intense emotional distress. Treatment is based on an understanding of the interactional model with the aim of interrupting the progressive sequence of events. A family approach is indicated when (1) emotional factors seem to be playing a significant part; (2) the asthmatic child is manifesting behaviour problems; (3) there is evidence of family psychopathology or (4) the asthma is not being reasonably well controlled with conventional methods of management.     

Medical family therapy: an emerging arena for family therapy

This paper describes an important recent development in American family therapy. Medical family therapy uses a biopsychosocial systems model to work with families who have a member with a chronic illness or disability. The authors maintain that family therapy has tended to embrace the mind–body split and to view itself too narrowly as a mental health specialty. Medical family therapists work collaboratively with physicians and other health professionals to help families achieve a sense of agency and communion in facing some of the greatest challenges that life brings.     

Family therapy without the family: a framework for systemic practice

This paper contrasts the basic tenets of systemic thinking with some guiding principles of the psychodynamic approach, and outlines specific techniques which family therapists can use when seeing individuals. It is argued that a useful systemic framework can be maintained if the therapist aims to keep the therapy system 'open' for relevant others to join at any time.     

The use of early recollections as a narrative aid in psychotherapy

A narrative framework is put forward for using early recollections as a narrative aid in psychotherapy. According to this framework, early recollections are beginning episodes in the current version of an autobiography or self-narrative which is continuously updated to make sense of current concerns. Inclusion of these episodes in psychotherapy can provide therapists who share an interest in narrative and their clients with a quick way to recognize central themes that are restricting clients’ lives and detect openings to revise them. Revisions regard the form and content of early recollections. Three case examples propose ways of incorporating early recollections in empathic dialogs, including the process of detecting restricting themes and encouraging persons to tell stories in more compassionate voices. Group therapy is proposed as one of the contexts where early recollections can be discussed, but readers are encouraged to extend these ideas to work with individuals and families.     

Orthodoxy in family therapy practice as servant or tyrant

This paper considers some of the pitfalls of a single-model approach to family therapy. It does not argue a 'right' way of practising family therapy, but proposes that the therapist needs to have available a range of approaches on which to draw. This also raises certain problems for training in family therapy, which are highlighted. A case is discussed in the light of a number of perspectives, to demonstrate how approaches can be used in complementary fashion. Finally, reference is made to some of the agency constraints which also make it difficult to practise any one model in a 'pure' form.     

Narrating career, positioning identity: Career identity as a narrative practice

In contrast to traditional definitions of career identity as an individual construct, this article argues for a discursive approach to career identity as a narrative practice. Career identity is conceptualized as a practice of articulating, performing and negotiating identity positions in narrating career experiences. By using the concept of positioning, this approach situates identities within particular historic, cultural and interactional contexts via the discourses and master narratives that position identity. It also leaves space for individual agency and change via the reflexive capacity of the person to modify and negotiate the competing positions available. The methodological implications are considered, and illustrated with an empirical case analysis. The contribution of the proposed approach is in offering contextualized understandings of actual practices, resources and constraints of identity construction while also allowing for in-depth analyses of the particularities of identity work and possibilities for change in careers.     

Expanding retrieval practice: an effective aid to preschool children's learning

The benefits of expanding retrieval practice for preschool children were explored in two experiments. In Experiment 1, three groups learned names for six plush toy pigs using expanding retrieval practice, a reward incentive, or a control condition. Reward did not significantly improve learning but retrieval practice doubled recall. In Experiment 2, three groups learned names to soft toys, comparing recall following massed elaborative study with either expanding retrieval practice or expanding re-presentation. Recall was tested after 1 minute, 1 day, and 2 days. A very large effect size (d = 1.9) indicated the very considerable benefit from expanding retrieval practice over the elaboration condition. Comparison with the re-presentation condition suggested that half of the benefit of expanding retrieval practice came from spaced scheduling and half from retrieval practice. Expanding retrieval practice provides an effective method to improve learning by young children.     

Rhetorical theory and family therapy practice

The study found that a connection exists between rhetoric and therapy because both fields are interested in using language as a tool for generating change. Persuasion is viewed as inherent in human communication, even though people do not necessarily intentionally attempt to persuade others. Following a brief (but detailed) explanation of the theoretical stance which informs the implementation of rhetorical techniques in therapy, three pragmatic exemplars are offered to demonstrate the employment of two classical rhetorical concepts, the parastasis catalogue and syncrisis.The authors are grateful to Sandra Kodner, MS for her participation in the development of this project.     

Drawing a family map: an experiential tool for engaging children in family therapy

Inclusion of children in the treatment process is a central aspect of the discipline of family therapy. Young children's verbal skill and level of abstraction may not be suited to ‘talking therapy’, but they have an intuitive grasp of family life which is invaluable, and their views and needs should be considered when effecting change in the family system. A method is offered to engage young children, adolescents and adults of divergent verbal skills into a shared process. It requires no special set‐up or tools, only paper and markers. Distance and proximity are represented in a simple map of the family, adding symbols for affection and conflict. A spatial representation of the family system is created, and may be referred to in the course of the therapy.     

Revisiting confidentiality: observations from family therapy practice

Confidentiality has long been recognized as a critical legal and ethical principle for the committed, value‐based practitioner. Vital principles (such as confidentiality) become manifest in material practices and in the language of professional and societal narratives. This articulation into specific practices and performances requires a pragmatic process that transforms the abstract into real‐world activities. This imperfect process has the potential of including the derived practices that in certain ways may extend the principle in unintended or unwanted directions. In the case of confidentiality, the actual practices of confidentiality may be both emancipating and inhibiting – they may protect as well as isolate. Our purpose is to revisit the idea of confidentiality and to deconstruct the way it functions in both positive and negative manners in clinical work.     

Paradoxical experiential therapy: A description of the technique and rationale of a nonbehavioral therapy for an unselected patient population

Paradoxical Experiential Therapy, a new technique of psychotherapy, is a nonbehavioral, short-term, experiential form of individual psychotherapy which produces long-lasting changes in ego strength, anxiety, depression, guilt, anger, and other common psychiatric symptoms, in an unselected patient population, in approximately 40 to 60 hours of therapy. This is accomplished by the use of structured fantasies accompanied by feelings which are instantly paradoxical to the content and nature of the fantasies themselves, and by other structured fantasies with paradoxical input from the therapist.