Family Therapy with Families of Holocaust Survivors

This is a clinical review of 7 families of Holocaust survivors who presented for treatment because of problems with an adolescent of the third generation. In 3 cases the problem was anorexia, and the remaining 4 had various clinical presentations, mostly related to separation-individuation issues. A common thread in the narratives that unfolded was that the trauma of the grandparent/survivors had been transmitted across subsequent generations to exercise significant influence on the children and grandchildren. Often, a more recent death or separation crisis had been the catalyst for these difficulties or a trigger that activated the Holocaust trauma. An outline of the therapeutic intervention is presented; it was based on a combination of systemic, structural, strategic, and psychodynamic approaches. It is suggested that open acknowledgment of the transgenerational issues played a critical role in moving families toward a more differentiated outcome.     

Therapy with Families in China: Cultural Factors Influencing the Therapeutic Alliance and Therapy Goals

Rapid economic and social development in China is producing opportunities for a better standard of living for many families but also is associated with significant stress. Family therapy is one of the forms of mental health services that have become increasingly available. Western-derived models of family therapy are being used and adapted to meet the cultural traditions and needs of Chinese families. This article describes a variety of Chinese cultural factors that can influence the establishment of therapeutic alliances with family members (communication styles, collectivist values, family roles, and structure) and those that can shape family therapy interventions by addressing contextual factors affecting Chinese families (economic development, migration patterns, academic pressure, and changing gender roles for women). Suggestions are offered for using cultural sensitivity to address these factors tactfully to build strong therapeutic alliances and help families cope with significant life stresses.     

Community Family Therapy with Military Families Experiencing Deployment

The length and frequency of deployments in the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are associated with increased vulnerability for both part- and full-time military families who stand to benefit from systems-oriented practice by marriage and family therapists. Community Family Therapy (CFT) is a modality designed to promote resilience both within and beyond the four walls of the therapy room, facilitate family connections in the community, and empower them for local leadership. The effects of deployment on families are summarized and CFT principles are adapted as a framework for intervention with this population.     

Genograms: Use in Therapy with Asian Families with Diverse Cultural Heritages

This article focuses on the ways in which genograms can be an effective psychosocial tool for use with Asian families of diverse cultural heritages. Using the case examples of Asians from three countries, viz., Malaysia, Japan, and Cambodia, the authors delineate salient therapeutic themes and map changes from a transgenerational perspective with attention to socio-cultural and political processes. An anthropological stance (Becvar, Contemp Fam Ther 30:1–2, 2008) allows a therapist to be curious about Asian family and kinship systems and join with the family in creating a new narrative that broadens spaces for living. Drawing upon surveys from three training contexts, the voices of Asian mental health practitioners, suggesting culture specific issues for the effective use of genograms with Asian families, are included.     

The Impact of Christianity on Therapy with Latino Families

Unquestioned patriarchal beliefs prescribed by religion often place women and racial and sexual minorities in positions of victimization. In the therapeutic framework, “God” represents unquestioned values that must be challenged and evaluated in order to have a transformative effect. As a result of the increase in the number of Latino immigrants to the United States, it is inevitable for therapists to work with Latino families, a highly religious population. The purpose of this paper is to explore, through a feminist perspective, the role of Christianity and the feminist movement in Latin America and the impact of Christianity on therapists’ work with Latino families.     

The Efficacy of Child Parent Relationship Therapy for Adoptive Families: A Replication Study

This randomized controlled replication study examined the effectiveness of child parent relationship therapy (CPRT) with 49 adoptive families. Statistically significant improvement and large treatment effects for child behavior problems, parent–child relationship stress, and parents' empathic interactions with their children indicated the effectiveness of CPRT over treatment as usual. Findings confirm Carnes‐Holt and Bratton's ( 2014 ) results and provide strong support for CPRT as a responsive intervention for adoptive families.     

论儒学与中国宗教信仰的关系

儒学是中国传统思想文化的主干和基础,在很大程度上决定了中国传统文化发展的精神方向,极大地影响了中华民族的民族性格,也使中国宗教信仰打上了儒家文化的深刻烙印,从而表现出其独有的特点。文章对儒家文化与中国宗教信仰之间的关系做出了探讨和分析,同时进一步揭示了文化与宗教之间相互渗透和无法分割的关系。     

Group Therapy with Individuals and Families Coping with Illness or Disability in Israel

This paper illustrates a group intervention with individuals and family caregivers coping with illness/disability, and focuses on the relationship between the process of group development and the process of coping with the illness/disability. People experiencing illness/disability cope with a great deal of pressure and stress that stem from the illness's biopsychosocial demands. A group can provide encouragement and support and reduce helplessness, isolation, and despair through cooperation and use of mutual resources. The design of the intervention was based on our clinical experience with numerous groups for ill/disabled individuals or their family. The process is described and analyzed using examples from three documented groups, and is presented in terms of four variables: group process, group atmosphere, group content, and group intervention.     

Profiling Religious Maturity: The Relationship of Religious Attitude Components to Religious Orientations

This study examined the relationships between religious orientation and components of religious attitudes. Religious orientation was measured using Batson, Schoenrade, and Ventis' (1993) Religious Life Inventory. Affective, cognitive, and conative components of attitudes toward religious beliefs and practices were measured using an instrument constructed for the study. Participants were undergraduate students from four educational institutions in the United States. Systematic relationships were found among the dimensions of religious orientation and the components of religious attitudes. Means and Quest orientations had very similar profiles, characterized by high Cognition scores and relatively low Affect and Conation scores. By contrast, modestly low Cognition scores and significantly high Affect and Conation scores characterized the profile of the Ends orientation. Results are discussed in terms of the concept of mature religiosity.     

Using the Client's Religious Values to Aid Progress in Therapy

The client's religious values could be put to use to promote growth in therapy, as detailed in this brief report.