Failures in family therapy: and then what?*

This paper reviews the conceptual framework developed by the author in cases where family therapy has reached a stalemate. Based on his clinical experience as a consultant for some 200 professionals at the Kibbutz Child and Family Clinic in Israel, the author describes several operative strategies applicable in a situation of real or apparent failure of family therapy.     

Temporal considerations in the study of family firms: Reflections on “the study of organizational behaviour in family business”

We complement the work of Gagné et al. by discussing how an extended time dimension shapes organizational behaviour in family firms. Using insights from family dynamics, identity theory, and social identity theory, we show how early formative experiences in the family can influence commitment, conflict, and motivation in family firms. Then we examine how a family's intention to pass on the firm to later generations can impact leadership, human-resources practices, and corporate cultures.     

Workaholism and work–family spillover in a cross-occupational sample

This study examined the relationship between three components of workaholism (work involvement, drive, enjoyment of work) and work–family spillover. A cross-occupational sample consisting of 661 Norwegian employees from six different organizations responded to a Web-based questionnaire measuring workaholism and work–family spillover. A short and revised version of the WorkBAT showed that work involvement was positively related to both positive family-to-work spillover and to negative work-to-family spillover. Drive was positively related to both negative work-to-family and negative family-to-work spillover, and negatively related to positive work-to-family spillover. Enjoyment of work was positively associated with positive work-to-family and positive family-to-work spillover. Workaholism is clearly related to spillover. The findings imply that interventions for workers scoring high on work involvement and drive should be emphasized as these dimensions were associated with negative spillover. More research on this area is warranted.     

Child-oriented family therapy in China: A cross-cultural application of integrative family therapy targeting children aged 4–10

This article describes child-oriented family therapy (COF), a family therapy approach to early psychological and behavioral problems that is widely applied in northern Europe and has been adopted by countries with different cultures, such as Germany and China. This article explains the theoretical background, setting, characteristics, development and effective factors of this method and explores relevant research. In addition, the application of this method in China and reflections on its applicability to families in different cultures are presented. A clinical case is provided to illustrate the core therapeutic principles of COF. Since the application of COF interventions to families with children in Asian cultures remains understudied, the widespread availability of COF and adaptation to local conditions could facilitate training and research achievements in this field.     

Parents’ experiences of family food routines in adolescent elite-level swimming

ObjectiveParents have an important role in their child’s food routines and eating behaviour and face additional demands when that child is an athlete. Yet little is known about how parents manage providing food for their athletic child, in addition to the wider family, within the context of elite-level youth sport.MethodsSemi-structured interviews were conducted with sixteen parents (mothers = 11; fathers = 5) of elite level adolescent swimmers (i.e., competing at UK national level or above; child mean age = 15.4 years) to explore their experiences of family food routines and eating behaviour. Reflexive Thematic Analysis was used to analyse the data.ResultsParents outlined the importance of ‘optimal’ fuelling for their athletic child. Parents had an active role in their child’s eating behaviour and shaping their food choices but expressed uncertainty regarding the volume of food their child should consume and concerns regarding their child’s future relationship with food. Meticulous organisational and logistical strategies were employed to meet the extensive food requirements of their adolescent elite swimmer in the face of intensive training schedules. Such schedules also impacted food routines for the wider family (i.e., fewer family mealtimes), and on the quality of parents’ own diets.ConclusionThe findings highlight that clearer guidance is needed for parents of elite adolescent swimmers in relation to quantities of food intake and how to support a positive future relationship with food (specifically during any periods of transition in their training or out of the sport). The findings also identify a novel organisational stressor for parents in elite youth sport, in managing and prioritising their own diet. Further research is needed to explore the extent to which parental diet may be impacted by supporting an adolescent athlete.     

Practising family therapy in India: how many people are there in a marital subsystem?

Systemic therapy would appear to be a viable form of treatment for people who exist in cultures that contain complex, extended family systems, such as those found in India. The practice of family therapy in India has evolved from Western concepts. These concepts appear to offer Indian therapists relevant and practical ways of working with families. However, some of these concepts need modifying before they can be used in an Indian context. Indian families may have very different worldviews and ideas of 'self' compared to families in the West, leading to different family organization. The situation can be further complicated by the cultural norms of therapists themselves. Therapists in India are often highly educated, come from upper-middle-class families and have been exposed to different cultures. They increasingly share many of the values of their counterparts in the West. At the same time, they retain aspects of their own cultural heritage, which is also the dominant culture for a large number of the families with whom they work. Thus, not only must Indian family therapists seek to work in culturally appropriate ways; they must also tolerate their own internalized conflicts regarding differing cultural norms. With the use of clinical data, this paper describes some of the personal and professional problems experienced by an Indian family therapist working with Western constructs of family organization.     

One-person family therapy? An analysis of family therapy schools

Abstract

In this article, eight schools of family therapy (psychodynamic, intergenerational, contextual, experiential, structural, strategic, functional, behavioral) are examined regarding participation policies. Differences in schools' participation policies are compared and contrasted using comparative and content analyses. Schools' theoretical rationales and how they effect therapy practice are explored. Implications for therapy practice are presented. The study's goal is to provide information to increase therapist flexibility in working with varying client populations.     

Families in court: will a family court do it better?

Family-related case filings in the civil courts, including juvenile matters, exceed 7,000,000 filings annually. These cases typically are handled in several different trial courts. Reform proposals would create a unified family court, with broad jurisdiction over child and family matters. Family court proponents anticipate benefits of greater judicial continuity with a family, better informed jurists and judicial decisions, more client comfort, and better coordinated intervention services. This article reviews present court handling of family-related cases and proceeds to describe family court developments in the states. It then presents each of the potential benefits, discussing the problems they're intended to overcome and the approaches courts are using or might use to achieve these benefits. The author supports the family court direction, while recognizing the paucity of family court evaluation. More assessment is encouraged. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Perceiving unfairness in the family: cause or consequence of marital distress?

This research tests a model suggesting that marital distress leads individuals to scrutinize what is given and received in the relationship. This scrutiny elicits perceptions of unfairness that maintain or exacerbate marital distress. In a 3-panel longitudinal study tracking married couples across the transition to parenthood, both wives' and husbands' reports of marital conflict and wives' marital dissatisfaction at Time 1 positively predicted perceived unfairness of the allocation of household tasks at Time 2, controlling for earlier perceptions of unfairness. In addition, there was evidence of perceived unfairness of division of labor at Time 2 predicting marital conflict and marital dissatisfaction for wives at Time 3, controlling for earlier conflict and dissatisfaction. This model of relationship distress and perceptions of unfairness is contrasted with prior interpretations of links between perceived injustice and distress in relationships.     

Lesbians,gay men and family therapy: a contradiction in terms?

This paper seeks to review the history of discussions about lesbian and gay male sexuality in family therapy theory and practice. It examines whether homophobic and heterosexist attitudes are present in family therapy thinking. Possible connections are explored between attitudes towards lesbian and gay issues and the professional backgrounds of family therapists, wider debates on homosexuality within society, and conceptualizations of the family life cycle. The question of why relatively little has been written on the issues raised by lesbians, bisexuals and gay men in therapy is discussed. The implications of this oversight on practice are addressed and suggestions made for future work.     

“Active faith” in Christian marriage: The challenge of family systems

The purpose of this paper is to examine the possibilities for creating an environment which nurtures active faith in marriage. I intend to do this by examining historical tradition on Christian marriage, and exploring behavioral science for its contribution to the subject. In particular, I will suggest some ways that family systems theory, with its understanding of healthy marriage and family life, can be a transforming element for the study of marriage today.Presented at The Future of the American Church Conference, Washington, D.C., September 22, 1991.     

Islamic inheritance in Australia and family provision law: are Sharia wills valid?

This article explains the context of Islamic inheritance and the distinctive nature of what is called in a preliminary sense as ‘Muslim intergenerational property’. The article suggests that a wider view of inheritance should be taken on the basis that inheritance is an intergenerational process that, in the case of Muslims, incorporates religious notions. Secondly, the article describes family provision law and the particular nature of the English transplant of inheritance law into Australia. Thirdly, the article describes the nature of legal services provided to Islamic families and the drafting of Sharia wills. Fourthly, in the light of the law under the State and Federal family provision legislation, the article considers the validity of Islamic wills.     

Profile of couples seeking help in the family court- a clinic — based study

The article focuses on the profile of 102 couples referred from the family court for assessment and counseling. The majority of couples were married for 5 years or less, had a single child and many had been separated for at least 2 years. Behavior problems, especially maladaptive personality traits in the spouse were cited as the major reason for their marital problems. The scope of clinical psychologists in a family court is discussed.     

How do therapists ally with adolescents in family therapy? An examination of relational control communication in early sessions

Sequential analyses examined associations between the working alliance and therapist-adolescent communication patterns in 10 Spanish cases of brief conjoint family therapy. Early sessions with strong versus problematic alliances, rated by observers, were selected for coding of relational control communication patterns. No differences were found in the frequency of exchanges, but competitive responding by the therapists (reflecting an interpersonal struggle for control) was significantly more likely in problematic alliance sessions than in strong alliance sessions. Cases in which the adolescent's alliance with the therapist remained positive from Session 1 as compared with Session 3 showed a decrease in the likelihood of competitive symmetry. Notably, when the quality of the alliance deteriorated over time, the therapists were increasingly more likely to respond to the adolescents' domineering messages in a competitive manner. Results underscore the need to avoid competitive responding in order to ally with adolescents in conjoint family treatment.     

Medical or relational language? Problem and goal formulation in family therapy with adolescents conducted in a psychiatric outpatient setting

The constructionist view assumes that therapy participants' maps of understanding depend on the institutional context and their personal perspectives. The purpose of this study was to investigate the initial maps of difficulties reported by family members starting family therapy. 106 families that were referred to a psychiatric institution for outpatient family therapy were asked open-ended questions regarding the context of the referral, and goal and problem formulation for the therapy. The data were analysed via the consensual qualitative research-modified (CQR-M) method, and comparisons between groups were performed. The obtained results show a diversity of perspectives. Of interest was the predominance of medical language in describing the problem and relational language in describing the goal of therapy. An analysis of differences between mothers, fathers, adolescent patient and their siblings was also performed. The findings highlight the complexity of notions that families start family therapy with and may help therapists navigate through the therapeutic contract formulation process.     

Moderating role of family and friends’ factors between disocial behavior and consumption in adolescents

This study analyzes the relation between dissocial behaviors and substances consumption in adolescents, and tests the moderating role of social risk factors from family and peers in this relation. 1,239 adolescents of Secondary school, 612 boys and 627 girls, from 11-18 (M = 14.39; SD = 1.43) from state and private schools completed an adapted questionnaire from the State survey on risk activities for health in adolescents (ESTUDES) and the FRIDA questionnaire about social risk factors. We found that disocial behaviors and consumption are common and are closely related. MHMR analysis confirm the moderate role of two risk family factors (indifference family reaction against drugs consumption and a permissive and tolerant parental educative style) besides tolerant attitude towards consumption on friends and easily access to drugs. That moderation is higher for girls than for boys. The results of this work highlight the influence of family and friends’ factors between dissocial behaviors and drug consumption and contribute to the knowledge of an operational model for the development of preventing programs.     

Searching under the streetlight?: Age biases in the personal and family relationships literature

Two studies addressing age biases in research on family and social relationships are presented. Study 1 involved a content analysis of nearly 1,000 empirical studies published in six major journals from 1994 to 1999. Studies in these journals generally were limited to samples of adults under the age of 45, though nearly one third of the studies failed to include information about the ages of adult participants. Most research focused on marital ties, romantic partnerships, or relationships between parents and young children. Study 2 (N = 186) assessed beliefs about the importance of various relationships to adults of different ages. Researchers who study relationships (n = 71), adults with advanced degrees in other fields (n = 57), and less–educated adults (n = 58) rated the importance of various social ties to themselves and to adults of different ages. In general, participants agreed that adults of different ages value different social ties. Less–educated individuals rated many social ties as more important than did researchers who study relationships, however. Age biases in sampling and the types of relationships that receive research attention are discussed.