Levels of Family Systems Thinking: Differences Between Chinese and German Therapists

This study compares levels of systemic thinking between Chinese and German systemic family therapists when conceptualizing a clinical case. Furthermore, it explores the relationships between levels of systemic thinking and several variables of clinical training and practice. Eighty-two Chinese and seventy-six German systemic family therapists participated in this study. Significant differences in levels of systemic thinking and significant predictors for these levels were found. Limitations of this study and implications for future research and clinical practice are discussed. This study is one of the first to compare the case conceptualizations between systemic family therapists in China and Germany.