Engaging with change: a process study of family therapy |
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| Authors: | Stephen Frosh Charlotte Burck Lisa Strickland—Clark Kevin Morgan |
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| Institution: | Department of Psychology, Hirkbeck College, University of London, Malet Street, London WCIE 7HX, and Child and Family Department, Tavistock Clinic, London, UK.;Child and Family Department, Tavistock Clinic, London, UK.;Department of Psychology, Birkbeck College, University of London, and Child and Family Department, Tavistock Clinic, London, UK.;Department of Psychology, Brunel University, UK. |
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| Abstract: | It is argued that current attempts to investigate the process of family therapy might benefit from the application of discursive and narrative analytic techniques. An example of such an analysis is given, taking the work of an experienced family therapist with one family seeking help in dealing with the aftermath of a marital separation.' The theme of how to deal with change'as it materializes in the discussions during therapy is selected for detailed examination in this paper. It is argued that there are two main discourses on this theme evident in the family's discussions, one being that the separation has occurred and its consequences should now he left to arise naturally; the other being that the effects of the separation need to be actively managed. It is suggested that this analytic procedure can dramatize the subtle changes in family discourses during therapy; its limitations in terms of generalizability, and the difficulties of dealing with huge amounts of complex material, are also noted. |
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