Casebook for Integrating Family Therapy: An Ecosystemic Approach

Integration in family therapy involves incorporating modalities, such as individual, couples and family therapy, as well as integrating schools of interventions, such as here-and-now, transgenerational, and other systemic approaches. In this volume, leading family therapists present cases that illustrate such integration from an ecosystemic perspective that takes into account the multiple systems in which the family is embedded. Cases were selected to highlight integrative interventions in which a family's ethnicity, religion, health status, socioeconomic class, or sexual orientation are particularly important. They include work with couples and families in transition and at various developmental stages, from early marriage through families in late life.

After briefly anchoring each case in the theoretical model from which they work, therapists describe not only how they intervened with each case, but how also they thought about the case at critical decision points throughout the therapy. They explain why they included some members in sessions but not others, and why they focused on some issues to the exclusion of others. When impasses are reached, as they many times are, they are candid in describing their struggles to find a "good enough" solution. The cases bring to life many contemporary issues and provide opportunities for both experienced and novice therapists to sharpen their sensitivities and skills with a broad range of clients.  

Description is from Publisher: American Psychology Association

Reviews

Casebook for Integrating Family Therapy:  An Ecosystemic Approach offers a marvelous compilation of contemporary couple and family therapy case examples.  First-rate family therapists representing a variety of perspectives provide case descriptions that are conceptually rich as well as highly detailed with respect to intervention strategies.  The book focuses on a number of factors that are underrepresented in the therapy literature but that are integral to family functioning—religion, ethnicity, culture, migration, work, physical health, disability, and so forth.  A highlight of the book is the authors’ clearly communicated respect for their clients, reflected in their attention to family competence and their collaborative therapist-family partnerships.  Casebook for Integrating Family Therapy provides a thought-provoking look at family issues in their full complexity.  This book informs, inspires, and challenges clinicians who treat couples and families.  -Gayla Margolin, Ph.D., Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles

This remarkable volume advances clinical practice beyond the constraints of particular models and techniques toward a truly integrative ecosystemic approach to family therapy.  The lucid discussion of practice concepts and richly textured case illustrations will prove valuable in working effectively with a broad diversity of clients, weaving together individual, couple, family and larger system influences.  Both beginning and experienced clinicians will find their thinking expanded and their efforts more fruitful.  Bravo to the editors and contributors!   -Froma Walsh, Ph.D., Co-Director, Center for Family Health, University of Chicago