Family Systems Theory: Book Lists

Illustrates family therapy techniques.    With its clinical focus and extremely practical presentation, The Essentials of Family Therapy, 6/e examines the rich history, classic schools, and latest developments in family therapy. The sixth edition is edited to focus more on the contemporary clinical practice and case studies illustrating family therapy techniques. Written by a leading family therapist, descriptions of the various models are based on actual experience.   Learning Goals Upon completing this book, readers will be able to: Utilize various family therapy techniques. Recognize the techniques of successful contemporaries in the field. Understand why research has failed to influence clinical practice.  

Featuring rich case examples, this book has helped tens of thousands of students and therapists build the skills and confidence needed to tackle the full range of issues that families bring to therapy. Rather than advocating one best approach, Robert Taibbi shows that there are multiple ways to guide families and harness their strengths. The book maps out the challenges and process of the beginning, middle, and end stages of treatment; presents creative strategies for assessment and intervention with parents and kids of all ages; analyzes how working with individuals can effect helpful changes in couples and families; and offers practical tips for overcoming common roadblocks. End-of-chapter reflection questions and experiential exercises encourage readers to develop their own clinical style. New to This Edition *Reflects the author's clinical experience and recent advances in the field. *Extensively revised chapter on core concepts: process, patterns, problems, and resistance. *More detailed recommendations for conducting the first session and doing assessments. *Quick-reference guidelines for treating frequently encountered adolescent problems. See also the author's Doing Couple Therapy, Second Edition: Craft and Creativity in Work with Intimate Partners.

In Family Therapies, Mark A. Yarhouse and James N. Sells survey the major approaches to family therapy and treat, within a Christian framework, significant psychotherapeutic issues. A landmark work, this volume was written for those studying counseling, social work, psychology, or marriage and family therapy.Fully updated and revised, this second edition includes new chapters on cohabitation and LGBTQ+ marriage and family formation.Other issues covered includecrisis and traumamarital conflictseparation, divorce, and blended familiessubstance abuse and addictionsgender, culture, economic class, and racesexual identityYarhouse and Sells conclude by casting a vision for an integrative Christian family therapy and offer timely wisdom for therapeutic practice in the midst of a diverse and rapidly changing global context.Family Therapies is an indispensable resource for those in the mental health professions, including counselors, psychologists, family therapists, social workers, and pastors.

Jack and Judy Balswick offer a vision of marriage that is both profoundly spiritual and thoroughly practical. Drawing insight from Christian theology and from social science research, the Balswicks bring together their years of teaching, writing and being married to each other to produce a book of faith and wisdom for facing the challenge of marriage in the twenty-first century.

Two respected senior professors in the marriage and family field cover every issue that affects family life, including marriage, parenting, sexuality, communication, social dynamics, and family life in modern society. This proven resource for studying the most established of human institutions has been in print for over twenty years, with over 80,000 copies sold. The fourth edition has been updated to address current family-related issues and refined to reflect teaching practices for the contemporary classroom, including updated references to online resources. Praise for a Previous Edition "An excellent resource for preachers and teachers and an obvious choice for a text in family studies in a Christian college."--Calvin Theological Journal

The challenge facing the authors of texts that address the multiplicity and complexity of problems that may afflict families can be intimidating. Philip Barker has addressed this challenge head-on in each of the editions of this book. This task has been greatly facilitated by the contributions of the new co-author, Jeff Chang, and in this edition provides a clear, easily read and readily understandable introduction to family therapy. Much has happened in the field of family therapy since the fifth edition of Basic Family Therapy was published in 2007. New developments covered in this book include: Emotionally Focused Therapy The Gottman approach to couples therapy Mindfulness and psychotherapy The common factors approach to psychotherapy and to family therapy The increased emphasis on empirically supported treatments High-conflict post-divorce parenting Basic Family Therapy will be of value to readers new to family therapy and to those in the early stages of training.

A model for successful integration of multiple points of view, James R. Bitter's THEORY AND PRACTICE OF FAMILY THERAPY AND COUNSELING, 2nd Edition supports the development of personal, professional, and ethical family practice. The book's concrete, empirically based approaches, as well as diagnostics and visual tools, allow readers to observe others in groups. Updated to reflect recent research and current practice, the Second Edition also includes a new chapter on Object Relations Family Therapy. Case studies, sample dialogues, and exercises help readers apply the concepts they have learned. Available with InfoTrac Student Collections http://gocengage.com/infotrac.

A comprehensive and practical approach to the world of marriage, couples, and family counseling Esteemed academics David Capuzzi and Mark D. Stauffer present the theory, research, and real-life practice of today's counselors and therapists in family therapy settings. Aligned with the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) and Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE), this useful text covers foundational teaching important to readers, but also critical modern topics not included in other texts, such as sexuality, trauma, divorce, domestic violence, and addictions, filial play therapy, and using community genograms to position culture and context in family therapy. With a unique focus on practical applications, the book discusses the major family therapy theories, and provides graduate students and post-graduate learners in counseling, mental health, and behavioral health fields the skills and techniques they need to help couples and families as part of their work in a variety of helping environments. Each chapter contains case studies and anecdotes that help readers think critically about the issues they are likely to deal with as clinicians. Written by recognized and respected contributors, this book helps readers see the connection between what they know and what happens in couples and family counseling sessions. Readers will: Learn the knowledge and skills essential to family therapy Understand the history, concepts, and techniques associated with major theories Examine the key issues specific to couples work, with relevant intervention Explore solutions to the complexities generated by special issues Discusses the modern realities of family, diversity and culture, and systemic contexts Family and couples counseling presents a complex interplay of various factors inherent to each individual, the dynamic interplay between each person's issues, and the outside influences that shape behavior. Foundations of Couples, Marriage, and Family Counseling helps readers sort out the complexity and guide clients toward lasting resolution.

Psychologist Larry Crabb cuts to the heart of the biblical view of marriage: the "one-flesh" relationship. He argues convincingly that the deepest needs of human personality -- security and significance -- ultimately cannot be satisfied by a marriage partner. We need to turn to the Lord, rather than our spouse, to satisfy our needs. This frees both partners for "soul oneness," a commitment to minister to our spouse's needs rather than manipulating them to meet our own needs. With "soul oneness" comes renewed "body oneness," where couples enjoy sexual pleasure as an expression and outgrowth of a personal relationship. The Marriage Builder also identifies three building blocks essential to constructing marriage: the grace of God, true marriage commitment, and acceptance of one's mate. Now for the first time, discussion questions have been added to aid couples who want to come to deeper understanding of marriage. Helpful to counselors and laypersons alike, The Marriage Builder is for anyone who longs to transform marriage from trial to triumph.

From a leading expert in cognitive-behavioral therapy and couple and family therapy, this comprehensive guide combines research and clinical wisdom. The author shows how therapeutic techniques originally designed for individuals have been successfully adapted fornbsp;couples and families struggling with a wide range of relationship problems and stressful life transitions. Vivid clinical examples illustrate the process of conducting thorough assessments, implementing carefully planned cognitive and behavioral interventions, and overcoming roadblocks.nbsp;Usednbsp;as a practitioner resource and textnbsp;worldwide, the book highlights ways to enhance treatment by drawing on current knowledge about relationship dynamics, attachment, and neurobiology. Cultural diversity issues are woven throughout. See also Dattilio's edited volume, Case Studies in Couple and Family Therapy, whichnbsp;features case presentations from distinguishednbsp; practitioners nbsp;plus commentary from Dattilio on how to integrate systemic and cognitive perspectives. nbsp;

This revolutionary book, based on the innovative Bowen Family Systems Theory, is truly the first self-help guide that shows how to improve and fully develop our individual selves by improving our relationships -- from friendships and family to the workplace -- and how we use them.

Psychologist John Gottman has spent twenty years studying what makes a marriage last. Now you can use his tested methods to evaluate, strengthen, and maintain your own long-term relationship. This breakthrough book guides you through a series of self-tests designed to help you determine what kind of marriage you have, where your strengths and weaknesses are, and what specific actions you can take to help your marriage. You'll also learn that more sex doesn't necessarily improve a marriage, frequent arguing will not lead to divorce, financial problems do not always spell trouble in a relationship, wives who make sour facial expressions when their husbands talk are likely to be separated within four years and there is a reason husbands withdraw from arguments--and there's a way around it. Dr. Gottman teaches you how to recognize attitudes that doom a marriage--contempt, criticism, defensiveness, and stonewalling--and provides practical exercises, quizzes, tips, and techniques that will help you understand and make the most of your relationship. You can avoid patterns that lead to divorce, and--Why Marriages Succeed or Fail will show you how.

"The Eight Concepts" is a clear and concise description of the basic concepts of Bowen family system theory. Beginning with the fundamental concept of the nuclear family as the emotional unit, the other concepts -- differentiation of self scale, triangles, cutoff, family projection process, multigenerational transmission process, sibling position, and emotional processes of society -- are explained as they evolve out of the fundamental concept of the emotional unit. The emphasis is clarity of presentation and purity of presentation of theory. Numerous citations to the writings of Dr. Bowen and experts who studied under Dr. Bowen are used to present the theory in as pure a form as possible in a short and easy-to-read book. The special sections in each chapter for parents, coaches and leaders bring each concept home for different roles readers bring to the book. An index is included.

Since its original publication in 1996, this volume has been a helpful guide to therapists in the practice of emotionally focused therapy. This second edition addresses the many changes in the field of couples therapy, including updated research results linked to clinical intervention and new information on using EFT to address depression and PTSD. A new section covers the growth of couples therapy as a field and its overall relevance to the mental health field, accompanied by coverage of how recent research into the nature of marital distress is consonant with EFT. Other new features are a section on EFT and feminism, as well as a section on cultural competence for the EFT therapist. Written by a leading authority on emotionally focused couples and marital therapy, this second edition is an up-to-date reference on all aspects of EFT and its uses for mental health professionals.

Michael Kerr (who worked with Bowen for many years) and Bowen propose that the enormously complex task of evaluating a clinical family can be orderly when it is grounded in family systems theory.Using family diagrams and case studies, the book is devoted to an elegant explication of Bowen theory, which analyzes multigenerational family relationships and conceptualizes the family as an emotional unit or as a network of interlocking relationships, not only among the family members, but also among biological, psychological, and sociological processes. Bowen's persistent inquiry and devotion to family observation, in spite of obstacles and frustrations, have resulted in a theory that has radically changed our ways of looking at all behavior.

In this second edition of her groundbreaking book, Dr. Joan Lachkar addresses the ever-changing faces and phases of narcissism within the context of marital therapy and discusses the new developments in the treatment of marital conflict. Drawing from many different theoretical frameworks, mainly self-psychology (Kohut) and object relations (Klein), the works of D.W, Winnicott, and Kernberg are expanded to further explain why couples stay in painful, conflictual, never-ending relationships (traumatic bonding). The new chapters, case illustrations, and updated treatment sequences are invaluable to both beginning and experienced clinicians. The Narcissistic / Borderline Couple is an essential text for every marital therapist, offering an improved understanding of marital pathology within the framework of our changing world.

Now updated and expanded in its third edition, and featuring revised genograms for easier reading, reflecting the growing and widespread use of genograms for clinical intervention, this best-selling text provides a standard method for constructing a genogram, doing a genogram interview, and interpreting the results. Genograms of famous families--Sigmund Freud, Woody Allen and Mia Farrow, the Kennedys, Jane Fonda and Ted Turner, Bill Clinton, Princess Diana, the Roosevelts, and Thomas Jefferson, to name a few--bring the text to life, and help to elucidate the principles of family systems theory and systemic interviewing, which form the basis of genogram work. Once these principles have been explained, the authors go on to present the important clinical applications of genograms in both family therapy and family medicine. These applications include the effective assessment of patients' risk for emotional problems such as anxiety or depression; structural patterns among families such as divorce and remarriage; relationship patterns such as enmeshment, conflicts, and cut-offs; recent and chronic life stressors such as pregnancy, acute illness, poverty, and racism; and family life cycle transitions and developmental crises, among other uses. By providing a fascinating view into the richness of family dynamics, McGoldrick and her coauthors provide an invaluable guide to clinicians for accurately charting a family's structure, making it easier to scan for potential problems and take proactive steps to utilize resources when necessary.

A master of family therapy, Salvador Minuchin, traces for the first time the minute operations of day-to-day practice. Dr. Minuchin has achieved renown for his theoretical breakthroughs and his success at treatment. Now he explains in close detail those precise and difficult maneuvers that constitute his art. The book thus codifies the method of one of the country's most successful practitioners.