Family Therapy Techniques briefly reviews the basic theories of marriage and family therapy. It then goes into treatment models designed to facilitate the tailoring of therapy to specific populations and the integration of techniques from what often seems like disparate theories. Based on the assumption that no single approach is the definitive approach for every situation, the book leads students through multiple perspectives. In teaching students to integrate and tailor techniques, this book asks them to take functional methods and approaches from a variety of theoretical approaches, without attempting to reiterate the theoretical issues and research covered in theories courses.

Table of Contents:
Preface. Part I: Challenging Treatment Issues. Family Therapy in the 21st Century: New Strategies for a Changing Environment. The Few Realities of Family Life. The Question of Hierarchy. Diverse Family Forms. Multicultural Factors. Responses to Change. The New Realities of Professional Practice. The New Practice of Family Therapy. Summary References. The Workplace and its Impact on Today's Family: Realities and Possibilities. The Relationship of Work and Family Life. Types of Work-centered Families. The Two-person Career Couple. The Dual-earner and Dual-career Couple. The Commuting Couple. The Military Couple. The Clergy Couple. The Executive or Corporate Couple. The Family-business Couple. Single-parent Families and Work-family Relations. Common Work-family Conflicts and their Consequences. Special Concerns. Job-related Travel. Executive Pressures. Financial Strain. Overwork Effect of Mother's Work on Family Life. Effect of Father's Work on Family Life. Concluding Note References. Theories of Family Therapy: Goals, Treatment Process, and Techniques. Adler, Goals, Treatment Process, Techniques, Further Resources. Bowen/Intergenerational, Goals, Treatment Process, Techniques, Further Resources. Communication/Satir, Goals, Treatment Process, Techniques, Further Resources. Experiential, Goals, Treatment Process, Techniques, Further Resources. Milan, Goals, Treatment Process, Techniques, Further Resources. Constructivist/Narrative, Goals, Treatment Process, Techniques, Further Resources. Solution-focused, Goals, Treatment Process, Techniques, Further Resources. Strategic, Goals, Treatment Process, Techniques, Further Resources. Structural, Goals, Treatment Process, Techniques, Further Resources. Behavioral and Cognitive-Behavioral, Goals, Treatment Process, Techniques, Further Resources. Object Relations, Goals, Treatment Process, Techniques, Further Resources. Summary References. Integrative Treatment with Couples and Families: The Basis for Treatment Efficacy. Integration: History, Terminology, and Proponents. Integrating Concepts from Various Family Therapy Models. Clinical Research Models of Family Therapy. The McMaster Model of Family Functions and Therapy. Olson's Circumplex Model. Evaluation of the Clinical Research Models. Integrative Clinical Models of Family Therapy. Feldman's Integrative Multi-level Family Therapy. Wals's Integrative Family Therapy Approach. Nichol's Integrative Approach to Marital Therapy. Integrative Family Therapy: Problem-centered, Psychodynamic Family Therapy. Concluding Note. References. Part II: Tailoring Treatment with Couples and Families. Tailoring Treatment for Couples and Families: Models and Protocols for Tailoring and Matching. Tailoring: Terminology and Resistances. Perspectives of Tailoring. Tailoring by Level of Family Functioning. Tailoring by Level of Relational Conflict. Tailoring Based on Individual Functioning. Tailoring Based on Level of Readiness. Tailoring Based on Level of Distress. Tailoring Based on Differential Therapeutics. A Clinical Protocol for Matching and Tailoring Treatment. Comprehensive Assessment. Matching a Therapeutic Strategy. Tailoring the Strategy. Implementation Review, and Revision. Concluding Note. References. Tailoring Treatment: The Significance of Culture. The Value Underlying Family Life. Individuation and Family Unity. The Extended Family. Culturally Based Views of Family Life: The Effect on Family Therapy. The Experience of Oppression. Addressing Racism Directly. "Healthy Paranoia", Oppression: The Effect on Family Therapy. Cultural Values and Conflict, Conflicting World Views. Cultural Conflict Within the Family: The Effect on Therapy. Strategies for Tailoring Family Therapy. Culture-aware Family Assessment. Empowerment Strategies. Summary. References. Tailoring Treatment: Families Under Stress. Families and Addiction. Stage Models. Making Systematic Changes Adjusting to Early Recovery. Applying Couples Therapy. Families' Responses to Illness and Disability. Nature of the Illness or Disability. Sociocultural Context of Disability. Family Treatment Goals and Strategies. Violence and Abuse. Wife Abuse. Sexual Abuse of Children. Treating Adults Survivors of Early Abuse. Summary. References. Tailoring Treatment: Work-Family Concerns. Therapeutic Intervention with Dual-career Couples. Therapeutic Facilitating and Biasing Factors. Common Themes Across Different, Treatment Strategies. Psychoeducational Strategies. Interpersonal-systems Strategies. Psychodynamic Strategies. Treatment Goals and Strategies. Integrative Strategies. Group Strategies. Consultation Intervention. Psychoeducational Workshops. Consulting on Work-family Issues, A Protocol for Matching/Tailoring Treatment with Dual-career Couples. Assessment. Matching a Therapeutic Strategy and Treatment Format to the Couple. Tailoring the Chosen Therapeutic Strategy, Implementation, Review, and Revision of Matching/Tailoring. Case Example of Matching/Tailoring with a Dual-career Couple. Therapeutic Intervention with Single, Working Parents. Concluding Note. References. Treatment Adherence and Relapse Prevention: Ensuring Therapuetic Results. Treatment Adherence. Treatment Adherence Guidelines. Anticipate Non-Adherence. Consider Treatment From the Family's Perspective. Facilitate a Collaborative Relationship that is Based on Negotiation. Be Family-oriented Understand the Family's Views/Explanatory Model. Tailor Tratment. Enlist Family Support. Provide a System of Continuity and Accessibility. Don't Give Up, What is Relapse Prevention (RP)? RP Research. Flexibility in Treatment Content. Flexibility in Treatment Format. Identifying and Modifying Salient Behaviors. Focusing on Reasonable Changeable Behaviors. Effectively Generalizing From Therapy to the Client's World. Why Couples/Families Relapse, Relapse Prevention, Change in Treatment Focus, Open-ended Family Therapy, Steps to RP. Create a Treatment Alliance. Tailor Treatment. Manage Stress. Increase and Maintain Positive to Negative Interaction Ratio. Skill Training, RP Case History, Session 1, Session 2, Session 3, Session 4, Session 5. Conclusion. References. Epilogue. Index.