CONTENTS
List of figures = ⅹ
Notes on the authors = xi
Preface = xii
Foreword Arlcne Vetere. PhD = xv
Acknowledgements Rudi Dallos = xvii
Dedication and acknowledgements Ros Draper = xix
Introduction = 1
Experiences of systemic and family therapy = 2
A family's view = 2
Two Therapists' views = 4
What is the 'family'? = 6
The family life cycle = 8
Allowing the family a voice = 10
The organizing framework of the book = 12
Key texts offering an historical overview of the field of systemic family therapy = 15
1 The first phase 1950s to mid1970s = 17
Cultural landscape = 17
Influential people and ideas = 18
Seeds of systemic and family therapy = 18
Key people, places and events(bird'seye view) = 19
Systemic thinking from intrapsychic to interpersonal = 23
Systems theory biological analogy = 24
Emergent properties of a system = 25
Circularities = 25
Triads, triangulation and conflict detouring = 28
Rules, pattern and process = 31
Feedback = 31
Family coordination through communication = 32
Doublebind concept = 32
Metacommunication = 33
Open and closed systems = 34
Family homeostasis = 35
Family life cycle(FLC) = 36
Practice = 38
Structural family therapy = 38
Beliefs and structures = 39
Therapeutic orientations = 40
Directive stance = 41
Strategic family therapy = 44
Beliefs and premises = 47
Strategic tasks = 49
Commentary = 51
Gender and shifting inequalities of power = 52
Normative assumptions of life cycle models = 54
Key texts = 55
Skill guides = 56
Family sculpting = 56
Family tree and time line(or family life chronology) = 58
Reframing = 61
2 The second phase mid1970s to mid1980s = 63
Cultural landscape = 63
Key people, places and events(bird'seye view) = 64
Influential people and ideas = 65
Secondorder cybernetics = 65
Metacommunication = 67
Communication = 68
Person as a private 'biosphere' = 71
Intention = 71
Beliefs and actions in triads = 72
Ecological perspective multiple systems = 73
Observing systems = 74
Practice = 74
Hypothesizing = 74
Reframing = 75
Coconsiruction of shared histories = 77
Commentary = 78
Moral and political implications = 78
Milan approaches = 80
Positive connotation = 81
Key texts = 82
Skill guides = 84
Teamwork = 84
Hypothesizing = 85
Positive connotation = 87
Circular questioning = 88
Transformational change = 90
3 The third phase mid1980s to the present day = 91
Cultural landscape = 91
Theoretical perspectives = 92
Connections and links to first and second phases of systemic family therapy = 94
Key people, places and events(bird'seye view) = 96
Influential people and ideas = 97
View of the person : construction of experience = 99
Practice = 103
Brief solution focused therapy = 103
Reflecting teams and processes = 106
Narrative therapies = 107
Externalizing problems = 108
Interviewing the internalized other = 109
Writing = 110
Feminist approaches = 110
Commentary = 114
Feminist orientations = 114
Key texts = 116
Skill guides = 118
Consultation = 118
Externalizing the problem = 119
Collaborative Inquiry = 121
Reflecting Processes = 123
4 Ideas that keep knocking on the door : emotions, attachments and systems = 125
Introduction = 125
Emotions and the first phase of family therapy = 128
Triangulation = 129
Doublebind = 129
Studies of motherinfant interactions = 130
Autonomy and control = 132
Emotions in couples' interactions = 133
Emotions and the second phase of family therapy = 135
Adult attachment theories = 136
Attachment styles and couples' dynamics = 140
Emotions and the third phase = 141
Deirdre and Simon = 141
The language of emotions = 142
Key texts = 146
Skill guide = 146
Exploring attachments : the family attachment genogram = 146
5 Research and evaluaiton = 150
Introduction = 150
why conduct research? = 151
Science, research and systemic therapy = 154
Varieties of research = 156
Evaluation research = 159
Group coparison evaluative studies = 159
Evaluative case studies = 163
Observational studies = 165
Questionnaire and selfreport studies = 166
Therapy process reseach = 167
A therapeutic process stduy = 168
Indepth single case process study = 169
Exploring the experience of family therapy = 170
Family theory research = 172
A participant observational study = 173
Interview studies = 174
A conjoint interview study = 175
Case study series = 176
Discussion and reflections = 176
Key texts = 177
6 Connecting the threads = 179
Current state of the art = 181
Crystal ball gazing = 183
Developmental perspectives = 184
Review and summary = 185
Integrations = 186
Topic reading lists = 188
Formats for exploration = 211
Glossary of terms = 226
British texts = 231
Bibliography = 235
Index = 246
