The Metamorphasis of Family Therapy

Abstract:

This paper reviews the current state of the theory and practice of family therapy. It proposes that the field is undergoing a radical metamorphosis in which its theory base is becoming characterised by less ideological "purity", more attention to an evidence base and an integration within other treatment modalities. Like all such metamorphoses, this transformation of family therapy is not without its difficulties. In many ways, professional contexts, professional institutions and training programmes, at least in the UK, do not appear to have made the adjustment to this change. The paper will therefore highlight these contextual issues as a counter-point to the metamorphosis that is in process.

Key Practitioner Message:
• Family therapy is changing into an evidenced based intervention
• Family therapy is integrating aspects of other therapies into its approach
• Guidelines exist which describe the content of family therapy for particular child and adolescent difficulties

Article Excerpt:

"Family therapy is now constantly seeking to connect rather than divide with the phrase 'both/and' more common than that of 'either/or' (Goldner et al., 1990)."

Rivett, M. (2008), Towards a Metamorphosis: Current Developments in the Theory and Practice of Family Therapy. Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 13, 102–106.