The suspension of social services in Hong Kong during the COVID-19 pandemic increased the caregiver strain for families of adolescent children with intellectual disabilities, possibly aggravating their family relationships. This article reports on an online Multi-Family Group (MFG) conducted during the pandemic for Hong Kong Chinese families of…

This article will present an ongoing Erasmus + Innovative Academic Course on Integrative Interventions for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, IACIIC-ASD, implemented betweeen 2017/2019 by the West University of Timisoara (WUT) Department of Educational Sciences, in partnership with Universita degli studi di Firenze (UNIFI), Universitatea…

The movie "Ya Sonra" is evaluated in respect to the basic concepts and principles of symbolic-experiential family therapy. Carl Whitaker, who called his approach "Psychotherapy of Absurdity" mainly emphasized the concepts of absurdity, experientiality, and symbolism. Based on the hypothesis that film analysis supports and…

The idea that parenting matters for early child development is now firmly recognised by policymakers. It is well established that parents' investments influence young children's development, and their chances in life. Parenting is one of the most important drivers of social inequalities in cognitive development before school. We also know that…

This article describes the experiences of a U.S.-based family therapy practitioner during a 3-week academic consultation in the Philippines. Revisioning the concept of cultural competency as a performance that occurs in relationship, the author shares three autoethnographic stories that illustrate cultural borderlands in the global arena of family…

In-patient care, provided at Tier 4 level, is a specialised field aimed at provision of high-quality care for young people with serious mental health problems. This survey investigates how the regional in-patient unit for children in Northern Ireland functioned. A retrospective investigation was performed of cases admitted under the care of the…

Presents the results of six years of clinical research on families (N=114) with psychotic children. Suggests the child's psychotic breakdown is the endpoint of a six-stage process which begins with the child's intervention in the parent's "stalemated" interaction. (Author/ABB)

Explores similarities between Kelly's Personal Construct Theory (PCT) and systemic therapies. Asserts that (1) PCT and systemic therapies share common epistemological stance, constructivism; (2) personal construct systems possess properties of open systems; and (3) PCT and systemic therapies hold similar positions on relevant theoretical and…

Answers Anderson's (1986) criticism of two main issues in Selvini's presention: professional ethics and methodology. Defends the lack of technical detail in favor of presenting the six-stage process as a model of psychotic family interactional games. (Author/ABB)

This paper explores the history of deconstruction and discusses the use of the theories it involves within the author's work in family therapy situations. Jacques Derrida's term, deconstruction, has achieved widespread use among psychotherapists. This derives largely from the influence of Michael White, who has interpreted it in a Foucauldian way…

Uses a case study to show how a therapist can help a family by breaking their loops of preferential behaviors. Describes a systemic approach that helps prevent families from using the same feedback loops that lead to dead-ends in their behavior. (JAC)

Describes a method for systematically recording the process of family therapy (the Focal Therapy Record Sheet), which demands a conceptual distinction between assessment of families and treatment techniques. A detailed case illustration showing the sheets completed for each of 14 sessions after two diagnostic interviews is provided. (Author/JAC)

The article reports the case history of a 15-year-old Australian girl with anorexia nervosa. Information is also given on prevalence, causes, definitions, and treatments including hospitalization, co-therapy, psychotherapy, behavior modification, family therapy, and counseling. (DB)

Efforts to alleviate the emotional pain of terminally ill children and their parents have led many physicians to turn to child psychiatrists for psychological support and treatment services. This book, written by a child psychotherapist, offers an overview of children's attitudes to death and considers the moral and ethical issues raised by…

Compares the therapist's function to that of a theatrical director who revises a play, the family drama, which the actors continue to recite according to an old script with a foregone conclusion. To achieve his goal, the therapist uses certain contextual elements to construct an alternative 'reading' of events. (Author)