Systems Theory and Family Therapy: A Primer

by Raphael J. Becvar, Sally St. George (Foreword), Dan Wulff (Foreword)

A concise, readable introduction to systems theory (and especially second-order cybernetics) with practical applications to family therapy. Systems Theory and Family A Primer, Fourth Edition, provides a thorough yet concise explication of systems theory (cybernetics), which is the primary paradigm for the practice of systemic individual, marital, and family therapy. This book provides an overview of the essential concepts of a systems theoretical perspective using families and family therapy in context as examples and illustrations of their application in professional practice. Readers are invited to see themselves as parts of the systems with which they are working, consistent with a second-order cybernetics perspective. This book concludes with more than one hundred examples of how the meta-perspective of systems theory can be used in work with families.

Genres: Grad School, Counselling

158 pages, Paperback

Published October 3, 2023

Reviews

[Andrea Kaplan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never wrote a review for this because I didn't care, but 10 months (and 7 classes for my Master's program) after finishing it, I'm so freaking grateful to have been recommended this book. I think I've referenced it for 75% of the papers I've written. It discusses different systems theory concepts, making sense of each one. It's like my encyclopedia for systems theory, or a really fantastic glossary. Shout out to Dr. Bosley for recommending this when I asked for something to read before classes started. Big win.

[Nate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short book of family systems theory. The strong philosophical worldview surprised me (utilitarian and postmodern), but I enjoyed the descriptive applications (particularly around stages of family development).

[Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The concepts containers in the book are great. Unfortunately, there is a lot of jargon making the concepts difficult to extrapolate. The examples contained within the book to help to clarify new concepts and lend them a practical point of view.

[Lindsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super boring and dry. No practical application at all. Fortunately, it was mercifully short.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good textbook to start with

Explains basics of systems theory. Great text book. Love the lists of principles towards the end. A good list to keep around