The Craft of Family Therapy: Challenging Certainties

by Salvador Minuchin, Michael D. Reiter, Charmaine Borda

Family therapy trainees are inundated with a multitude of family therapy theories. They also have difficulty shifting from an individualistic view to one of seeing interactions and systems. How do therapists hone their own methods with all of these choices? And how do they learn how to best treat families with all of the focus being taken away from their clients and redirected instead on processes? Perhaps most importantly, how can they learn through an inductive process of exploring what has occurred during the therapeutic session?
Veteran therapist and founder of Structural Family Therapy, Salvador Minuchin, goes back to basics with his two co-authors Michael D. Reiter and Charmaine Borda in The Craft of Family Therapy . In this book they teach readers basic communication and family therapy skills using some of Dr. Minuchin’s most interesting and illuminating cases. Not only do readers re-learn basic techniques, such as reframing and joining, but they are treated to an in-depth commentary on each case, with Dr. Minuchin emphasizing the techniques he uses that allow him to refocus attention from the Identified Patient to the family as a whole. The book ends with three supervision transcripts from Dr. Minuchin’s students, whose commentary illuminates the struggles, fears, and insecurities that new family therapists face and how they can overcome them. Each of these chapters ends with a consultation interview that Dr. Minuchin conducted with each supervisee’s case family.

Genres: Psychology

234 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book made so much more sense after I had been a practicing therapist for a couple of years. A must read for those 2-3 years into their practice and/or a great companion for supervision.

[Mari Annus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lugesin strukturaalse pereteraapia osa kordamiseks pereterapeudi II astme väljaõppes. Mitmekülgne ja huvitavalt kirjutatud õpik. Alguses on lühike teooriaosa mh tehnikate kordamiseks, siis on mitmeid teraapiaseansi stsenogramme koos seletustega ja väga põnev osa õpilaste poolt supervisioonist dr Minuchiniga. Olles eelnevalt lugenud ka perede teraapiaseansside kirjeldusi, teadsin, et need on suurepärased abilised näitlikustamaks õppeprotsessis. Juurde andis palju seletus, mida terapeut mõtles, millele antud kontekstis tähelepanu pöörata. Hästi normaliseeriv oli lugeda terapeutide õppeprotsessis nende õppimiskohtadest ning sellest, et isegi kogenud terapeut sai supervisiooni abil “rikkamaks”. Põnev lugemine ja kindlasti loen mingi hetk veel üle ning siis näen seda juba teise pilguga.

[Tim Nowotny · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the book although it does not dive into its theory too much. You get the foundations of family therapy and some contented case studies. Minuchin is brilliant and it’s a joy to look over his shoulder and see the inner workings of other practitioners. I just would have loved it if the book went a bit deeper in the craft aspect

[heba]

Started on 9/10, and presented on 11/28 for a class assignment. DNF - will return to it one day.