Normal Family Processes: Growing Diversity and Complexity

by Froma Walsh

Since its original publication two decades ago, this widely adopted text has been acclaimed as a milestone in the clinical literature. Surveying the vast diversity of family forms, life challenges, and value systems in our rapidly changing society, the volume has helped redefine the boundaries of "normal family life" for generations of students and practitioners. This fully revised and expanded third edition once again brings together leading contributors to illuminate the complexities of healthy family functioning across varied structural arrangements and sociocultural and developmental contexts. Existing chapters have been updated or fully rewritten to reflect the latest theories, research, demographic trends, and clinical practices. Seven entirely new chapters address single parent families, immigrant families, spirituality, family resilience, key processes in marital success and failure, and more.

Genres: Counselling, Psychology, Nonfiction, Grad School, School, Textbooks, Academic

678 pages, Hardcover

First published February 24, 1982

Reviews

[Chandel]

Some. Hapters were better than others but overall i found this text to represent only the experince of cisgendered, hetero people whoch is unfortunate given there are so many experinces beyond that binary.

[Annette]

Some of the information is outdated now, so I'd like to read a more updated version. Overall, though, so informative about family systems!

[Dena McGoldrick Butler]

required reading for graduate program

Liked the format, lots of good information

[Nicola Forbes]

I used this book to teach family psychology and although it’s old, it’s pretty thorough and got the job done.

[Melanie Rabalais]

the title is deceiving
Unless the topic of counseling and family systems interests you, you would probably find reading this a waste of time. So, yeah, I liked it alright because I find family systems interesting

[Sab]

This book was an intense read. Although very informative, I found it difficult to stay interested in this book. There were many stats that were conflicting but overall i pretty easy read. Unless you plan on getting a degree in family studies I would not recommend this book. It is more of a text.

[Julia]

A fantastic social work textbook. I utilize it in the family social work MSW class I teach.

[Alisa]

Full of good information, particularly Ch 20, but I'm happy I'm finished.