This popular text helps students and clinicians build essential skills common to all family interventions. The entire process of systemic therapy is richly illustrated with chapter-length case examples. Rather than advocating one best approach, the author shows that there are multiple ways of working, and provides reflection questions and exercises that encourage readers to develop their own clinical style.
At best this book acts as an overview of the basic principles of family therapy. It does does provide a nice introduction to the discipline of family therapy, while also inserting, albeit on a surface level, the stickier issues that can arise in the context of family work. At worst it read a bit like a "How TO" pamphlet. In my opinion, what makes this book readable is its one line take-a-ways. For example- Fighting by Proxy to highlight the often seen dynamic of the children acting out the parent's conflict. If you are getting your hands dirty for the first time in Family Therapy, its worth skimming.
This is a valuable book for learning techniques and approaches to dealing with the family in a therapeutic setting. It's a helpful supplement to field work, and can serve as a reference for a variety of situations and family dynamics you may see as a therapist.
This was a very informative book. While I don't agree with everything he has said I think his methods are important to recognize. I enjoyed his writing style as it wasn't "textbooky" but you were still learning new styles and methods as you read.
I might have to make this a required book for my Marriage Family Therapy masters students... It's already influencing how I lecture about the readings they're already doing this semester...