With this book, the therapeutic alliance with couples and families research has finally coalesced into a skilful and wise clinical tool. In the last ten years there have been a plethora of books (Sprenkle at al 2009) and papers (Higham 2012) raising the importance of attending to the therapeutic alliance for couple and family therapists. […]
Schizophrenia is a disabling, chronic psychiatric disorder that occurs in approximately 1% of the population (Goldner, Hsu, Waraich & Somers, 2002; Mueser & Jeste, 2008). It has severe consequences for patients with the disorder, as well as their caregivers who often present with high levels of psychological distress (Awad & Voruganti, 2008). In addition to […]
While lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) youth are at high risk for emotional and behavioral problems, research has documented that family rejection increases these risks and family acceptance decreases them (Ryan, Russell, Huebner, Diaz, & Sanchez, 2010). In this article, I will apply concepts from family systems theory to work with families who are struggling […]
Divorce is major event in the life cycle of the nuclear family. It has the potential to be traumatic and, in some circles, is even referred to as, “The death of the family.” Families torn apart, and parents (with their attorneys) as adversaries, are common to this process that is often described as a “war”. This tends to […]
Psychotherapists are often called on to help families of divorce. It can be to help a couple peacefully disentangle their relationship or help a child cope with the changes in the family. While the courts try to help children and families of divorce, they are limited by statute, the utility of custody evaluations, and the […]
Dr. Sexton talks about his role in developing Functional Family Therapy (FFT) and it’s application, his beliefs on psychotherapy skills and training, and systems theory. About Thomas Sexton, Ph.D. Dr. Sexton is the Director of the Center for Adolescent and Family Studies and professor in Counseling Psychology Program at the School of Education, Indiana University-Bloomington. He […]