Couples and Family Therapy in Clinical Practice

This book is an updated edition of the classic textbook on couple and family therapy through a psychiatric lens. It delineates clinical practice, research, and training issues, in part through case examples. The book presents family therapy and family-oriented interventions with an emerging evidence-base in an easy-to-read and digestible manner.

The book is organized into six sections, starting with the history of the field followed by general concepts of family function and dysfunction, evaluation, treatment, indications, and results. All this aids the reader into gaining an understanding about the underlying principles and hypotheses behind family models of treatment. Readers will also become familiar with techniques that can be utilized in the therapeutic space to foster change and growth in both patients and their families. The text addresses the need for the modern day clinician to have a solid foundation in cultural competency and to be able to work with patients who come from a myriad of cultural, ethnic, sexual, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Furthermore, the book also covers ethical quandaries, professionalism, and training issues.