What reviewers are saying about Family Therapy: A Systemic Integration. . .

“As teaching students to think systematically is one of my primary course objectives, the Becvar and Becvar text could not provide a better main text for meeting that particular objective.”

Cindy Carlson, University of Texas at Austin

“The authors have modified original counseling theories and updated them so that they are more user friendly. When it is time for me to make a textbook change, I will be strongly inclined to adopt this text for use in my Family Counseling Class.”

Dr. Wanda Staley, Morehead State University

Highlights of the Sixth Edition. . .

• Updated with recent developments and ongoing issues of which the family therapy practitioner needs to be aware (Chapter 2).
• Updated with new information about various approaches to family therapy (Chapters 6—13).
• Increased emphasis on importance of training and supervision (Chapter 16).
• Discussion of the most recent research findings as well as related methodological issues (Chapter 17).
• NEW! Marriage and family therapy Videoworkshop, on CD-Rom, includes a student learning guide along with 85 minutes (20 clips) of specific video footage. Available FREE when packaged with Becvar/Becvar!

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This comprehensive, yet user-friendly survey of the field of marriage and family therapy emphasizes the systemic/cybernetic perspective.

 The systemic-cybernetic framework helps readers  understanding people and families in context.  The text – divided into three sections including "The Systemic Framework," "The Practice of Family Therapy," and "The Systemic Practitioner" – includes historical information, current developments,  and ongoing debates. Various family and developmental theories are integrated into a “dynamic process model” for viewing and understanding family interactions and relationships.  The family therapy models considered include psychodynamic, natural systems, experiential, structural, communications, strategic, and behavioral/cognitive as well as several postmodern  approaches.  Within the context of practice, Assessment; Intervention; Training/Supervision; Research; and Epistemological Challenges are described and discussed

Each chapter concludes with “Summary.”

Preface.

PART I. THE SYSTEMIC FRAMEWORK.

 1. Two Different World Views.

 2. The Historical Perspective.

 3. The Paradigmatic Shift of Systems Theory.

 4. Postmodernism and Family Therapy.

 5. The Family: Process, Development, and Context.

II. THE PRACTICE OF FAMILY THERAPY.

 6. Psychodynamic Approaches.

 7. Natural Systems Theory.

 8. Experiential Approaches.

 9. The Structural Approach.

10. Communications Approaches.

11. Strategic Approaches and the Milan Influence.

12. Behavioral/Cognitive Approaches.

13. Postmodern Approaches.

III. THE SYSTEMIC PRACTITIONER.

14. Family Assessment.

15. Therapeutic Intervention and Strategies.

16. Training and Supervision.

17. Research in Family Therapy.

18. Epistemological Challenges: Thinking About Our Thinking.

References.

Name Index.

Subject Index. \n

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