Family Therapy introduces practitioners to the principles of using a constructive and collaborative approach with families. The approach builds on a strengths-based philosophy and focuses on enhancing family resilience and competence in a way that is both time-efficient and comprehensive. It brings together skills from contemporary models such as solution-focused, narrative and conversational therapies and adapts them to the specific challenges of working with family relationships. It is the first book to systematically integrate these influential approaches and apply them to family work.
Setting out a clear framework for practice, Roger Lowe describes the key tasks for the therapist as:
· hosting meetings
· negotiating concerns, and
· evoking family members' personal and relationship resources.
The framework is designed to be clear but flexible, and to allow practitioners to adapt it to their own situational needs. For example, it suggests ways for practitioners to selectively 'borrow' from other therapeutic models while retaining a constructive orientation. It also explores ways in which therapists can use their 'inner' conversation during a session as a tool to overcome obstacles to the therapeutic process. Although there is a common belief that the approach is only suited to brief interventions, the author also describes ways of working constructively over a longer period of time.
Throughout the book, case studies are included to show how the constructive framework is used in practice and to highlight a range of challenging situations that may be encountered during family therapy.
Roger Lowe's book provides a refreshingly different approach to working with families, which chimes with the growing interest in constructive approaches. It is written for trainees and for practitioners who are interested in developing their skills in this collaborative and optimistic approach.
