An Introduction to Marriage and Family Therapy

634 Pages·2014·3.83 MB·English

by  Joseph L. Wetchler

“This book provides a scholarly and practical approach to the advancements in
the field of family therapy. Readers will benefit from discussions on the influence
of gender, culture, spirituality, and sexual orientation. This well-conceived text
is a must-read for those who are teaching, learning, and looking to expand their
knowledge about family therapy approaches, research, and ethical issues.”
—Jennifer Hodgson, PhD, LMFT, Professor, East Carolina University;
Former Chair, Commission on Accreditation for Marriage
and Family Therapy Education
“Drs. Wetchler and Hecker have recruited the top thinkers in family therapy
theory and practice to share their knowledge of the field in this revised volume.
This text presents critical and often overlooked information about both the history
of family therapy and the field’s most contemporary issues in a clear, easy-to-read
manner. It is a perfect addition to any MFT’s bookshelf, whether you are just
orienting yourself to the world of family therapy or have been practicing for a
lifetime.”
—Katherine M. Hertlein, PhD, Program Director, UNLV;
Co-author, The Couple and Family
Technology Framework
“This second edition remains an engaging, pithy introduction to the rich history
and practice of marriage and family therapy. The authors include as central
concepts contextual issues of gender, race, culture, sexual orientation, and spiri-
tuality. They extend their focus into the future through topics such as the
emergence of evidence-based therapy and common factors, and the role of
marriage and family therapy in addressing critical clinical issues such as mental
and physical illnesses, family violence, substance abuse, and sexual dysfunction.
This is a perfect master’s level text, but it is also for anyone who wants to know
more about the breadth, depth, and trajectory of our evolving, dynamic field.”
—Fred P. Piercy, PhD, Professor of Marriage
and Family Therapy, Virginia Tech; Editor,
Journal of Marital and Family Therapy
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and sexual orientation. This knowledge is the key to understanding what
differentiates Marriage and Family Therapy from individual psychotherapy. Glos-
saries, case studies, tables, and fi gures appear generously throughout the text to
present this information and give students a thorough overview to prepare them
for their professional lives.
Joseph L. Wetchler, PhD, is Professor in the Marriage and Family Therapy
Program at Purdue University Calumet in Hammond, Indiana. He was named
a Legacy Scholar in 2013 by the Family Therapy section of the National Council
on Family Relations for outstanding contributions to the fi eld, and has been on
the editorial boards of the most distinguished journals in the fi eld.
Lorna L. Hecker, PhD, LMFT, CHPS, is Professor in the Marriage and Family
Therapy program at Purdue University Calumet in Hammond, Indiana, and is
the Director of the Couple and Family Center there. She is the author or
co-author of numerous books on Marriage and Family Therapy, some of which
are staples in the fi eld.
AN INTRODUCTION
TO MARRIAGE AND
FAMILY THERAPY
Second Edition
Edited by Joseph L. Wetchler
and Lorna L. Hecker
Second edition published 2015
by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
and by Routledge
27 Church Road, Hove, East Sussex BN3 2FA
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2015 Taylor & Francis
The right of the editors to be identified as the authors of the editorial
material, and of the authors for their individual chapters, has been asserted
in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and
Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced
or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means,
now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording,
or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in
writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or
registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation
without intent to infringe.
First edition published by Routledge 2003
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Catalog record for this book has been requested
ISBN: 978-0-415-71949-0 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-0-415-71950-6 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-86733-5 (ebk)
Typeset in Bembo
by Apex CoVantage, LLC
CONTENTS
About the Editors x
List of Contributors xii
Acknowledgments xvi
Introduction xviii
PART I
Foundations of Marriage and Family Therapy 1
1 The History of Marriage and Family Therapy 3
Christi R. McGeorge, Thomas Stone Carlson, and
Joseph L. Wetchler
2 General Systems Theory, Cybernetics, and Family Therapy 43
Lorna L. Hecker, Grace Ann Mims, and
Shelly R. Boughner
3 Contextual Issues in Couple and Family Therapy:
Gender, Sexual Orientation, Culture, and Spirituality 65
Lindsey M. Weiler, Kevin P. Lyness, Shelley A. Haddock, and
Toni Schindler Zimmerman
viii Contents
PART II
Theories in Marriage and Family Therapy 117
4 Structural Family Therapy 119
Jared A. Durtschi and Joseph L. Wetchler
5 Strategic Family Therapy 155
Karen H. Rosen, Marcie M. Lechtenberg, and
Sandra M. Stith
6 Milan Systemic Therapy 182
Jerome Adams
7 The Collaborative Language-Based Models
of Family Therapy: When Less Is More 206
Anne Rambo and Tommie Boyd
8 Experiential Approaches to Family Therapy 229
Volker Thomas and Tracie Krum
9 Cognitive-Behavioral Therapies for Couples and Families 259
Norman B. Epstein and Mariana K. Falconier
10 Transgenerational Family Therapies 319
Julie Ramisch and Thorana S. Nelson
P ART III
Special Issues and Topics in Marriage
and Family Therapy 357
11 Couple Therapy 359
Karen B. Helmeke, Anne M. Prouty, and
Gary H. Bischof
12 Communication Training, Marriage Enrichment,
and Premarital Counseling 401
Lee Williams
13 Sexual Disorders and Sex Therapy 431
Joan D. Atwood
Contents ix
14 Special Topics in Family Therapy: Mental Illness, Physical
Illness, Substance Abuse, Family Violence, and Divorce 468
Jacob B. Priest, Connie Salts, and Thomas Smith
15 Ethical, Legal, and Professional Issues in Marriage
and Family Therapy 505
Lorna L. Hecker
16 Research in Marriage and Family Therapy 546
Richard J. Bischoff
Index 595
ABOUT THE EDITORS
Joseph L. Wetchler, PhD, is a Professor in the Marriage and Family Therapy
Program at Purdue University Calumet, Hammond, Indiana. He is a Clinical
Fellow and Approved Supervisor of the American Association for Marriage
and Family Therapy. Dr. Wetchler was named a Legacy Scholar in 2013 by
the Family Therapy Section of the National Council on Family Relations for
outstanding contribution to the field of family therapy. He was the recipient
of the 2013 Family Institute at Northwestern University Distinguished
Alumnus Award, the 2007 American Association for Marriage and Family
Therapy Award for Training, the 2004 Purdue University Calumet Outstanding
Faculty Scholar Award, and the 1997 Indiana Association for Marriage and
Family Therapy Award for Outstanding Contribution to Research in Family
Life. He served as Editor of the J ournal of Couple & Relationship Therapy from
1999 to 2008 and has served on the editorial boards of the American Journal of
Family Therapy, the J ournal of Family Psychotherapy, the Journal of Feminist Family
Therapy, the J ournal of GLBT Family Studies, the J ournal of Marital and Family
Therapy, and the Journal of Clinical Activities, Assignments & Handouts in Psychotherapy
Practice. Dr. Wetchler is the co-editor (with Jerry Bigner) of H andbook of LGBT-
Affirmative Couple & Family Therapy, editor of the first and second editions of
Handbook of Clinical Issues in Couple Therapy, co-editor (with Fred Piercy and
Katherine Hertlein) of Handbook of the Clinical Treatment of Infidelity, co-editor
(with Jerry Bigner) of Relationship Therapy with Same-Sex Couples, co-editor (with
Volker Thomas and Terri Karis) of Clinical Issues with Interracial Couples, and
co-author (with Fred Piercy and Douglas Sprenkle) of the Family Therapy
Sourcebook, 2nd Edition, as well as co-editor (with Lorna Hecker) of the first
edition of this I ntroduction to Marriage and Family Therapy. He also is the author
of numerous journal articles on social justice issues in family therapy, family