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Vol. 10
8/ 2002 |
2nd
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RESEARCHERS
INDICATE ABOUT FAMILY THERAPY
Nguyeãn vieát Ñöùc
Researcher
Initially,
research came first and therapy was a secondary activity. Research can be found in more places than one
can deep up with. There are multitude of
methods to do research such as surveys personal interviews, observational
studies, and content analysis of historical documents.
Research
is important in family therapy for many reasons. Accountability, Practically,
and uniqueness are the three most importance of family therapy research.
Accountability:
The family therapists can prove that they are not witch doctors, snake oil,
peddlers, or overachieving do- gooders. Research
results are necessary element in the gaining of respectability for family
therapy.
Practicality:
Research studies have an influence on clinical practice in a long run. It is critical that practitioners as well as
statisticians become familiar with family therapy research methods and
outcomes.
Uniqueness:
The field of family therapy establishes its common bond and point of departure
with other mental health counseling approaches.
In the process of gaining knowledge about treatment methods and
approaches, the professional family therapists establish an entity that can
make claims for its theories, practices, and clinicians. Research is a vital link in the claim that
family therapy should and does stand on its own as a type of specialized
treatment.
I.TWO TYPES OF FAMILY THERAPY
RESEARCH
Qualitative
Research: It is rooted in he tradition of
anthropology, and sociology. Most
qualitative research is characterized by its open endedness. It uses small samples with the participant
& observer & researcher gathering and analyzing data simultaneously in
a narrative manner.
Quantitative
research is characterized by its closed-ended questions, large sample sizes,
objective data reporting, and numerical data analysis after the data is
collected. Its conclusions are
deductive, written in a prosaic form, with reference to standard measures of
validity and reliability. It seeks to
prove or disprove a theory or hypothesis.
Whether
one chooses qualitative or quantitative research methods, studying families is
complicated, especially if a systems model is followed.
II. RESEARCH FINDING IN FAMILY
THERAPY
Most
individuals improve when they receive therapy of any kind, especially when
compared to similar persons who are left on their own to resolve problems. Comprehensive reviews of family therapy
research indicate specially that:
The
family therapy and the individual therapy have the same rate of improvement.
The
deterioration rate in family therapy is likewise similar to the deterioration
rate in individual therapy.
Deterioration
may occur because:
Therapist
has poor interpersonal skills.
Therapist
moves too quickly into sensitive topic areas and does not handle the situation
well.
The
family conflict becomes exacerbated without moderating therapeutic
intervention.
The
therapist does not provide adequate structure in the early stages of therapy.
Lack of support to family members.
The
family therapy, family conflict, and individual counseling for personal
problems have the same effectiveness.
Brief
therapy of 20 sessions or less is as effective as long term therapy.
The
participation of fathers in family therapy is much more likely to bring out
positive results than family therapy without such participation.
The
skillful therapists are crucial in producing positive outcomes.
Less
severe family problems are most successfully treated.
Psychosomatic
problems can be treated successfully with a modified version of structural
family therapy.
The
background and present interactions of family relate to the success or failure
of family therapy.
Jose Szapocznik and his associates at the
The
development of the strategic family systems rating measured and evaluated
family functioning on six dimensions: Structure, resonance, developmental
stage, identified, patient hood, flexibility, and conflict resolution.
The
creation of One-Person Family (OPFT): Help that person to make the changes in
family system. (Strategic family therapy).
Psychodynamic
child therapy versus family therapy: This is a landmark study in supporting the
family therapy concept of complementarity that is, if
one person gets better and the family structure is not changed, the rest of the
family gets worse.
THE
FUTURE OF FAMILY THERAPY
Family
life is constantly changing. For
instance, 1n 1980’s among White, middle class American agreed that a healthy
and functional family was patriarchal. Fathers were breadwinners and rule
makers; mothers were bread makers and caregivers. This image is still
attractive to many people.
Realistically, there have been various forms of functional
families. Families will become even more
diversified in the future.
The
proportion of American adults who are married is decreasing. Most children under age 18 will spend part of
their childhood living with only one parent.
Being a family therapist today is more challenging than ever
before. The families of today are
characterized by diversity, not only diversity of structure but diversity along
class, ethnic, culture, and gender lines.
I. SOME PREDICTIONS ABOUT FAMILY
THERAPY’S FUTURE
There
have been numerous predictions about the future of family therapy. Among the best predictions are two
experienced practitioners in he field, Gurman and Kniskern. These clinicians outline the following
changes in the practice of family therapy.
The
practice of family therapy will be more strongly influenced by insurance
reimbursement policies than in the past.
The treatment will be brief, entail clearly defined and specific goals,
and be more oriented toward psycho-education.
More
integrated models of treatment: It will be more integrated and less theory
driven than previously.
Practice
geared toward certain psychiatric disorders: Some adolescent conduct disorders
have been found to respond best to family therapy.
Greater
attention paid to therapist family relationships: More attention to therapist
& patient & family relationship.
The families have the potential to help healing members who have been
hurt by demonstrating greater understanding, concern, warmth, and empathy. The family therapists can help families bring
about needed positive changes.
More
research based treatment: The family therapists will become similar to
physicians in offering clinical services based on empirical data instead of
what they intuitively suspect will work.
Neil
Jacobson found that severe wife abusers have heart rates dropped instead of
rose during arguments. This is such
startling discovery that has and will have clinical implications for years to
come (Peterson & Painter, 1993).