Family Therapy: A Systemic Integration (4th Edition) [Hardcover]

Dorothy Stroh Becvar (Author), Raphael J. Becvar (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0205285317 | ISBN-13: 978-0205285310 | Publication Date: June 11, 1999 | Edition: 4

Family Therapy provides a comprehensive survey of the field of marriage and family therapy, with a focus on the systems theoretical perspective. This systemic-cybernetic framework provides a theoretical "map" that permits an understanding of people in the context of their environment. The text is a survey of the field of family therapy that includes current developments, evolving models, and ongoing debates. Various family and developmental theories are integrated into a "dynamic process model" for viewing and understanding family interactions and relationships, including psychodynamic, experiential, structural, communications, strategic, and behavioral approaches. Therapeutic modalities include individual, couple, group family, couples group, multiple family, networking, and symptom-focused. This revision includes an up-to-date discussion of postmodernism in Chapter 4; an expanded discussion of family processes, development, and context in Chapter 6; questions and reflections from a second-order cybernetics/ postmodernist perspective in Chapters 7-13; and the most recent research findings and discussions in Chapter 15.An Instructor's Manual/Test Bank provides sample examinations as well as student exercises and additional teaching resources.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Offering a comprehensive survey of marriage and family therapy, this book approaches the topic from a systems perspective. This systemic-cybernetic framework provides a theoretical map that helps readers understand people in the context of their environment. Current developments, evolving models, and ongoing debates are explored, and family and developmental theories are integrated into a dynamic process model for viewing and understanding family interactions and relationships.

The book presents psychodynamic, experiential, structural, communications, strategic, and behavioral approaches to understanding family relationships, and covers a broad spectrum of therapeutic modalities, including individual, couple, group family, couples group, multiple family, networking, and symptom-focused. It also shows how family therapy has evolved in the last 50 years.This revision includes an up-to-date discussion of postmodernism in Chapter 4; an expanded discussion of family process, development, and context in Chapter 6; questions and reflections from a second-order cybernetics/postmodernist perspective in Chapters 7-13; and the most recent research findings and discussions in Chapter 15. Market: For social workers, counselors, and others interested in a systemic view of family therapy.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: Allyn & Bacon; 4 edition (June 11, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0205285317
• ISBN-13: 978-0205285310
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,653,744 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Difficult to follow, March 29, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Family Therapy: A Systemic Integration (Hardcover)

I am currently using this book as a MSW student. I find this book very difficult to follow and difficult to understand. I am also a family therapist who uses structural family therapy. The chapter in this bok confused me more than it helped me.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Too difficult for a intro class, January 29, 2001

By 

"minuet1965" (Kailua, HI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Family Therapy: A Systemic Integration (4th Edition) (Hardcover)

I am using this book for a Marriage and Family Therapy class. I found this book to be too difficult to understand and it took several readings to fully comprehend what they were trying to get across. Good concepts on Bowen but I would not recommend schools use this for an intro course. Its extremely frustrating.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars overly analytical, January 14, 2009

By 

Bryan (Tacoma, WA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Family Therapy: A Systemic Integration (7th Edition) (Hardcover)

As many have written, this text was extremely difficult to follow and its discussion on cybernetics was not especially relevant to the field. As a practicing therapist, this text did little to improve my understanding and did much to muddy the waters.