Family Therapy: A Systemic Integration (6th Edition) [Hardcover]

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

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0205446949 | ISBN-13: 978-0205446940 | Publication Date: May 22, 2005 | Edition: 6

This text is a comprehensive survey of the field of marriage and family therapy, with emphasis on a systemic theoretical perspective. The systemic-cybernetic framework in Family Therapy provides a framework for 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. Family therapy models considered, include psychodynamic, natural systems, experiential, structural, communications, strategic, and behavioral/cognitive as well as several postmodern approaches. Relative to practice, assessment, intervention, training and supervision, research, and epistemological challenges are described and discussed. This Sixth Edition includes information on the most recent developments as well as the ongoing issues of which the family therapy practitioner needs to be aware (Ch. 2).It has also been updated with the newest information about various approaches to Family Therapy (Chapters 6-13). Increased emphasis is now placed on the importance of training and supervision. A rich discussion of the most recent research findings as well as related methodological issues continues to ensure this text is the most comprehensive available (Ch. 17).

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

The systemic-cybernetic framework in Family Therapy provides a framework for 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.

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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Product Details

• Hardcover: 432 pages
• Publisher: Allyn & Bacon; 6 edition (May 22, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0205446949
• ISBN-13: 978-0205446940
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 7.1 x 1.1 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: #775,657 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.