Customer Reviews

Metaframeworks: Transcending the Models of Family Therapy (Jossey-Bass Social & Behavioral Science)

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I'm surprised that this book has 0 customer reviews, so here's a review:

I see the aim of this book as to provide a structure for a therapist to combine various models of therapy into a workable therapy, rather than to either use a single model or to combine models in haphazard ways. That being the goal, it does a good job at achieving this by providing 6 core metaframeworks such as "Sequences", "Developmental", and the individual's own internal thought system, "Internal Family Systems".
This book works with factors from the individual to the society level, which is good because people are both individuals, family, and societal (a part of and influenced by society). Systems thinking is well-integrated into the book, as well as defined.
This metaframeworks book integrates four building blocks to help a therapist integrate models specific to their clients. The four building blocks are:
The systemic view, a set of presuppositions, the metaframeworks themselves, and the blueprint for therapy.

This book lacks much detail in how to do specific therapies, but that makes sense because it isn't a book of frameworks, but *metaframeworks*. It can integrate, to some degree, any model a person wishes to apply to it. If you're looking for a way to effectively combine family therapy models, look no further (are there even any books like this to look further at, anyway?). If you're looking for a new model to try, you might not find what you're looking for here, though the Internal Family Systems (IFS) section does go over some basics of the IFS model.
I found out a couple years ago that the three-year therapy masters program at Central Connecticut State University uses this book as the core of their program, having their students use the concepts of this book to combine various models in order to do therapy with a diverse range of clients with various reasons for coming to therapy.

This book is not only information rich, it is also about a way of doing therapy with anyone and everyone, including groups of people, in a way whose time has finally come. Metaframeworks is based on the Eastern concept of a Self that is not only more expansive and compassionate, but able to look at the warring factions within a person, relationship or family and make peace. It relies upon the therapist to do co-therapy with the client(s). It is a lovely, pertinent way to do talk therapy because it assumes that any abberant way of thinking or acting is a defense that can be examined and healed by the individual doing it. It is a juicy book that talks about egalitarianism and equality across the board. Don't take my word for it, get your own copy!

...and makes it easy to understand. Geared toward work with systems (i.e., families), but I have found it to be just as useful in working with individuals. A must-have for the professional therapist.

I teach family therapy on the graduate level and have been practicing family therapy for over thirty years. I am very familiar with all the different family therapy theoretical orientations and the turf wars that go on between them. I very much appreciate this book. The authors skillfully bring the strengths of all the different orientations together in a manner that is coherent, practical and useful. I found myself getting more and more energized about family therapy as I read each page. I have already begun utilizing and teaching many of the concepts and I believe they have greatly enhanced my therapy. This is a very, very good book. I've been unsuccessfully trying to get ahold of the CD simulation that goes along with this book, so if anyone knows where I can purchase it I'd appreciate the information. Also, I don't know why, but you can purchase this book very inexpensively (I got mine new through Amazon for $6.00).

This is a great framework for those who are seeing clients for better mental health issues. It shows how clinicians can take various therapuetic approaches and use them to enlarge the capactiy for clients to reach a higher understanding of their experiences.