Therapy with Stepfamilies (Basic Principles Into Practice) [Paperback]

Emily B. Visher (Author), John S. Visher (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1996 | ISBN-10: 0876307993 | ISBN-13: 978-0876307991 | Edition: 1

The author proceed to regard stepfamilies as different-not better or worse-than the nuclear family for successful therapy. While it is designed to be concise, the book offers a comprehensive look at this topic. The Vishers have crafted a text that will be equally useful to therapists working with stepfamilies, those unfamiliar with the field, and as a text for therapy training programs ]o

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 1 edition (March 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0876307993
• ISBN-13: 978-0876307991
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #858,612 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars compact, specific, useful - and misses key points, August 27, 2004

By 

Peter Gerlach (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Therapy with Stepfamilies (Basic Principles Into Practice) (Paperback)

I have been a professional stepfamily researcher and therapist for 27 and 24 years, respectively. I'm currently an invited Board member of the DStepfamily Association oof America, and a contributing editor to "Your Stepfamily Online" e-magazine. I've lived in two stepfamilies, as a stepgran\dson, stepson, stepfather, and stepbrother.

This classic book is commendable for (a) indicating the scope of issues with typical stepfamily clients, (b) focusing on the differences between intact biofamilies and typical stepfamilies, (c) hilighting common major therapeutic iswues and suggesting useful interventions, (d) being upbeat and realistic in tone, and (e) providing a usable index.

I believe the Vishers omit several key issues: (1) the common stressor of co-parents being wounded from low-nurturance childhoods, and what to do about that; (2) the common stressors of values conflicts and (Karpmann) relationship triangles; (3) the concept of surface problems and underlying primary needs determining most behavior and surface "problems," and (4) the importance of having co-parents and relatives accept their stepfamily identity, and what it *means;* (tho they do focus on helping co-parents change myths into realistic expectations).

Overall, this is a fine book for students and experienced therapists who embrace the family systems paradigm. Learning the concepts and related interventions for the four points above will add to any clinician's effectiveness.

For more perspective, see these:

[...]