An Introduction to

Family Therapy

This is the presentation of the new, extended and improved version of An Introduction to Family
Therapy, your reference guide containing detailed information about all important facets of family
therapy: schools and methods, strategies used, structure and content of family therapy sessions, stages,
basic techniques, influential people, history of family therapy,
The cover illustration is from Zirta from Mexico: www.zirta.net
E-mail address: beatriz@zirta.net - betyto@gmail.com
* The electronic edition of this practical family therapy manual is available as a free download
file at http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/Jaimelavie?searchTerms=family+therapy
* The paperback book can be purchased at the lulu website:
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/Jaimelavie?searchTerms=family+therapy

The manual provides extended background information about history and development of marital and
family therapy and describes the lives and careers of the principal pioneers and leaders in the field.
Ample attention is given to the most important contemporary models and schools of schools:

Brief Strategic Family Therapy

Brief Strategic Family Therapy for Adolescent Drug Abuse

Solution Focused Brief Therapy

Brief Psycho Therapy

Psycho-analytiuc Family Therapy

Strategic Family Therapy

Bowens Strategic Family Therapy

Salvador Minuchins Structural Family Therapy

Virginia Satirs Humanistic Family Therapy

Behavioural & Conjoint Family Therapy

Milan Systemic Family Therapy or Long Brief Therapy

Response Based Family Therapy

Contextual Family Therapy

Narrative Family Therapy

Problem Centered Systems Family Therapy

Experiential Family Therapy

Following basic Techniques used in Family Therapy are described in detail:

ACCOMMODATION
AFFECTIVE CONFRONTATION
ASKING PERMISSION
BEGINNERS MIND
BOUNDARY FORMATION
ADDING COGNITIVE CONSTRUCTIONS
1. ADVICE AND INFORMATION
2. PRAGMATIC FICTIONS
3. PARADOX
COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUES
1. MATCHING THE CLIENTS LANGUAGE
2. MATCHING SENSORY MODALITIES
3. CHANNELING THE CLIENTS LANGUAGE
4. USE OF VERB FORMS
5. GIVE CLOSE EXAMINATION TO THEIR LANGUAGE AND YOURS.
COMMUNICATION SKILL-BUILDING TECHNIQUES
1. REFLECTING
2. REPEATING
3. FAIR FIGHTING TECHNIQUES
4. TAKING TURNS EXPRESSING FEELINGS
5. NONJUDGMENTAL BRAINSTORMING
6. EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
CONCLUSION
CONFIRMATION OF A FAMILY MEMBER:
DEFRAMING
DETRIANGULATION
DIAGNOSING
DIFFERENTIATION OF SELF
DISEQUILIBRIUM TECHNIQUES
1. REFRAMING:
3. BOUNDARY MAKING
4. PUNCTUATION:
4. UNBALANCING:
LESSONS IN EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
EMOTIONAL CUT-OFF
THE EMPTY CHAIR
ENACTMENT
FAMILY CHOREOGRAPHY
FAMILY CONTRACT
FAMILY COUNCIL MEETINGS
FAMILY FLOOR PLAN

FAMILY LIFE CYCLE

FAMILY PHOTOS
FAMILY SCULPTING
FAMILY SYSTEM STRATEGIES
THE GENOGRAM
GOAL SETTING
ICEBREAKER COMPLIMENT OR POSITIVE STATEMENT
IDENTIFICATION
INFORMATION-GATHERING TECHNIQUES
1. THE GENOGRAM
2. FAMILY PHOTOS
3. FAMILY FLOORPLAN
INTENSITY
INTERVENTION TECHNIQUES
RELATIONSHIP EXPERIMENTS.
COACHING.
I-POSITIONS.
DISPLACEMENT STORIES.
TAKING SIDE & MEDIATING.
THE EMPTY CHAIR
FAMILY COUNCIL MEETINGS
STRATEGIC ALLIANCES
PRESCRIBING INDECISION
PUTTING THE CLIENT IN CONTROL OF THE SYMPTOM
SPECIAL DAYS, MINI-VACATIONS, SPECIAL OUTINGS
PROBLEM SOLVING
FAMILY CONTRACTS
REFRAMING
PUNCTUATION
UNBALANCING
RESTRUCTURING
ENACTMENT
BOUNDARY FORMATION
WORKING WITH SPONTANEOUS INTERACTION
INTENSITY
SHAPING COMPETENCE
ADDING COGNITIVE CONSTRUCTIONS
INVOLUNTARY CLIENT SHEMA

JOINING
1. TRACKING:
2. MIMESIS:
3. CONFIRMATION OF A FAMILY MEMBER:
4. ACCOMODATION:

5. MAINTENANCE
NORMALIZATION
OBSERVATION
POSITIVE CONNOTATION
PARADOXICAL INJUNCTIONS
PRAGMATIC FICTIONS
PRESCRIBING INDECISION
PROBLEM TRACKING
PROBLEM SOLVING TECHNIQUES
PROBLEM DISSOLUTION
PUNCTUATION
PUTTING CLIENT IN CONTROL OF THE SYMPTOM
QUESTIONS
1. THE MIRACLE QUESTION:
2. FAST-FORWARDING QUESTIONS
3. THE EXCEPTION QUESTION:
4. STRATEGIC BASIC QUESTIONS:
5. PROVOCATIVE QUESTIONS:
6. SCALING QUESTIONS AND PERCENTAGE QUESTIONS
7. EXCEPTION SEEKING QUESTIONS
8. COPING QUESTIONS
9. OPEN QUESTIONS
10. PROCESS QUESTIONS.
11. LINEAR QUESTIONS
12. CIRCULAR QUESTIONS
15. PROBLEM TRACKING QUESTIONS
16. CONVERSATIONAL QUESTIONS
17. FRAMING QUESTIONS
18. DEFRAMING QUESTIONS
REFRAMING
REFRAMING PROBLEM DEFINITIONS
RESTRUCTURING
SHAPING COMPETENCE
USE OF SILENCE
SPECIAL DAYS, MINI-VACATIONS, SPECIAL OUTINGS
WORKING WITH SPONTANEOUS INTERACTION
STRATEGIC ALLIANCES
TRACKING
UNBALANCING
INTRODUCING UNCERTAINTY
UTILIZATION STRATEGY

The structure, strategies and different stages of the Family Therapy Process are discussed.
The Systemic Family Therapy Manual that is part of this introduction, provides a detailed survey of
therapy outlines, goals and checklists for initial , middle and end sessions of a systemic Family Therapy.
Appendixes include samples of appointment letter, video consent, referrer letter, post assessment letter,
closing letter, session notes record form and diagnostic interview outline.
See for more information:
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/Jaimelavie?searchTerms=family+therapy