Family Therapy: An Introduction to Process, Practice, and Theory

Family Therapy, second edition, is a fully updated and essential textbook that provides students and practitioners with foundational concepts, theory, vocabulary, and skills to excel as a family therapist.

This book is a primer of how family therapists conceptualize the problems that people bring to therapy, utilize basic therapeutic skills to engage clients in the therapeutic process, and navigate the predominant models of family therapy. The text walks readers through the process of thinking like a family therapist, and each chapter utilizes various learning tools to help the reader further understand and apply the concepts. Chapters explore the history, context, and dominant theories of family therapy, as well as diversity, ethics, empathy, structuring sessions, and assessment. Written in a comprehensive and approachable style, this text provides readers with the foundational skills and tools essential for being a family therapist, and allows students and practitioners to work relationally and systemically with clients. The second edition widens its scope of the family therapy field with updated research and four brand-new chapters.

This is an essential text for introductory family therapy courses and a comprehensive resource for postgraduate students and the next generation of family therapists.

Michael D. Reiter, Ph.D., LMFT, is an AAMFT Approved Supervisor, 30-year therapist, and a full-time faculty member for over 20 years. He currently teaches and supervises at Capella University.