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This paper attempts to illuminate some of the ethical dilemmas of a clinician/researcher interviewing women about a sensitive topic-their experience of having witnessed domestic violence in the family they grew up in, as part of a grounded theory study. Vignettes are presented to illustrate the self-reflexive process of the researcher and how she understood the effects of the interview process on her and the participants. The authors argue that doing indepth qualitative research interviewing is an intervention in the life of the participants, especially, but not only, when the researchers are clinically-trained. However, this clinical training may also be an important resource from which to draw from, to act ethically and understand some of the complexity of the interaction between researcher and participants.

Given the low incidence of marriage breakdown in Malta, this study investigates the level of marital satisfaction among Maltese couples and how they manage conflict between them. One particular interest in conducting this study has been that of exploring how cultural beliefs shape marital relationships and to what extent Maltese clinicians can rely on the Anglo-American literature in their clinical work with married couples. Three hundred and fifty-four randomly selected couples answered a self-administered questionnaire simultaneously and separately. A number of findings, namely the influence of a child-oriented family in the level of marital satisfaction and the predominance of a constructive style of conflict resolution, differed from those we normally find in the Anglo-American literature. The study addresses the importance of taking into account the cultural context when working with couples. The implications for practice of the various beliefs embedded in the culture are highlighted.

Changes in parenting: key issues1. Raising children in single-parent families. 2. Sexual orientation and parenting. 3. Child development theories and processes. 4. The roles of mothers and fathers. 5. The impact of increasing parental separation and divorce.

This study seeks to understand the processes in families of resilient individuals with an acquired physical disability. Specifically, we were interested in getting to know more about the role of the family in the individuals' resilience, and in turn, the impact on the family of the individuals' disability and resilience. A multiple-case narrative methodology with three families was adopted. In total 19 family members participated in the construction of three stories. This described how the families were transformed and how family members continually moved and energised one another in virtuous circles of support. Empathy and altruism were motivators for these virtuous circles whilst adequate amounts of support contained the experience of each family member. Identifying, strengthening, and building on these relational processes was found to be vital in enabling both the individuals affected by disability and their families to grow following their adversity.1 Families play a vital role in the rehabilitative processes of individuals with acquired physical disability. 2 An expanded view of family impact and family resources should be considered when adult individuals are the subjects of health threats. 3 Family-centred approaches need to be strength-focused and instill in the families a sense of hope and belief in their abilities and potential to thrive. 4 The systemic therapists' role is crucial in amplifying virtuous and feedback processes that are helpful in enhancing the resilience of individuals with acquired disabilities and their relationships with significant others. These processes may be captured through the use of narrative strategies, reframing as a therapeutic technique, and the creation of a helpful dialogic experience.