Empirical Values and the Culture of Family Therapy*

Abstract

The research‐clinical practice connection is weak in family therapy. Some have argued, in an inordinate ideological and political tone, that traditional research methods are inappropriate for family therapy. This position mischaracterizes modern day clinical researchers and research. In presenting 10 key dimensions of the research‐clinical practice issue in family therapy, this paper addresses some of these misrepresentations. If research and practice are to interact more productively, a major commitment, the scope and implications of which have not yet been realized, will need to be made. Actualizing the research‐practice link is a training problem and a fundamental professional issue. Progress in this realm would change the particulars of clinical practice as we know it. These processes will involve nothing less than remaking the culture of family therapy.

The research/practice gap in psychotherapy: From discovering reality to making sense

“…By adhering, by and large, to a realist methodology, research in this field often produces findings which are of little practical value. The solution does not seem to lie therein that clinicians should be brought to realize how potentially valuable research findings are, as Liddle (1991) advocates. Rather, research should cease to aim at finding universal "truths" and enter the contextually messy arena of clinical work.…”

“…In all of this, the implication seems to be that such a discontinuity is undesirable and that efforts should be made at least to bridge, if not to close the gap. Two opinions are specifically and repeatedly expressed, namely, that research should provide practically useful information to clinicians so as to enable them to improve their service to their clients (Liddle, 1991), and that clinicians should find the time and inclination to read research reports and papers (e.g. Smith, Glass & Miller, Fourie 1980).…”

Family therapy and psychopathology: developments in research and approaches to treatment

“…One of the early leading family therapists, Lyman Wynne, concluded that the emphasis on 'identified patient', 'homeostasis' and other system concepts have brought family therapists to a state of ignoring other relevant etiological factors (Wynne, 1988). The same concern about relying on rigid concepts was strongly expressed in an extensive review by Liddle, another leading family therapist (Liddle, 1991).…”

Contemporary family therapy in the United States

“…Furthermore, despite the fact that the very future of the family therapy profession may rest upon its ability to document effectiveness, there has been and continues to be a great chasm between researchers and clinicians (Liddle, 1991). Fortunately, some steps have been taken to bridge this chasm, which will be enumerated here.…”