Family therapy training research: systems model and review

Abstract

This paper proposes that a systems approach to the organization of family therapy training courses would be advantageous to trainers and researchers alike. A family therapy training programme development model is outlined. Using the stages of this model as a framework, the research into family therapy training is reviewed. The field still remains in its infancy and the quantity of research is relatively sparse. Developments have, however, been made and these auger well for the future. IntroductionRecent years have seen the rapid increase in the need for family therapy training and there has been a proliferation of training programmes of various types. Unfortunately, in common with psychotherapy training generally, these programmes have been constructed in pragmatic ways because the availability of empirical evidence to aid course building is very sparse. Research into the training of family therapy is therefore necessary in order to ensure that training courses and programmes are organized in the most efficient and effective manner. The training process is a very complex and multifarious activity, and the researcher needs to be able to select out and specify particular issues for particular study. This paper sets out a scheme which attempts to organize this field and hence offer course designers, trainers and researchers a model on which to base their decisions.A variant of the application of systems theory is an approach to general organizational issues and planning (Gagne, 1966). The objective of this approach is to reduce complex problems and relationships to simple outputs which can be used by the planner in arriving at the 'best' decision in terms of effectiveness and erkiency.

Family Therapy Training Research – An Updating Review

“…Previous reviews in this field (Avis and Sprenkle, 1990;Gurman, 1979, 1988;Street, 1988) have been noted by Liddle (1991) to have jointly articulated the research agenda for training and supervision. This agenda has however been based on a rather narrow view of research, namely one that is empirically oriented and residing within a logico-scientific approach; it has not directly embraced a critical perspective.…”

“…The papers published in this field since this author's previous review (Street, 1988) will be included.…”

“…This work therefore falls within the 'personnel studies' in the model for Family Training Programme Development (Street, 1988). They utilized the Family Therapy Assessment Exercise (FTAE) (Breunlin et al, 1983) as the measure of training performance.…”

Adaptation of Two Family Therapy Training Instruments to Culturally Suit the Indian Context

“…It was important that those training workshops be evaluated for their effectiveness and efficiency in transferring systemic conceptualization to the trainees (Avis & Sprenkle, 1990;Street, 1988). Therefore, there is a need for valid and reliable instruments to track changes in trainees' level of systemic conceptualization.…”

“Her Energy Kind of Went Into a Different Place”: A Qualitative Study Examining Supervisors’ Experience of Promoting Reflexive Learning in Students

“…Street’s (1988) review categorized existing research into personnel studies (related to characteristics of students and trainers); context studies (connected with the setting in which training is offered or graduates are expected to practice); theoretical model studies (concerned with choices about which models are taught); skills studies (investigation of skills to be taught); methodology studies (investigating teaching methods employed); studies of student changes during training ; and therapy outcome studies (related to families treated by the student). He concluded that the main advance in the preceding decade had been the development of measures to assess student changes during training.…”