Looking Back and Venturing Forth: Perspectives in Marriage and Family Counseling From a Content Analysis of The Family Journal

Abstract

The Family Journal is a quarterly peer-reviewed professional journal that has undergone substantial changes in the last three years. A content analysis of the first 13 years of the journal (Southern, 2006) provided a context for understanding changes over time. The preliminary results of a pilot content analysis for 2023 (Volume 31, Issues 1–4) identified types and subtypes of published articles as well as categories, subcategories, and domains. The pilot testing refined categories and raised important issues for the ongoing content analysis. One of the major challenges involves the proliferation of international manuscripts and quantitative research designs. The mission of the journal is to balance theory, research, and practice for the predominantly clinical readership. The review concludes with some guiding questions for ongoing research and practice in marriage and family counseling.