The Brief Systems Family Therapy Process Model: First Results

Abstract

Family therapy is a process by which therapists help families identify and rectify dysfunctional patterns. A precise under standing and specification of the steps in the family therapy process is critical to helping therapists perform their craft better. A teain of family therapists and simulationists has developed a step by step description of the process of a family therapy session, based on the experience of expert therapists and the published literature. This description forms the basis for a simulation model which has been used in training new therapists. Simulation is an ideal tool for studying family therapy since both are based on systems theory. By observing these thera pists in action, the model is being validated and enhanced.