Family Therapy Basics Research RoundUp: Summer 2019

July 9, 2019 Ili Rivera Walter, PhD, LMFT

Periodically, I write summaries of the latest research articles that I’ve read (mainly from the AAMFT). This article is a roundup of my recent summaries.

The references listed are from the most current issues of the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, and I also include a quick summary of a recent book I read in the book club. While MFTs are referenced throughout the summaries, the information is relevant to all psychotherapists, regardless of discipline.

Linear vs. Circular Causality: Systemic Therapy Series

September 25, 2018 Ili Rivera Walter, PhD, LMFT

Linear vs. Circular Causality in systemic therapy

Lately, I’ve been reviewing the history of the marriage and family therapy (MFT) field. Including the stories of MFT pioneers, the shift represented in the field from treating the individual to treating the system, and the core concepts that mark systemic thinking and systemic therapy.

It’s been fun!

I’ve decided to begin a systemic therapy series to review the major concepts of systems theory, as well as how to begin and maintain the systemic perspective.

Steps for Assessing and Fostering Family Resilience in Therapy

January 30, 2018 Ili Rivera Walter, PhD, LMFT

Resilience is defined as “The ability to rebound from crisis and overcome life challenges” (Walsh, 2006). It includes a person's sense of hope, support systems, relational encouragement, and emotional endurance.

When families face a crisis, the members' willingness and ability to communicate honestly, tolerate uncertainty, and respect one another's differing needs both define and develop the family unit's resilience during and after the crisis.

In this post, I offer a relational definition of resilience, as well as frameworks for assessing and fostering resilience.

Mindfulness-Infused Therapy: 4 Approaches

April 25, 2017 Ili Rivera Walter, PhD, LMFT

Mindfulness-infused therapy: Four Approaches

You (the readers) have been asking for mindfulness-based interventions to use in your work with groups, networks, or individuals. Today, I am providing a summary of four popular mindfulness-infused approaches, backed by research, that can assist you in enhancing your change-based interventions with clients. These four approaches are: Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy.