Normal Family Processes (The Guilford Family Therapy Series)

Over the past decade, social changes have redefined the boundaries of "normal family life," calling for a re-examination of assumptions, both explicit and implicit, embedded in our cultural and clinical beliefs. Offering groundbreaking perspectives from leading clinical educators and researchers, this second edition of a classic work addresses the vast diversity of family forms, life challenges, and value systems in our rapidly changing society. The first edition of Normal Family Processes is recognized as a milestone in the clinical literature. Completely updated and expanded, this volume continues its pioneering work, covering the most current concepts of family functioning and frameworks for assessment and treatment. The book opens with a comprehensive overview of recent conceptual advances regarding normal family functioning. Bridging clinical and social science perspectives, Dr. Walsh places the consideration of normality into a sociohistorical perspective, reminding us that families in our society have always been diverse, and that our idealized model of the "normal family" may have blinded us to the potential for healthy functioning in a variety of family arrangements. Several leading family systems investigators then present state-of-the-art research models that delineate attributes of well-functioning families, discuss the efficacy of numerous clinical assessment instruments, and propose questions and suggestions for guiding intervention and future research. Addressing the diversity of contemporary family functioning patterns, the following two parts focus family structure, sociocultural context, and developmental context. Chapters cover the challenges faced by dual-earner, single-parent, and gay and lesbian families, as well as normative procedures in divorced, remarried, and adoptive families, and lesbian couples and their families. A broad, cross-cultural perspective on family normality is presented, with consideration given to ethnic differences, t

Froma Walsh, PhD, is Professor in the School of Social Service Administration and the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Chicago. She is also the founding Codirector of the University-based Center for Family Health and its affiliated family therapy training institute, the Chicago Center for Family Health. She is the Editor of the Journal of Marital & Family Therapy, past president of the American Family Therapy Academy (AFTA), recipient of AFTA's Award for Distinguished Contribution to Family Therapy Theory and Practice, and an AAMFT Approved Supervisor. Her edited or coedited publications include Normal Family Processes, Second Edition; Women in Families; Living Beyond Loss; and a forthcoming book on spirituality and family therapy.