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Many Australians are requiring mental health care, including families, leading to long wait times in order to access support. Walk‐in therapy reduces barriers to mental health support services by providing support at the time that families seek help. This paper presents a proof‐of‐concept study investigating the acceptability and short‐term effectiveness of an online walk‐in family therapy service, Walk‐in Together (WIT). Part 1 of the paper describes the experiences of 44 family members from 22 families who presented to a public family therapy clinic for a virtual walk‐in family therapy session. The session was conducted by a team of three experienced family therapists. Family members' experiences were sought pre‐session, post‐session, and at 6 weeks follow‐up via survey and interview. Part 2 of the paper explores therapist perceptions (n = 7) of the WIT approach, through thematic analysis of semi‐structured interview data. Post‐session feedback showed 85% of family members found WIT to be helpful and 50% were optimistic about their future as a family after their WIT session. Six weeks post‐session it was revealed that WIT supported planning for families in equipping them to move forward with 88% of family members reporting that they knew what to do after the session. All therapists uniformly experienced the model as offering a timely and beneficial service, suitable for diverse presentations and constellations of families. These preliminary results suggest the significant utility of this WIT intervention as a well‐received and helpful service for families, who valued the easy access and rapid therapeutic response afforded by the online, walk‐in delivery model. This proof‐of‐concept paper suggests the potential for further development and growth of WIT, as well as other mental health support services using a walk‐in, telehealth model to meet the rising demand for therapeutic support for families in distress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An editorial is presented on Family Therapy through its tradition of nurturing tolerance, diversity, dialogue and difference, an empathic understanding of others, resilience, creativity, values and becomes all the salient as persons are increasingly confined to and dependent on household living and family groups. Topics icnlude the Australia on dialogical family therapy for young people with serious mental health issues, and the Czech Republic on innovations in solution-focused brief therapy.

In this paper, we report on findings from a three‐part enquiry into the essence of working with families of origin where all members are adult. Findings, in conversational form, describe the nature of adult family ruptures encountered, pathways to repair and unique factors associated with the therapeutic encounter with adult families relative to those with still dependent children. In exploring emergent themes, we hoped to come to some understandings of the models and unique skill sets that characterise and enhance family therapy with adult families. We found that, unlike families with younger children, adult children are often the more motivated sub‐system and indeed the drivers of a referral for therapy. The therapeutic focus centred around legacy work from prior unresolved family traumas or disrupted developmental processes. Features of the therapeutic process included supporting new and more proportional narratives about ingrained wounds, together with redefinition of caregiving relationships and a future gaze towards becoming an independent yet connected family structure. We consider the therapist's posture in validating the adult child's experience, contextualising parent histories and clearing emotional barriers that block healthy giving and receiving of care. Key decision points in the therapist's work included how to balance the past context of the rupture with its current legacy, and the place of exoneration versus forgiveness in the progression towards secure individuation. Findings may help refine therapeutic methods in the application of systemic therapies with adult family forms, particularly on the intersection with the adult mental health system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers the role of academic training programs in the integration of family therapy and infant mental health (IMH) curricula. It takes the form of a conversation between senior academic staff of the Bouverie Centre in Australia and the special issue editors. Robyn Elliott and Colleen Cousins are family therapists, trauma specialists, and academics at the Bouverie Centre, La Trobe University. Robyn supervises the development and delivery of the Master of Clinical Family Therapy, accredited by the Australian Association of Family Therapy. Colleen is a psychologist and family therapist and coordinates the Graduate Certificate of Family Therapy program. They are in dialogue here with the special issue co‐editors, Jessica Opie and Jennifer McIntosh. We consider the degree to which current family therapy training holds the infant in mind, and approaches to deepening the future training nexus between IMH and family therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This position paper from a core group of infant mental health academics and clinicians addresses the conspicuous underrepresentation of the infant in mainstream family therapy. Despite infants' social capacities and clear contributions to family dynamics, they remain largely overlooked within this therapeutic context. We suggest that family therapists have moral and professional responsibilities to support the participation, protection, and well‐being of all family members, including the infant. Here, we emphasise the importance of including the infant in the family therapy setting. By highlighting their frequent omission, we aim to amplify infants' often unheard 'voice,' role, and contributions to family development, especially recovery from distress. A shift towards infant inclusion as the rule rather than the exception represents a new frontier of integration. We first highlight the relational nature of infant development with a focus on the infants' psychosocial capacities and vulnerabilities. We then consider reasons why the infant may be overlooked in family and systemic therapies and offer a rationale for inviting the infant into these settings, illustrated through the use of a clinical case vignette. To facilitate infant inclusion, we propose a series of guidelines to meaningfully incorporate infants into family therapy practices. We conclude by encouraging shifts in family therapy research, training, and practice to better incorporate and understand the unique contributions of the infant to family life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For this special issue, we sought perspectives on the contributions of the infant to their family's development, including recovery from intergenerational trauma and the contribution of the family to the infant's relational security. This special issue features a series of 12 invited papers from a diverse group of professionals, including infant mental health specialists, Indigenous and non‐Indigenous family therapists, academic family therapy teaching staff, and developmental psychology and systemic researchers. The contributions span several methodologies – ranging from curated conversations and qualitative research to conceptual insights, theoretical discussions, intervention reports, and new intergenerational empirical data. Through this editorial, we provide a brief overview of the collective works, spotlighting the invaluable synergistic contributions that infant mental health and family therapy approaches provide, while highlighting the untapped potential at their intersection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper shares a far‐ranging set of conversations between professors Jennifer McIntosh, Louise Newman, and Carol George, all child and family practitioners, and infant mental health (IMH) and attachment specialists. They explore the domain of infant–family work with high‐risk populations experiencing complex relational and intergenerational trauma. George and McIntosh discuss the intersection between family therapy and IMH from an attachment perspective. They explore what family therapy can offer to supporting coherence in caregiving states of mind, beyond the offerings of traditional dyadic mother–baby models of intervention. They highlight the infant's contribution to family work, and the application of attachment theory in a family therapy context. Newman and McIntosh discuss a sensitive and graded approach to high‐risk family work with an infant. Newman reflects on when and whom to invite to a family session and the power of enabling the family to speak the unspeakable in the presence of the baby, supporting a future focused path for trauma integration and recovery. For family therapists who may be new to IMH work, there are some important offerings about integrating these fields, bringing into play the family therapist's deep grasp of curiosity, circularity, and capacity to reconceptualise with an IMH perspective on early relational trauma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Training in infant observation, highly valuable in the infant mental health (IMH) field, has an enormous amount to offer family therapists. These two fields of practice, both hold working with the relational world of their clients as central. As two senior family therapists who are also IMH practitioners, we invite those reading this paper to explore the possibilities inherent in undertaking infant observation training as a pathway to enriching and expanding their practice. We provide an overview of infant observation training, how this approach was conceived, and explore the benefits of honouring the subjectivity of the infant, that of bringing the infant's experience alive in the therapeutic space. We provide direct examples from our own practice. We conclude with how infant observation might be incorporated into family therapy training and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Family violence perpetrated by adults is increasingly understood as a health issue, and we argue that this pertains even more strongly to violence by adolescents. The co‐dependence of the parent–child bond, lack of maturity in the adolescent, and often related issues of disability or mental illness make these young people both complex and also vulnerable. This research paper reviews the current literature relating to adolescent violence in the home, identifies known best practice, and evaluates the importance of taking a family‐focused, therapeutic approach to adolescent family violence, in place of a punitive one. It describes the use of a co‐design workshop to unpack gaps in service provision and develop a potential family focused model of care to address the needs both of young people who use violence, and their families. The findings indicate that an inclusive family approach is a key element in addressing adolescent violence in the home across a spectrum of behaviours and mental health care needs. The use of a coordinated, family‐inclusive response through mental health care services is recommended to address the complexity of this issue, as well as to provide support both to adolescents and to their families and carers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we challenge the concept of the therapeutic relationship as an operationalisable entity. In contrast to this idea, we introduce Alphonso Lingis' concept of community, and his distinction between the rational community and the community of those who have nothing in common. This is done through speculative analysis of a transcribed sequence from a research interview with a boy who speaks about his experiences of receiving mental health care. This boy and his family were helped through a network-oriented, dialogical approach. In the sequence highlighted here, the boy speaks of the significance of a particular mental health practitioner. The boy expresses appreciation for the help he has received, yet it is difficult to translate the boy's utterances into meaningful professional jargon. Although the paper makes use of an actual sequence from a research interview, the argument is not empirical in nature. The purpose of the paper is to elaborate on theory, and to examine some possible consequences for future practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traumatic stress can have detrimental effects on individuals, families, and communities. Narrative exposure therapy (NET) is an evidence‐based intervention for decreasing individuals' post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and has been tested in some of the most challenging contexts, such as in post‐conflict refugee camps. Although the focus of NET is on reducing individual PTSD symptoms, the impact of NET can be seen beyond the individual level. The purpose of this paper is to examine some of the ecological implications of using NET with trauma‐affected populations in low‐resource settings. We describe the implications of NET at the family, community, and sociopolitical levels using several case examples. Finally, we outline limitations and future directions for improving the delivery of NET in settings with limited resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers whether systemic family therapy frameworks are used in current Perinatal Infant Mental Health (PIMH) practice. PIMH is a field that is, by nature, relational, focusing on enhancing the development of early parent–infant relationships. It is well accepted that the early years of an infant's life are crucial for brain development, and disturbances in early parent–infant relationships can impact negatively upon the child's development. Five clinicians from a PIMH service in a metropolitan area participated in a focus group related to key systemic concepts: genograms, family of origin, transitions, and morphogenesis. Findings suggest that the PIMH team does hold the family in mind, utilising systemic frameworks predominately in the engagement and assessment phase of intervention. They also highlight that PIMH clinicians focus on roles and boundaries occurring within the immediate and extended family unit and support families with the transition to family expansion phase. The application of working systemically differed significantly among participants, suggesting that the use of systemic frameworks in the PIMH field requires further exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on the first phase of a larger study aimed at investigating factors hindering family work and exploring ways to improve the amount and quality of family contact within a community aged mental health service in Melbourne, Australia. During the first phase of the project, 28 mental health professionals were interviewed about their views and experiences. Interviews were transcribed, coded, and analysed in terms of repeating themes. The range of attitudes, beliefs and feelings about family work is summarised in this paper. Polarities emerged around questions of whether or not to engage family members, and if so, what function family work fulfils. The interviews also provided useful information on clinicians' beliefs about what would increase the possibility of family work. The paper concludes with a discussion about how to recognize and value family work in this area and target sustainable interventions during the second phase of the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of whānau (extended families) is recognised as an essential aspect of hauora (wellbeing) for Māori, who are over represented in populations where there is injury or insult to the brain. Whānau mātauranga (knowledge systems) are a potent resource for enhancing recovery outcomes. This approach, based on Rangahau Kaupapa Māori (research by Māori for Māori) takes the view that by locating the whānau within their own culturally determined knowledge systems and optimising their intergral role in the delivery of culturally required interventions, the recovery experience will be enhanced, and they will feel a greater sense of ease and self-determination in the process of their own healing. Te Waka Oranga describes a process of bringing together whānau knowledge, skills, and feelings, with health workers' knowledge, skills, and feelings in the context of identifying recovery destinations they collectively want to bring forward in order to improve the experience of recovery and to improve outcomes for whānau using the metaphor of a waka. It is also hypothesised that this approach will improve the experience of the health workers. Te Waka Kuaka is a Māori cultural needs assessment tool that has been developed to further guide this work, which uses the metaphor of a flock of godwits. This paper describes the development of a combined approach, using these two tools, with whānau at the centre. This illustrates in both theory and praxis a culturally defined way of bringing whānau resources to the fore to promote whānau healing. While originally designed to address issues in the area of traumatic brain injury, it is likely that this way of working may also have wider application in the areas of insult to the brain such as mental health, addictions, and neurodegenerative disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Child and adolescent school refusal is a complex problem that can paralyse parents and professionals alike. Families often present in desperation, often after the problem has become well established. The literature concerning 'what works' is clear: addressing the problem early relates to better prognosis, and supporting the child to return to school is the primary priority. In practice, however, the 'how to' is often complicated by parental anxiety or complacency, complex family dynamics, therapist uncertainty about how to help, and poor partnerships between family and school. In this paper, I will present a framework for intervention informed by Structural and post-Milan ideas, developed from practice-based evidence - witnessing what works for families in everyday practice. A model for family therapy intervention is presented and discussed, illustrated with a case vignette. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Time to Think Experiment researches the experience of clinicians, consumers, and families of an intersession break, which has been used historically in various models of family therapy training. This qualitative pilot study explores the experiences of 21 clinicians, 19 consumers, and six family members using this break for reflection, across the domains of family and couple therapy, individual therapy, group work, and supervision in a mental health service covering the whole age range. Using a phenomenological design, the analysis included narrative, thematic, content, and comparative techniques. The paper considers the impact of privileging reflection in the therapy process, in a climate where models, work cultures, and general lifestyles may not encourage it. Using the intersession break to create space to 'be' in the therapy process is one way to integrate mindful and family therapy practice. The emerging themes of an intersession break to promote a richer and deeper therapy experience, and the apparent shift of responsibility for change from clinicians to consumers is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gay and lesbian community suffers higher rates of discrimination, mental health problems, and relationship break-up than their heterosexual counterparts. In this paper we analyse the challenges confronting same-sex couples, and the implications for couple education and therapy with same-sex couples. We describe some similarities in the challenges confronting heterosexual and same-sex couples (e.g., negotiation of shared realistic relationship expectations, effective communication). These similarities suggest existing evidence-based approaches to couple therapy and relationship education are likely to assist same sex couple relationships. We also describe distinctive challenges for same-sex couples (e.g., homophobic discrimination, internalised homophobia, and low support from many families for same sex relationships). These distinctive challenges suggest some adaptation of existing approaches to couple education and therapy could enhance their relevance and effectiveness to same sex couples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supporting Traditional African Mediators Project ( STAMP) is a program that has been working with African/Australian community leaders to prevent family violence. This program has been carefully developed through building long-term relationships, transparency and openness with an emphasis on navigating the intersection of cultures in order to enhance understanding and collaboration around family violence prevention. The training program has successfully engaged both men and women and enhanced participation, cross cultural learning and positive outcomes by creating an open and safe environment. The paper highlights the knowledge gained by participants and project workers and explores the challenges experienced by people who emigrate from other countries when responding to family conflict in an Australian context. It introduces the formation of a support group Marula that has added value and support to Traditional African Mediators in their work to address family violence within their communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sneaky Poo (1984) announced Michael White, the second order cyberneticist, to the world. But there were several versions of both Sneaky Poo and White. This paper pays homage to Sneaky and critiques White's contribution to family therapy. A recent case is reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents coming events and announcements relating to family therapy and mental illness. Included news are: Glenn Larner and his paper "Family Therapy and the Politics of Evidence," that suggests that family therapy is the best practice method for therapist; Phillip Klever, becoming an additional member to the research in "The Multigenerational Transmission of Nuclear Family Processes and Symptoms," that supports Bowen Theory; and thanks and wishes for Andrew Relph and Hugh Crook, a retiring Western Australian assessor.

Serious mental illness is associated with substantial personal and interpersonal distress and life disruption for the sufferer and for his/her family. A common response to having and caring for a family member with a serious mental illness is feeling loss and grief. This paper presents a representative narrative that attempts to capture the essence of the experience as conveyed by 22 parents of adult children with a serious mental illness. The implication of the narrative is examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intimate partner violence is a major problem in Australia, impacting many families that are on the cusp of disruption and intervention by the child protection system. Using an innovative method of inquiry, the article explores the role of dedicated men's workers in a South Australian non‐government organisation's intensive family service that works towards keeping families safe and together. The dedicated men's worker positions are integrated into a multidisciplinary model that works with fathers who have been a part of situational violence within the family. The men's workers' (and co‐authors') reflections offer insight into systemic barriers, practical therapeutic interventions, engagement work with fathers, how this is approached, and the various outcomes experienced. Blending auto‐ethnography reflections, elements of rapid ethnographic assessment, and the use of rigorous and accelerated data reduction, we demonstrate the need for increased supports for some fathers. These should include therapeutic engagement and working with the underlying trauma of fathers to ensure the whole family is supported and offered opportunity for healing and sustainable preservation. We also consider the more encompassing lifeworlds of the men and the need to drive and support broader sociocultural shifts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses articles in the issue on topics including Narcissism; Muslim Women; and family therapy.

This article, which appears in a special 30-year anniversary edition of the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy, reflects on the legacies of the work of Michael White. It begins by looking back on Michael's time as editor of the Australian Journal of Family Therapy. Of the many themes that were discussed in the Editorials and Letters to the Editor section of this journal in the early 1980s, this article focuses on three in particular to explore the legacies of the work of Michael White. The author describes how Michael has bequeathed not only a profound body of work. but also a distinctive spirit of originating, and ways of working that consider the effects of social issues and that examine the politics of experience. It is the author's hope that this approach to considering Michael White's legacies honours his work and also honours the contributions of the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy in its 30th year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article I review the psychotherapy outcomes literature as it pertains to the Dodo hypothesis. This is the proposition that the effects of psychotherapy are due to common factors rather than specific techniques. A variety of sources provide substantial empirical support for the Dodo hypothesis. I conclude that CBT and medication do not appear to be any better than other methodologies for the treatment of psychological distress. I look at some of the criticisms of the Dodo hypothesis. I suggest that the major themes that emerge from the literature as it stands are conclusions that would be immediately obvious to most clinicians. Further, the utility of specific techniques has not been ruled out, due to some serious conceptual flaws in efficacy trials. I suggest that there are a number of ways for family therapists to survive in an evidence-based world. One is to point out to champions of evidence-based practice just how flimsy their claims are. Another would be to advocate for pluralism and to practise and conduct research under the aegis of a contextual philosophy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes some recent developments m approaches to voice-hearing and relates them to contemporary ideas about psychosis and therapy. The author looks at the growing body of work on cognitive behavioural therapy for psychosis. She examines the similarities and differences between these approaches and those of innovators like Marius Romme and Sandra Escher, Philip Thomas, Michael White and the Hearing Voices Network. The author describes some influences upon her own systemic practice with clients diagnosed with schizophrenia, in a Community Mental Health Team in Wales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this systematic review is to evaluate the effectiveness of couple therapy from different therapeutic approaches on the variables of depression, anxiety, stress, and relational factors in couples with infertility. It also aims to identify whether couple therapy increases the likelihood of pregnancy. A search protocol was entered into specific databases (PsycINFO, EMBASE, PubMed, and CINAHL) and a total of 12 interventional studies are included in this review. The results show that couple therapy of six or more sessions is effective in reducing depression, anxiety, stress, and relational complaints in couples who present with a lengthier infertility history. Couple therapy also increases the likelihood of pregnancy but only in couples with idiopathic infertility rather than medical and structural infertility. An explorative comparison of the effectiveness of different therapeutic approaches shows superior results with emotionally focused couple therapy, cognitive behavioural couple therapy, and behavioural couple therapy. This review adds to the evidence base for couple therapy and reinforces the need for this modality because of the interpersonal nature of infertility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a process set up to facilitate a group of people living with a serious mental illness. The group was based on Anthony's notions of recovery, and incorporated a narrative approach, while remaining consistent with Northen's groupwork model. Particular attention is paid to the preplanning and initial session of the group, to the use of letters and to the incorporation of a reflective team approach. Documentation of the discoveries made by the group members during its life is included in full. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Functional neurological symptom disorder, alternatively termed conversion disorder (FNSD‐CD) (Although the DSM‐5 utilises the term 'conversion disorder', practitioners and consumers consider this to be an outdated, unsubstantiated and often stigmatising term. In accordance with this, the current terminology used in the field is 'functional neurological symptom disorder'), involves symptoms of altered voluntary motor or sensory functions without identifiable nervous system disease or pathology. It is considered a psychiatric disorder and is, thus, listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th Ed.; DSM‐5). As per the nosology of the DSM‐5, the discrete behavioural or psychological syndrome or pattern observed in FNSD‐CD is assumed to be a function of a problem of, or a disorder within, the individual. Accordingly, the psychiatric approach to FNSD‐CD, as set out in the DSM‐5, invokes an assumption common to the medical model which is that of lineal (i.e., straight‐line) causality, namely, causal events are arranged in a lineal sequence. The interactional approach, however, which is a development of general system theory in the field of family therapy, offers an alternative approach to understanding psychiatric disorders. Specifically, this approach places the emphasis on the relationships between individuals and their reciprocal influences on – including their psychological and emotional wellbeing with – one another. It draws on the assumption of nonlineal (i.e., circular) causality, namely, causal events are arranged in a circular sequence. From an interactional approach, therefore, FNSD‐CD is thought to be a function of a problem of, or a deficit within, the individuals' relationship/s, rather than within an individual, per se. This article utilises a composite case study to investigate FNSD‐CD from an interactional approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is growing pressure on health and welfare services to provide more efficient and effective services. For one thing, the world's ageing population is resulting in increased pressure on healthcare costs and the availability of government funding. At the same time, community expectations of quick and easy access to high‐quality client‐centred services is growing. Single session ideas can make a valuable contribution to responding to these somewhat competing factors, by providing a basis for effective, efficient, client‐centred, accessible services. This article begins with a functional definition and description of single session therapy (SST), which is used to inform article sections on the attitudinal, clinical, and organisational implications, and ends with ideas for implementing the approach into services, thus, putting SST to work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses understanding of psychiatry for embracing complexities and challenges in the field. Topics include tension and dialogue between the heaviness and lightness of the psychiatric practice; exploring the depth and knowledge of qualities of heaviness or lightness; and elements which psychiatrists and psychiatry should achieve.

Since it was first introduced in the 1980s, Wraparound has been defined as ‘a philosophy,’ ‘an approach,’ and ‘a service’ which is designed to work with youth and families with high and complex needs. Wraparound is most commonly understood as an intensive, individualised care planning process. It aims to achieve positive outcomes through a structured, creative, and individualised team planning process, which results in effective and more relevant plans for the youth and family. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of Wraparound facilitators, caregivers, youths, and team members to gain a multi‐perspective insight into the process. Sixteen families and Wraparound teams participated in the study which resulted in 56 semi‐structured interviews being conducted involving 16 Wraparound facilitators (some facilitators were interviewed more than once because they served multiple families who participated in the study), 16 caregivers, eight youth, and 16 team members (one person from the team, i.e., teacher, social worker, or mentor). Thematic analysis gave seven themes organised into three broad domains: (1) key elements of the Wraparound process including the Wraparound facilitator, Wraparound's philosophies and principles, and the supportive nature of the process; (2) the outcomes achieved throughout the process including family empowerment and hope, improved family dynamics and relationships as well as individual parent and youth change; and (3) the challenges and feedback respondents identified through the process, which included personal and systemic challenges, improved transition, and continuity of care, role clarity, and accessibility of the service. Overall, the findings from this study support Wraparound as an effective process for youth and their families, identify the importance of key aspects of the process, and suggest some improvements to increase the efficacy of and accessibility to the process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses various reports within the issue on topics including the mitigation of intergenerational trauma, the multi-family group therapy (MFGT) for people with schizophrenia, and the experience of non-custodial mothers.

Studies exploring the experiences of recovering from mental health difficulties show the significance of social and relational aspects. Dialogical practices operate within the realm of social relations; individual perspectives are not the primary focus of attention. The present study is part of a series of qualitative studies from southern Norway, exploring dialogical practices and change from the perspective of lived experience and in relationship with network meetings. Two co-researchers, who themselves had experienced mental health difficulties, were part of the research team. Material from qualitative interviews was analysed through a dialogical hermeneutical process where ideas from Emmanuel Lévinas and Mikhail Bakhtin were used as analytical lenses. Six interdependent dimensions emerged from our interpretative analysis, comprising three temporal dimensions (1. Dialogues open the moment, 2. Dialogues open the past, and 3. Dialogues open the future) and three dimensions of speaking, which operated across the three temporal dimensions (4. Ethical: Dialogues open through inviting attentiveness and valuing, 5. Expressive: Dialogues open for new vitality, and 6. Hermeneutical: Dialogues open for new meaning). These dimensions were incorporated into one main theme: Dialogues - beginning by others being invitingly attentive - open for moving and living. The way the findings point to change events as an opening for movement - 'moving in' as if from the outside, and 'moving on' as opposed to being stuck - are discussed in relation to other studies. We conclude by suggesting that the salient point of change-generating conversations is in the ethics of being invitingly attentive, and such conversations should take into account multidimensionality, that relates to the past and the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we use the intersubjective ethics of Bakhtin and Levinas and a case illustration to explore change in therapy as an ethical phenomenon. We follow Lakoff and Johnson in their emphasis on the way our conceptions of change seem permeated by metaphors. Bakhtin and Levinas both suggest through a language in which metaphors play a crucial role, that human existence-the consciousness and the subject-emerge within the dialogue of the encounter. They both describe the dynamics of human existence as ethical in their origin. Following this, we argue that change may be seen as an ongoing ethical event and that the dynamics of change are found in the ways we constantly become in this event. We investigate the ethical dynamics of this ongoing event through three themes illuminating the contributions of both Bakhtin and Levinas: (1) we become as responsible, (2) we become in speaking, (3) we become in answering the unknown. We explore these themes through a case illustration. Finally, we briefly point out some possible implications for mental health practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adolescent substance abuse is a common problem and family interventions are emerging as a strategy to prevent it and assist family coping. The effectiveness of a prevention-focussed family intervention was evaluated for its secondary impacts on improving parental mental health and family functioning. Twenty-four secondary schools in Melbourne Victoria were randomly assigned to either a control condition or an intervention titled Resilient Families. The two intervention levels analysed were: (1) a parenting booklet only and; (2) combining the booklet with face-to-face parent education sessions. Parent surveys at baseline were followed up one year and four years later. Repeated-measures analysis (n = 560) found parents attending parent education demonstrated reductions in mental health symptoms, however this had negative effects on family cohesion and no impact on family conflict. These findings were interpreted in terms of parent education assisting parent mental health by promoting assertive parenting styles that may increase adolescent-parent tension by encouraging firmer parental boundaries and strategies to reduce adolescent substance use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among the Maori of New Zealand, Aboriginals of Australia, and other Indigenous peoples, family dynamics strongly influence the ways that issues emerge in counseling. This study explores aspects of gender and power within the context of birth practices in rural Nepal. In-depth interviews were conducted with I S postpartum women, as well as family members, to collect narratives of birthing experiences that highlight issues of oppression, marginalisation, and power struggles. Implications for multicultural and social justice awareness in family therapy are discussed, especially with regard to the subtle, disguised ways that power operates behind the scenes, often sabotaging efforts by health and mental health professionals to be most helpful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Bowen Family Systems therapist employs concepts of triangles and the family projection process to view a child's symptoms as embedded in the broader family patterns. This article will examine the dynamics of two family therapy cases where parents anxiously asked for their children's symptoms to be fixed. These cases will be used to explore the common presentation in child and adolescent mental health, where the parents are concerned for their children but are also keen not to open their own 'can of worms'. The presenting problem in the first case was violent hostility between adolescent sisters and in the second case was an adolescent's anorexia. Drawing on client feedback, I reflect on the therapy process behind the divergent outcomes. In case one, the parents were willing to address their own troubled relationship and family of origin, while in case two, the parents discontinued therapy when family of origin dynamics began to be explored. The article suggests how the therapist can evoke parents' curiosity about their role in anxious family patterns, without them feeling blamed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Originating as a plenary address, this article reviews the enduring contribution of family therapy, and asks how it might best be preserved into the future, given that family therapy itself is no longer seen as 'newsworthy'. The author makes three recommendations: that all future social workers be trained to conduct a three-session structured family assessment; that all future family therapists be required to participate in a Yalom-type group therapy experience; and that one member of every child mental health and child protection team be trained to convene and chair interagency case conferences capable of building trust and working towards open communication. A rationale for the three recommendations is provided, in terms of key principles common to family and group work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recent project sought to clarify how psychotherapists and mental health workers understand psychosocial health and pathology. In this enquiry, I paid particular attention to the client's interpersonal networks: did the professionals actively consider, and if so to what extent, 'intimate social and family relationships' in constructing their understanding of the presenting problem and in the process they used for goal setting. Twenty-two semi-structured interviews were undertaken, eleven with psychotherapists and eleven with mental health workers. Across both groups, interviewees tended not to see their clients as embedded, relational entities, but primarily, often quite exclusively, as autonomous beings. Second, interviewees accorded a high value to the importance of 'the therapeutic relationship'. Is it possible that the emphasis practitioners place on 'the therapeutic relationship' has the effect of marginalising the attention that is given to the client's significant-other network? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An interview with Catherine Sanders, Director of Bower Place Psychology, Family Therapy, Psychotherapy & Management in Adelaide, South Australia is presented. Sanders recalls how her interest in family therapy started. She shares her views about the place of family therapy and systematic ideas in the public mental health sectors. She also points out the nature and practicing of family therapy.

The following article outlines the Safety First Model for working with high-risk young people in crisis. This hierarchical model prioritises emotional and physical safety by using multi-systemic and family-based interventions. A typical case example is used to illustrate the model and the structures and strategies employed at each level. The intervention model empowers families, facilitates their connections with other providers, and minimises the need for hospital admissions. The model also promotes collaborative and systemic practice in a child and adolescent mental health service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Postnatal depression impacts on a significant number of women and their families. As a topic it is attracting much interest from researchers as we become clearer about its impact on the long-term mental health of both women and their partners, as well as on the couple's relationship and their children's mental health. This article will provide a brief overview of postnatal depression and the current research associated with it, and consider the usefulness of systemic family therapy interventions. Examples of these are included along with a clinical vignette. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although not always named, grief is central to the experience of mental illness — for people diagnosed, their families and their friends. Yet grief is almost absent from the literature and practice of mainstream psychiatry. This curious fact led to the writing of this article by two workers and a carer, with editorial and political advice from a consumer, as a small step in the direction of integrating perspectives of workers, carers and consumers. It examines the nature of grief associated with mental illness, its impact on family members, and why mainstream mental health services do not directly address it, with suggestions for some therapeutic ways to conceptualise and work with it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article various conferences and announcements pertaining to family therapy in Australia and New Zealand. The Annual Australian Family Therapy Conference will be held at the Hilton on the Park in Melbourne, Victoria on September 3-6, 2006. The Queensland Association of Family Therapists have sent its income from the 2004 Family Therapy Conference to the "Australia and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy." Psychologists Helen Winefield and Anna Chur-Hansen will outline South Australian experience of integrating psychologists into primary mental health care in Australia.