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Although the systemic approach is considered to fit Chinese culture, the development of family therapy in Taiwan is recent, starting in 1969, and growing as a treatment modality in Taiwan for the past two decades. To examine this development, this article reviewed 127 locally published family therapy studies published during the years 1969-2009. Content analysis was used to examine these articles and the results clearly showed an increase in the amount of publications during this period. The focus of the studies also shifted from theoretical issues to practical concerns. An analysis of 15 of these articles, which were case reports, suggested a preference for local common practice, for example, a focus on therapist manoeuvres rather than the clients' perspectives, which might have hindered the development of successful practice. The availability of only certain forms of training might also have contributed to the clinical focus of family therapy in Taiwan. The article suggests that greater interest in the therapy process in future will enhance local practitioners' clinical efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The discipline of marriage and family therapy (MFT) has been established around the world. Inspired by theories and models developed in Western countries, professionals in East Asian countries over the last two decades have been dedicated to introducing the concepts of MFT to local mental health professionals. This paper presents an overview of the cultural background of East Asian cultures, a summary of MFT development in East Asia, and a discussion of key challenges to advancing MFT in East Asia. We provide recommendations to overcome these obstacles, including bridging the gap between MFTs in the West and East Asia, developing country‐specific MFT development plans, establishing accreditation and licensing regulation, increasing the public awareness of MFT, increasing collaboration among training institutes and the number of qualified MFT trainers and training locations, and developing culturally attuned MFT training and practices. Practitioner points: Direct application of Western approaches to the East Asian context can be detrimental if therapists do not carefully examine the cultural differences and adapt accordinglyA critical step in developing MFT in East Asia is to develop country/region‐specific plans including the recognition of the history, values, and distinctive features of Asian families [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]