Therapeutic Alliances with Families

This practical breakthrough introduces a robust framework for family and couples therapy specifically designed for working with difficult, entrenched, and court-mandated situations. Using an original model (the System for Observing Family Therapy Alliances, or SOFTA) suitable to therapists across theoretical lines, the authors detail special challenges, empirically-supported strategies, and alliance-building interventions organized around common types of ongoing couple and family conflicts. Copious case examples illustrate how therapists can empower family members to discover their agency, find resources to address tough challenges, and especially repair their damaged relationships. These guidelines also show how to work effectively within multiple relationships in a family without compromising therapist focus, client individuality, or client safety.

Included in the coverage:




Using the therapeutic alliance to empower couples and families


Couples' cross-complaints


Engaging reluctant adolescents...and their parents


Parenting in isolation, with or without a partner


Child maltreatment: creating therapeutic alliances with survivors of relational trauma


Disadvantaged, multi-stressed families: adrift in a sea of professional helpers


Empowering through the alliance: a practical formulation
Therapeutic Alliances with Families offers powerful new tools for social workers, mental health professionals, and practitioners working in couple and family therapy cases with reluctant clients and seeking specific, practical case examples and resources for alliance-related interventions.

Aceasta descoperire practica introduce un cadru robust pentru terapia de familie si cupluri conceputa special pentru lucrul cu situatii dificile, inradacinate si impuse de instanta. Folosind un model original (Sistemul de observare a aliantelor de terapie familiala sau SOFTA) adecvat terapeutilor pe linii teoretice, autorii detaliaza provocarile speciale, strategiile sustinute empiric si interventiile de construire a aliantelor organizate in jurul tipurilor comune de conflicte de cuplu si familie in curs.