Dorothy S. Becvar

Complementary alternative medicine in health and mental health: implications for social work practice.

ABSTRACT This article describes the increasing use of complementary alternative medicine (CAM) in this country and its implications for social work practice, education, research and policy in the health care field. Descriptive examples of CAM treatment modalities are provided along with their underlying rationale, common uses and available empirical support. It is concluded that patients will be better served by social workers who have knowledge of CAM treatment modalities. Furthermore, the need for further research on the efficacy of many CAM treatments and the certification of CAM treatment providers is discussed.

Storytelling and Family Therapy.

Abstract Four aspects of stories/storytelling, as they relate to life, to the definition of stories, to therapy in general, and to family therapy in particular, are examined. The mechanism for this exploration is a presentation of excerpts from a wide variety of sources. Little is offered by way of commentary. Rather, the selection of particular pieces for inclusion and the elimination of others necessarily make a statement. Consistent with the constructivist position that each person creates meaning according to his/her own belief system, all are invited to read this article as a story and to draw their own conclusions.

A Postmodern Analysis of a Course on Clinical Supervision

A qualitative study of a supervision course included pre-and post-interviews of the participants in addition to in-class participant observation. In an effort to be consistent with a postmodern perspective, the data were reviewed by the four members of the research team, each of whom shares his or her analysis, or story. Common themes which emerged in response to the focus on student change include greater awareness of isomorphic processes, ethical and legal issues, and evaluative processes.

The family is not a group—or is it?

Abstract Relatively little attention has been paid to the differences, and similarities between the family and other small groups and the ramifications for research and therapy. The author reviews the literature and considers the importance of further study for increased knowledge of both group dynamics and family theory.

Complementary Alternative Medicine: Implications for Family Therapy

This article considers the fit between family therapy and complementary alternative medicine (CAM). Descriptions of and research results on a variety of CAM practices are provided, as are implications for practice, education, research, and policy. It is concluded that the two fields mesh easily and that clients might be better served if their therapists had knowledge of CAM. At the same time, therapists are cautioned regarding the need for both further study and appropriate regulation of alternative practices.

Family Resilience Relative to Mental Health Challenges

Traditionally, treating individuals with mental health challenges has involved a singular focus on intrapsychic processes, or the internal workings of the mind, consistent with the view that the illness resides within the person. However, during the 1950s and 1960s, a variety of models for working with families rather than only individuals began to emerge (Becvar & Becvar, 2009), with much of the early research examining families that included a member diagnosed with schizophrenia (Bateson, Jackson, Haley, & Weakland, 1956; Wynne, Ryckoff, Day, & Hirsch, 1958). Unfortunately, however, many of these studies of schizophrenia had the perhaps unintentional effect of blaming families for the problems experienced by one of their members.

Facilitating Family Resilience in Clinical Practice

In this chapter I outline the basics of my clinical approach, which I refer to as a story about stories. According to my story, which is characterized by an ethical/respectful stance toward clients, the limits of what we can know are acknowledged; we recognize that there is no one right way that all people and families should be; pathologizing is avoided and the focus is on solutions rather than problems; shared expertise is emphasized; and the therapist is sensitive to language, conversations, and what is or is not privileged in those conversations, for example, power issues. Along with these aspects goes the requirement that the therapist stay abreast of new informations, new stories that will aid in the therapeutic process relative to both the clients’ goals and the facilitation of resilience. Indeed, my story continues to evolve and change as I continue to learn and grow.

A modest/immodest proposal : Reciprocal foster families

In this article we describe the concept of reciprocal foster families a strength-based approach to helping families in poverty. This approach focuses on the resources that all families have to offer each other. The goal of reciprocal foster families approach is to restrict the role of professionals and develop trust in the intuitive wisdom of natural networks of people and families as they help each other succeed in times of difficulty.

Toward a Unified Concept of Reality for the Social Sciences

This article describes certain necessary preconditions for a unified concept of reality. What is required is the suspension of belief in the possibility of a unified concept of reality based on a doctrine of absolute truth. Genuine communication between various professional groups is possible only when we transcend the provincialism of professional identities, theoretical religions and methodolatry. The family therapy field was built on a meta-perspective that provided a foundation for unification and connection as well as a basis for a unified concept of reality. This basic meta-theory still exists and continues to offer such a possibility.

The Client-Therapist Relationship: A Comparison of Second Order Family Therapy and Rogerian Theory

Both second-order family therapy and Rogerian theory emerged in reaction to approaches considered to be less respectful and humane than desirable. Both attempt to create a more egalitarian relationship between client and therapist and both have been criticized for their practice of covert manipulation. Following brief reviews of each, we reflect on their success in creating egalitarian relationships, as well as on the larger issue of influence and ethical behavior in therapy.