Douglas C. Breunlin

Conflict Resolution Training as an Alternative to Suspension for Violent Behavior.

Abstract The authors discuss a conflict resolution skills training program that is offered as an alternative to out-of-school suspension and pilot data regarding the programs effectiveness in reducing acts of physical violence (fighting) among high school students. A description of the program is provided as well as results of a pre- and postintervention comparison of students suspended for physical violence who did and did not receive conflict resolution skills training. A statistically significant difference was observed between groups regarding expulsions, with the group of students going through the program receiving no expulsions. Although no other statistically significant findings were observed, several interesting trends are noted. For example, at postintervention, all students who completed the program were 4 times less likely to receive another out-of-school suspension for fighting. Also, students who completed the program received fewer postintervention disciplinary acts from the school than those who did not complete the program.

Integrative Problem-Centered Metaframeworks Therapy II: Planning, Conversing, and Reading Feedback

This is the second of 2 articles presenting Integrative Problem Centered Metaframeworks (IPCM) Therapy, a multisystemic, integrative, empirically informed, and common factor perspective for family, couple, and individual psychotherapy. The first article presented IPCMs foundation concepts and Blueprint for therapy, focusing on the first Blueprint component-Hypothesizing or assessment. This article, focusing on intervention, presents the other 3 Blueprint components-Planning, Conversing, and Feedback. Articulated through the Blueprint, intervention is a clinical experimental process in which therapists formulate hypotheses about the set of constraints (the Web) within a client system that prevents problem resolution, develop a therapeutic Plan based on those hypotheses, implement the Plan through a coconstructed dialogue with the clients, and then evaluate the results. If the intervention is not successful, the results become feedback to modify the Web, revise the Plan, and intervene again. Guided by the therapeutic alliance, this process repeats until the presenting problems resolve. IPCM Planning sequentially integrates the major empirically and yet-to-be empirically validated therapies and organizes their key strategies and techniques as common factors. Conversing and Feedback employ empirical STIC(®) (Systemic Therapy Inventory of Change) data collaboratively with clients to formulate hypotheses and evaluate interventions. This article emphasizes the art and science of IPCM practice.

Putting the "family" back into family therapy.

In this article, we examine the field of family therapy by drawing a distinction between two forms of practice: Whole Family Therapy (WFT), defined as treating the whole family, and Relational Family Therapy (RFT), defined as working with a subsystem of the family or an individual while retaining a systemic lens. Our thesis is that the practice of WFT has been in decline for some time and steps must be taken to keep it from becoming a defunct practice. We consider the trajectory of WFT and RFT throughout the development of family therapy through reference to the people, the literature, training, and practice patterns associated with family therapy. We remind the reader of the many benefits of WFT and suggest that today WFT is likely to be practiced in conjunction with RFT and individual therapy. Since training of family therapists today is largely located in degree-granting programs, we identify constraints to including WFT in such programs. We conclude by offering suggestions that can enhance a programs ability to train students in WFT.

THE PREDICTION OF LEARNING IN FAMILY THERAPY TRAINING PROGRAMS

Research on family therapy training has produced very little data regarding the kinds of trainees that do best in family therapy training programs. This study attempts to provide some rough and preliminary data on that issue. One hundred and seventy trainees, drawn from seven different structural!strategic training experiences, were evaluated as to how much they learned by taking the Family Therapy Assessment Exercise pre- and posttraining. Their performance was correlated using a hierarchical regression analysis with a number of trainee variables such as amount of conjugal family experience, amount of experience doing family or individual therapy, or prior knowledge of family therapy. The results indicate that, as predicted, conjugal family experience was positively related, and prior knowledge was negatively related to performance. Prior experience doing individual therapy was also positively related to performance.

Pediatricians' Perceptions of Their Behavioral and Developmental Training

Eighty graduates of a pediatric residency that required training in behavior and development completed a survey of their perceptions regarding the quality of this training, the utility of behavior and development for modern pediatric practice, their competence in applying behavior and development knowledge, and their desire to pursue additional training in behavior and development. Surveys were completed 1 to 5 years (mean = 3.4 years) after graduation from the residency program. Graduates consistently rated child development and anticipatory guidance/counseling as the areas that were best taught, most useful, and in which they felt the most competent. The highest ratings of behavioral/developmental pediatrics (BDP) competence and usefulness were from graduates who received additional BDP training after residency. However, a large percentage of graduates did not endorse the usefulness of several dimensions of behavior and development that have been considered integral components of training. Implications and limitations of the present study are discussed.

Introducing client feedback into marriage and family therapy supervision: a qualitative study examining the transition to empirically informed supervision: Introducing Client Feedback in MFT Supervision

The use of client feedback in clinical supervision provides a way for supervisors to access clients’ experiences of the treatment process and monitor clinical progress of their trainees’ cases. The present qualitative study investigated a marriage and family therapy training programme’s early experience of introducing the Systemic Therapy Inventory of Change (STICVR ; Pinsof et al., 2009) into clinical supervision. Supervisors (N 5 8) and trainees (N 5 14) were interviewed to elicit their experience using the STIC in supervision with a focus on understanding the frequency of use as well as the facilitators and constraints to implementation. The analysis of the narratives resulted in the development of five themes (time, supervisors’ expectations, broader training system influences, client feedback training, and perceived helpfulness) that contributed to decreased usage over time. Recommendations to the field for integrating client feedback into empirically informed training and supervision are provided.