The Field Matures: 1980 to the Present (Chapter 3)

Objectives for This Chapter

Recognize differences between modern and postmodern assumptions

Observe the constantly changing nature of couple and family relationships

Describe the multiple forces that shape contemporary service delivery

Understand the changing discourses of couple and family counseling

Appreciate the new integrative spirit in the field

Introduction

By the 1980s the MFT movement was growing rapidly, led by powerful groups following clear models

This complementary pattern of increasing power for some and decreasing power for others combined with social change to create a crisis in the new field

The crisis resolved itself in the 1990s, ushering in a new wave of diversity and integration that continues into the 21st Century

Societal change

A less rigidly organized society and new ideas challenged established practice

Sexuality in the U.S.

Historical puritanism and negative attitudes toward sexuality

Birth control and the sexual revolution Alternative lifestyles STDs Sexual minorities — visibility and

organizational activity

The changing family landscape

Gender Career options Divorce, remarriage, and stepfamilies Single parent families Multigenerational families

Technology and families

Changing family boundaries– Cars, Telephones, Television– Computers/internet– Cell phones

Grandparent involvement– Moved out of the home– Accessible through technology

Changes inside the field

Personnel turnover combines with new service delivery values and technologies

Departures

Bowen/Georgetown Minuchin/Philadelphia Bateson Satir Whitaker

Arrivals

Gurman Sprenkle McGoldrick Carlson

Organizational maturation

Specialized roles for AAMFT, AFTA Family-focused subgroups in APA, ACA New journals

The managed care revolution

Accountability for decisions, diagnoses Pressure for quick results

Technology and professional communication

From mimeo to websites and online discussions

Proliferation of journals Net effect: flattening the hierarchy of ideas

The 1980s: A Midlife Crisis

The clarity and energy of youth confronted realities that called for new ways of being

Feminist challenges

Hare-Mustin 1978 challenge– Male privilege, “soft” approach to men– Preserving patriarchy rather than challenging

abuse of power

Attention to gender and power as central issues in relationships

Emerging postmodernism

The “epistemology” debates Cybernetics and second-order cybernetics Social Construction

The 1990s and Beyond: Reexamining Values and Settling

Down

Taking many different paths, family counselors became more diverse and creative

Life goes on

Behavioral and cognitive-behavioral approaches

Medical family therapy Object relations family therapy Biogenetic emphases Reconnections with feelings Reconnections with spirituality Strategic and structural developments

Transformations

The solution-focused movement Social constructionist approaches

– Reflecting teams– Collaborative language systems– Narrative

The critics Culture Race, gender, and sexual orientation

Integrationist moves

Metatheorizing Transtheoretical efforts Integrated models

Barnhill’s integrative map

The BONES of the family (Blume)

Behavior: Learning, habits, and reinforcement Organization: Planning,decision making, and

action Narrative: Language, culture,and identity Emotion: Regulation, relationship,and

motivation Spirituality: Purpose, acceptance,and meaning