key: cord-0926156-2ctq3tb4
authors: Larner, Glenn
title: Family Therapy Across the Gamut: Working with COVID‐19, Paediatric Trauma, Engaging Parents, Dialogical Supervision, Training Novice Therapists and Narrative Therapy in Iran
date: 2020-06-25
journal: Aust N Z J Fam Ther
DOI: 10.1002/anzf.1419
sha: edd8d76011360c966775f4e7db921802a3644a27
doc_id: 926156
cord_uid: 2ctq3tb4

nan

The third paper is an important timely reminder by Jenny Brown from The Family Systems Institute Sydney, Australia, on the importance of 'Engaging with Parents in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.' Drawing on the author's extensive background in clinical practice, supervision, and teaching as well as her recent qualitative research study into the experiences of parents and clinicians, it asks the following question: How can child and adolescent mental health clinicians constructively engage parents as a resource in the young person's treatment? The paper discusses key challenges for clinicians such as managing their reactions to parent defensiveness, taking a wider non-symptomatic focus, not aligning with the young person, and resisting becoming an expert instructor. Utilising the research of Murray Bowen, clinicians are coached on how to construct a positive, non-blaming and collaborative alliance with parents in order to explore the family relationship process.

The fourth paper is, 'Dialogical Supervision: A Challenging Child and Family Presentation,' by Glen Wand and Tom Pepe from Newcastle, Australia. After describing the concept of dialogue in psychotherapy, it carefully maps the similarities and differences between traditional and dialogical approaches to supervision. The authors draw on their experience as supervisors at a primary health network and a university psychology clinic to argue that traditional and dialogical supervision are on a continuum and can complement each other. Four transcript examples of supervision conversations illustrate dialogical processes such as trust, openness, authentic relating, active listening, and mutual influence as well as the nurturing of a space for reflection, creativity, and exploration of practical ideas.

The fifth paper is, 'Using the Therapist's Inner Conversation in Teamwork with Novice Therapists' by Claudio Zamorano D ıaz, Carolina Fuenzalida Muñoz, and Javiera Cornejo Valenzuela from the University of Chile, Santiago, Chile. Applying Peter Rober's construct of the therapist's 'inner conversation' and research into how novice therapists manage their emotions in a family therapy session, the paper investigates the experiences of final year trainees and recent graduates in a university adolescent psychotherapy team. The authors highlight the crucial role of supervisors in facilitating polyphonic conversations, which enrich the clinical work of novice therapists by validating their experience and connecting their stories to what is said in therapy.

The final article is, 'Effectiveness of Narrative Therapy on Communication Patterns for Women Experiencing Low Marital Satisfaction', by Effat Ghavibazou, Simin Hosseinian, and Abbas Abdollahi from the Department of Counseling, Faculty of Education and Psychology, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran. Offering a rare cultural insight into therapy in Iran, this quasi-experimental study investigated whether narrative therapy can help to improve communication patterns for women experiencing low marital satisfaction. It was found that narrative therapy approaches such as writing letters, externalising and identifying and renaming problems were effective in increasing marital satisfaction as well as reducing relational patterns of demand and withdrawal. It is recommended that therapists intervene during the naming and renaming stages of narrative therapy and the approach is illustrated using a cultural case example.

For September we especially look forward to a special issue on Single Session Therapy (including single session family consultation and walk-in services) from guest editors Jeff Young, Pam Rycroft, and Michael Hoyt.

Virtual relationships and systemic practices in the digital era

ABFT via telehealth & COVID-19