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

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

2. 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

3. 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

4. Societal change A less rigidly organized society and new ideas challenged established practice

5. 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

6. The changing family landscape • Gender • Career options • Divorce, remarriage, and stepfamilies • Single parent families • Multigenerational families

7. Technologyand families • Changing family boundaries • Cars, Telephones, Television • Computers/internet • Cell phones • Grandparent involvement • Moved out of the home • Accessible through technology

8. Changes inside the field Personnel turnover combines with new service delivery values and technologies

9. Departures • Bowen/Georgetown • Minuchin/Philadelphia • Bateson • Satir • Whitaker

10. Arrivals • Gurman • Sprenkle • McGoldrick • Carlson

11. Organizational maturation • Specialized roles for AAMFT, AFTA • Family-focused subgroups in APA, ACA • New journals

12. The managed care revolution • Accountability for decisions, diagnoses • Pressure for quick results

13. Technology and professional communication • From mimeo to websites and online discussions • Proliferation of journals • Net effect: flattening the hierarchy of ideas

14. The 1980s: A Midlife Crisis The clarity and energy of youth confronted realities that called for new ways of being

15. 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

16. Emerging postmodernism • The “epistemology” debates • Cybernetics and second-order cybernetics • Social Construction

17. The 1990s and Beyond: Reexamining Values and Settling Down Taking many different paths, family counselors became more diverse and creative

18. 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

19. Transformations • The solution-focused movement • Social constructionist approaches • Reflecting teams • Collaborative language systems • Narrative • The critics • Culture • Race, gender, and sexual orientation

20. Integrationist moves • Metatheorizing • Transtheoretical efforts • Integrated models

21. Barnhill’s integrative map

22. 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