Here are the most recent developments in clinical research and theory on the role of the family in understanding and treating chronic mental and physical illnesses. Internationally respected scholars and psychotherapists present comprehensive and authoritative information vital to professionals who work with families coping with severe disorders. Chronic Disorders and the Family explores how clinicians can become more aware of the common experiences of patients and their families struggling with chronic psychiatric and medical disorders, thus promoting a better understanding of the contribution of family dynamics. With its focus on the interactional nature of psychopathology, this important book encourages psychotherapists to compare and contrast the various treatment perspectives and approaches available. Specific disorders discussed include schizophrenia, clinical depression, borderline disorders, anxiety disorders (particularly agoraphobia), eating disorders, substance abuse, and chronic medical illnesses.

Widely adopted, this valued course text and practitioner guide has expanded the understanding of family normality and healthy functioning in our increasingly diverse society. The editor and contributors are at the forefront of research and clinical training. They describe the challenges facing contemporary families and ways in which clinicians can promote resilience. With consideration of sociocultural and developmental influences, chapters identify key family processes that nurture and sustain strong bonds in couples; dual-earner, divorced, single-parent, remarried, adoptive, and kinship care families; gay and lesbian families; culturally diverse families; and those coping with adversity, such as trauma, poverty, and chronic illness.

New to This Edition

Reflects important research advances and the changing contexts of family life.

Additional chapter topics: kinship care, family rituals, evidence-based assessment, and neurobiology.

All chapters have been fully updated.

Table of Contents

I. Overview

1. The New Normal: Diversity and Complexity in 21st-Century Families, Froma Walsh

2. Clinical Views of Family Normality, Health, and Dysfunction: From Deficit to Strengths Perspective, Froma Walsh

II. Varying Family Forms and Challenges

3. Couple Interaction in Happy and Unhappy Marriages: Gottman Laboratory Studies, Janice Driver, Amber Tabares, Alyson Shapiro, and John M. Gottman

4. Contemporary Two-Parent Families: Navigating Work and Family Challenges, Peter Fraenkel and Carrie Capstick

5. Risk and Resilience After Divorce, Shannon M. Greene, Edward R. Anderson, Marion S. Forgatch, David S. Degarmo, and Mavis E. Hetherington

6. The Diversity, Strengths, and Challenges of Single-Parent Households, Carol Anderson

7. Remarriage and Stepfamily Life, Kay Pasley and Chelsea Garneau

8. Gay and Lesbian Family Life: Risk, Resilience, and Rising Expectations, Robert-Jay Green

9. Family Processes in Kinship Care, Malitta Engstrom

10. Adoptive Families, Cheryl Rampage, Marina Eovaldi, Cassandra Ma, Catherine Weigel Foy, Gina Miranda Samuels, and Leah Bloom

III. Cultural Dimensions in Family Functioning

11. Culture: A Challenge to Concepts of Normality, Monica Mcgoldrick and Deidre Ashton

12. Intersections of Race, Class, and Poverty: Challenges and Resilience in African American Families, Nancy Boyd-Franklin and Melanie Karger

13. Immigrant Family Processes: A Multidimensional Framework, Celia Jaes Falicov

14. Changing Gender Norms in Families and Society: Toward Equality amid Complexities, Carmen Knudson-Martin

15. The Spiritual Dimension of Family Life, Froma Walsh

IV. Developmental Perspectives on Family Functioning

16. The Family Life Cycle, Monica McGoldrick and Tazuko Shibusawa

17. Family Resilience: Strengths Forged Through Adversity, Froma Walsh

18. Normative Family Transitions, Couple Relationship Quality, and Healthy Child Development, Philip A. Cowan and Carolyn Pape Cowan

19. Mastering Family Challenges in Serious Illness and Disability, John S. Rolland

20. Family and Community Rituals in the 21st Century, Evan Imber-Black

V. Advancing Family Systems Research and Practice

21. Assessment of Effective Couple and Family Functioning: Prevailing Models and Instruments, Jay Lebow and Catherine B. Stroud

22. Unraveling the Complexity of Gene–Environment Interplay and Family Processes, Erica L. Spotts

23. Neurobiology and Family Processes, Mona Dekoven Fishbane

Index

In this needed practice and training guide for all mental health professionals, Froma Walsh presents a research-informed, resilience-oriented approach to help individuals, couples, and families who experience profound loss. Walsh guides therapists to understand and address the impact of complicated and traumatic deaths in relational systems and social contexts. She provides core principles and illustrative examples to foster healing and adaptation; help clients mobilize vital social, cultural, and spiritual resources; and find pathways forward to live and love beyond loss. Essential topics include death of a spouse, parent, child, or sibling; ambiguous and disenfranchised losses; death by violence, suicide, or overdose; collective trauma; and reverberations of past loss in life pursuits, other relationships, and across generations.

This comprehensive book, ideal as a basic text in family therapy and women's studies, addresses the question of how women experience family life from a variety of perspectives. It covers gender issues in family therapy theory, practice, and training; women in context (ethnicity and life cycle issues, marriage, motherhood, sisterhood, women alone, lesbian couples), and such special issues as work, addiction, and mental illness.

In this widely used course text and practitioner resource, Froma Walsh provides a state-of-the-art framework for understanding resilience in families and how to foster it. Illuminating the complex interplay of biopsychosocial influences in risk and resilience, she identifies key transactional processes that enable struggling families to grow stronger and more resourceful. Case illustrations demonstrate Walsh's collaborative approach with diverse families facing a wide range of crisis situations and chronic multistress challenges. The book features practice principles, tools, and guidelines, as well as programmatic applications. New to This Edition *Incorporates the latest practice advances and resilience research. *Chapter on assessment tools and strategies. *Chapter on disruptive transitions across the family life cycle. *Expanded coverage of war-related and collective trauma.

Exploring the role of spirituality in couple and family relationships, this successful text and practitioner guide illustrates ways to tap spiritual resources for coping, healing, and resilience. Leading experts in family therapy and pastoral care discuss how faith beliefs and practices can foster personal and relational well-being, how religious conflicts or a spiritual void can contribute to distress, and what therapists can gain from reflecting on their own spiritual journeys. The volume is rich with insights for working with multi-faith and culturally diverse clients.New to This Edition: *Coverage of death and loss, healing from refugee trauma, meditation practices for couples, use of rituals, and forgiveness.*Chapter on resilience now includes Hindu and Muslim perspectives in addition to Jewish, Christian, and Buddhist views.

Thoroughly revised and expanded, the second edition of this successful text and professional resource offers an alternative approach to thinking about and working with "difficult" families. From a nonpathologizing stance, William C. Madsen demonstrates creative ways to help family members shift their relationship to longstanding problems; envision desired lives; and develop more proactive coping strategies. The second edition has been thoroughly updated with practice innovations and many new case illustrations. New appendices provide outlines for crafting collaborative assessments, therapy contracts, and other documentation that enhances accountability while also engaging clients and eliciting their strengths. Anyone working with families in crisis, especially in settings where time and resources are scarce, will gain valuable insights and tools from this book.

In this widely used course text and practitioner resource, Froma Walsh provides a state-of-the-art framework for understanding resilience in families and how to foster it. Illuminating the complex interplay of biopsychosocial influences in risk and resilience, she identifies key transactional processes that enable struggling families to grow stronger and more resourceful. Case illustrations demonstrate Walsh's collaborative approach with diverse families facing a wide range of crisis situations and chronic multistress challenges. The book features practice principles, tools, and guidelines, as well as programmatic applications. New to This Edition *Incorporates the latest practice advances and resilience research. *Chapter on assessment tools and strategies. *Chapter on disruptive transitions across the family life cycle. *Expanded coverage of war-related and collective trauma.

In this needed practice and training guide for all mental health professionals, Froma Walsh presents a research-informed, resilience-oriented approach to help individuals, couples, and families who experience profound loss. Walsh guides therapists to understand and address the impact of complicated and traumatic deaths in relational systems and social contexts. She provides core principles and illustrative examples to foster healing and adaptation; help clients mobilize vital social, cultural, and spiritual resources; and find pathways forward to live and love beyond loss. Essential topics include death of a spouse, parent, child, or sibling; ambiguous and disenfranchised losses; death by violence, suicide, or overdose; collective trauma; and reverberations of past loss in life pursuits, other relationships, and across generations.

Widely adopted, this valued course text and practitioner guide has expanded the understanding of family normality and healthy functioning in our increasingly diverse society. The editor and contributors are at the forefront of research and clinical training. They describe the challenges facing contemporary families and ways in which clinicians can promote resilience. With consideration of sociocultural and developmental influences, chapters identify key family processes that nurture and sustain strong bonds in couples; dual-earner, divorced, single-parent, remarried, adoptive, and kinship care families; gay and lesbian families; culturally diverse families; and those coping with adversity, such as trauma, poverty, and chronic illness. New to This Edition: * Reflects important research advances and the changing contexts of family life. * Additional chapter topics: kinship care, family rituals, evidence-based assessment, and neurobiology. * Chapters on lesbian and gay families, stepfamilies, gender norms, and spirituality have been fully rewritten.

The editors' clinical framework identifies variables that heighten risk for individual, couple, or family dysfunction and describes key processes that foster healing and growth. Chapters by leading authorities reveal how the family response to loss affects all members and their relationships across the life cycle and the generations. New chapters address such topics as spirituality, gender issues, suicide and other traumatic deaths, unacknowledged and stigmatized losses, and resilience-based approaches to family and community recovery from major disaster. In a completely new section, prominent family therapists offer poignant reflections on their own legacies of loss. Throughout Living Beyond Loss, Second Edition, readers will find valuable therapeutic guidelines for working with threatened loss and end-of-life dilemmas, the immediate aftermath of traumatic loss, and long-term complications. Case illustrations address a wide range of loss situations, show their ripple effects, and suggest ways to address hidden losses when other symptoms are presented. Therapists and counselors will find their own lives and practices deeply enriched by this new volume.