President’s Report 2004–2005
By Catherine Sanders. Volume 27 Issue Number 1. [PDF format - 46KB]Report on Sydney Conference: An Absolute Delight
By Phil Tyndall. Volume 27 Issue Number 1. [PDF format - 38KB]Researching Moslem-Christian Marriages: Extrapolating from Mixed-faith Couples towards the Practices of Convivencia
By Abe Ata and Mark Furlong. Volume 26 Issue Number 4. [PDF format - 134KB]Moslem-Christian marriage can be seen as a kind of 'testing place' for examining and appreciating the practices of difference. This paper offers a summary from a recent, local research project which investigated these relationships (Ata, 2003). The empirical data from the study was 'milled' for its potential to inform practice, a process that generated four themes that practitioners may find useful in their attempts to design practice approaches that are sensitive to alternative anthropologies. Beginning from the contention that the otherness of those for whom we work can be a mirror for our own cultural and practice assumptions, we extrapolate from these themes to practise with other examples of diversity. It is argued that our efforts to practise with diverse populations will be unengaging, even colonising, unless we are able to denaturalise our own positions.
Sex Therapy: Historical Evolution, Current Practice. Part 2 [Education Update]
By Raie Goodwach. Volume 26 Issue Number 4. [PDF format - 103KB]This is the second of a two part series on the treatment of sexual difficulties. It presents a systemic approach to sex therapy and uses illustrative case histories to explore: the inter-relationship between the presenting person or couple; the 'sexual' as part of the relationship; the symptom; the medical considerations; the cultural context; and the framework and thinking of the therapist.
The Dodo Manifesto
By Benjamin Hansen. Volume 26 Issue Number 4. [PDF format - 103KB]In this paper I review the psychotherapy outcomes literature as it pertains to the Dodo Hypothesis. This is the proposition that the effects of psychotherapy are due to common factors rather than specific techniques. A variety of sources provide substantial empirical support for the Dodo Hypothesis. I conclude that CBT and medication don't appear to be any better than other methodologies for the treatment of psychological distress. I look at some of the criticisms of the Dodo Hypothesis. I suggest that the major themes that emerge from the literature as it stands are conclusions that would be immediately obvious to most clinicians. Further, the utility of specific techniques has not been ruled out, due to some serious conceptual flaws in efficacy trials. I suggest that there are a number of ways for family therapists to survive in an evidence-based world. One is to point out to champions of evidence-based practice just how flimsy their claims are. Another would be to advocate for pluralism and to practise and conduct research under the aegis of a contextual philosophy.
The White Whale: A Case Study
By Vanessa Spiller. Volume 26 Issue Number 4. [PDF format - 112KB]Towards the end of counselling with Steven, a 13-year old Aboriginal adolescent, he dreamed of being lost at sea and then found by a white whale. This whale carried him to safety, specifically into the care of his current foster family. This ending is full of symbolism and seems to promise positive and uncomplicated outcomes. However, counselling is rarely straightforward and this case study is no exception. It explores a complex journey though therapy, full of challenges and discomfort not only for Steven and myself but also for the variety of other supportive players in his life. The outcome, although nowhere near as dramatic as his dream, I believe reflects meaningful change for this young man.
The Perceptions of Mothers of Sons with ADHD
By Nancy Wallace. Volume 26 Issue Number 4. [PDF format - 102KB]This paper describes mothers' own reports of bringing up a son diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. The effects of this widely misunderstood condition on the child, the family, and the wider social network (including medical and education systems) are many and complex. Although there is evidence for a biological basis for this condition, ADHD symptoms are also seen in children of abusive or other disordered parenting. Children showing ADHD symptoms are often seen to be undisciplined, and their parents assumed to be either abusive or over-indulgent. Many problems suffered by these families, particularly the mothers, may be due to the confusion of these two aetiologies. Rather than being seen as suffering from brain dysfunction, they are responded to with generalised social disapproval and ultimately ostracism. The paper will describe the effects of the behavioural symptomatology as it influences the thinking, in accordance with the beliefs of casual observers, about its underlying causes.
From Strength to Strength: An Interview with Russell Deal
By Hugh Crago. Volume 26 Issue Number 4. [PDF format - 188KB]Russell Deal is the founder and managing director of Innovative Resources, the publishing arm of St. Luke's Anglicare, Bendigo. Russell is a social worker, who for the past 13 years has been a publisher. Strength Cards, now a widely used resource all over the world, were followed by The Bears, and more recently by Koala Company, Name the Frame, and Mates Traits and many other resources designed to address a range of situations with individuals, families, teams and communities. Details available at http://www.innovativeresources.org.
Editorial: Now With New Improved Family-Therapy-Jargon-Generator
By Eddie Gallagher. Volume 26 Issue Number 4. [PDF format - 74KB]In Brief: Coming Events, Jottings and Announcements
Volume 26 Issue Number 4. [PDF format - 61KB]