THE BRIEF SYSTEMS FAMILY-THERAPY PROCESS MODEL - FIRST RESULTS

Family therapy is a process by which therapists help families identify and rectify dysfunctional patterns. A precise understanding and speci fication of the steps in the family therapy process is critical to hel ping therapists perform their craft better. A team of family therapist s and simulationists has developed a step by step description of the p rocess of a family therapy session, based on the experience of expert therapists and the published literature. This description forms the ba sis for a simulation model which has been used in training new therapi sts. Simulation is an ideal tool for studying family therapy since bot h are based on systems theory. By observing these therapists in action , the model is being validated and enhanced.