THEORETICAL UNITY AND TECHNICAL ECLECTICISM - PATHWAYS TO COHERENCE IN FAMILY-THERAPY

The premise of this article is that the diverse field of family therap y will be better served if the major theory underlying a clinical mode l is identified clearly and various techniques are integrated into it on a systematic basis. The method proposed for accomplishing this is s pecification of the underlying causality and objectives inherent in a theoretical model. The implications for the field of family therapy ar e that the current fads that result in divisiveness over who is cognit ive-behavioral, strategic, gestalt, or systemic can be avoided if spec ific objectives are delineated and techniques ave integrated coherentl y This has impact upon the ability of third-party insurers and the gen eral public to understand the field of family therapy more clearly, an d to choose practitioners whose outcomes closely match client needs in terms of length of treatment and behavioral change.