Third-Order Thinking in Family Therapy: Addressing Social Justice Across Family Therapy Practice.

We contend that the field of family therapy is undergoing a notable shift from second- to third-order thinking. We offer theoretical support and examples to demonstrate how third-order thinking provides a framework for integrating heightened sociocultural attunement into family therapy practice. We discuss the importance of third-order thinking relative to being prepared to invite families into third-order change. Finally, we offer a case example to show specific guidelines for third-order practice.

Afirmamos que el ámbito de la terapia familiar está sufriendo un cambio notable porque está pasando del pensamiento de segundo orden al pensamiento de tercer orden. Ofrecemos respaldo teórico y ejemplos para demostrar cómo el pensamiento de tercer oden ofrece un marco para integrar una mayor sensibilización sociocultural en la práctica de la terapia familiar. Debatimos la importancia del pensamiento de tercer orden relativa a estar preparados para invitar a las familias al cambio hacia el tercer orden. Finalmente, ofrecemos el ejemplo de un caso para mostrar pautas específicas sobre la práctica del tercer orden.

Speaking of privilege: family therapy educators' journeys toward awareness and compassionate action.

This study explores how family therapy educators from privileged social locations understand issues of privilege and the process by which they integrate their personal and professional journeys to create and model equity in family therapy training and professional development. These educators developed awareness about issues of privilege and oppression and owned their privilege. Increased awareness involved personal struggles with guilt and managing internalized voices of prejudice that are constantly reinforced in society. These educators adopted a stance of action and accountability for equity. We hypothesize that the process leading to owning one's privilege involves the ability to be compassionate for others' suffering and one's own limitations.

From Knowing to Doing: Guidelines for Socioculturally Attuned Family Therapy.

Family therapists know that clinical concerns are not separate from larger sociopolitical contexts. Attunement to clients' sociocultural experience is foundational to good practice, yet few guidelines integrate attention to the larger societal processes or address social equity. The purpose of this article is to help therapists move from knowing about sociocontextual issues to doing socioculturally attuned practice. We offer an overarching framework that returns to Bateson and the roots of family therapy through a call for third order transformation. The approach is responsive to societal context and an analysis of power while working through enduring concepts of major family therapy models. Transtheoretical guidelines that can be integrated across practice models to promote third order change are illustrated with case examples.

Integrating Social Justice into the Practice of CBFT: A Critical Look at Family Schemas.

Many families come to therapy struggling with the negative consequence of social inequity. Family therapy modalities have been developed to address these negative consequences and attend to power and social equity (Transformative family therapy: Just families in a just society. Boston, MA: Pearson Education; Socio-emotional relationship therapy. New York, NY: Springer). We argue that many family therapy modalities can be adapted to include social equity (Applying critical social theory in family therapy practice. AFTA Springer Series. New York, NY: Springer Publishing). Specifically, cognitive behavioral family therapy can be used to address the inequality in social systems that negatively affect the family system. We focus on schema formation and suggest an emphasis on societal schemas within the therapy milieu as a tool to help families see how societal inequality can affect the problems faced in family life.

Raising multiracial awareness in family therapy through critical conversations.

Multiracial families are uniquely affected by racial dynamics in U.S. society. Family therapists must be prepared to meet the needs of this growing population and to support racial equity. This article includes an overview of literature related to being multiracial and offers a framework for working with multiracial identity development in therapy. A critical conversation approach to working with multiracial identity is shared along with case examples. The authors' experiences developing the model via a practitioner inquiry group are highlighted.

Talking about race using critical race theory: recent trends in the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy.

This study uses critical race theory as an interpretive lens to critique recent race related articles in the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy (JMFT). Our primary goal is to contribute to and inspire dialogue about the perspectives marriage and family therapists (MFTs) are taking in relationship to race. We situate our exploration within the broader context of continuing professional education. We describe the main themes of critical race theory and use them as the conceptual framework. Analyzing 127 articles, we found that only topics related to couples and divorce occurred more frequently than race and social justice. Within the articles on race, evidence suggests that issues of race and racism are emerging as key informants of MFT practice. We point to areas for consideration in future MFT research and practice.

Transforming an MFT program: a model for enhancing diversity.

Marriage and family therapy programs need to go beyond the typical practices of recruiting and retaining students of color. Marriage and family therapy educators must assume positions of leadership by transforming graduate programs to reflect a deep, active, systemic commitment to both diversity and social justice. In this article, we argue that it is through this type of transformation that programs become truly ready to support students of color and to prepare all therapists to advocate for equity in a diverse, often unfair society. This article offers a model that addresses readiness, recruitment, retention, assessment, and professional development from this perspective.

Making space for racial dialogue: our experience in a marriage and family therapy training program.

Marriage and family therapy (MFT) training programs need to create opportunities for all students to develop cultural competency by raising their racial awareness and sensitivity. Likewise, therapists of color need to be offered space in MFT programs to voice their experiences and venues for their voices to be heard. This article reports on the efforts within a master's level, accredited MFT training program to create space, through participatory action research, for the unique experiences of therapists of color and White therapists who are deeply committed to racial sensitivity.

Social class in family therapy education: experiences of low SES students.

In this article, we report the results of a national survey of students in COAMFTE-accredited family therapy programs who self-identify as coming from lower- or working-class backgrounds. Results of the study reveal opportunity and tension relative to family, friends, and community because of social mobility associated with graduate education. Participants describe family therapy education as middle-class centered, pointing to lack of attention to social class, marginalization, classism, and unacknowledged class barriers as salient experiences in their graduate programs. Finally, participants share a number of suggestions for program improvement.

Exploring social class: voices of inter-class couples.

Social class is not often discussed or examined in-depth in couple and family therapy research and literature even though social class shapes familial relationships and is considered an important variable in marital satisfaction. In this qualitative study, we explored the perceptions of eight couples who made lasting commitments across class lines by asking them about the impact of their social class backgrounds on their relationships. Three categories of themes emerged including: (a) differences and similarities in values and attitudes toward education, work, money, and class awareness/classism, (b) relationship issues involving families of origin, friends, and class-based couple conflict, and (c) differences in economic resources, social capital and privileges/opportunities. Implications for assessment and treatment of couples are included.

Transformative learning through international immersion: building multicultural competence in family therapy and counseling.

This study explores the experiences of graduate students who completed one of two international courses facilitated by family therapy faculty in a U.S. master's-level counseling psychology department. Participants reported that international courses were personally and professionally transformative. Spending time in a foreign country gave them opportunities to learn from cultural differences, ultimately increasing the social and global awareness required for multicultural sensitivity. Experiential learning, reflection, and dialogue resulted in raised critical consciousness among participants. In this article, we discuss the transformational learning processes embedded in international courses and the potential benefits of these experiences on the development of multicultural sensitivity in family therapists and counselors in training.

Centering the voices of international students in family studies and family therapy graduate programs.

In this article, we report the results of a survey that accessed the perceptions of family studies and family therapy international master's and doctoral students across the United States. Our goals included giving collective voice to the experience of international students and gathering their suggestions for improving programs. Themes that emerged from responses to open- and closed-ended questions included feeling (mis)understood and (de)valued; forming personal connections and experiencing marginalization; the importance of including international perspectives in curricula; considering the relevance/transferability of knowledge; and attending to barriers to learning. Based on the results, we share suggestions for improving family studies and family therapy graduate programs relative to program planning, curricula revision, teaching strategies, and faculty development.

Mapping social capital: a critical contextual approach for working with low-status families.

Promoting justice in therapeutic work with families demands an analysis of contextual factors such as race, ethnicity, gender, and social class in relationship to societal systems of power, privilege, and oppression. A broad understanding of these dynamics, however, is inadequate to inform our work with families whose social capital severely limits available life choices, social influence, and material resources. In this article, we describe working from a critical contextual perspective to consider how families gain and/or lose social capital through participation in multiple contexts. We introduce a technique for mapping social capitol within and across multiple systems as well as suggestions for interventions aimed at increasing the social well-being of low-status families. These include considering the dynamics of boundary crossing, recognizing and optimizing resistance to oppressive dynamics, finding ways to limit constraints and optimize opportunities, and developing webs of allies to support family functioning and access to resources. We offer the example of 13-year-old Pepe as a case in point.