Researching what we practice-The paradigm of systemic family research: Part 2.

This is the second of two articles focusing on ideological and philosophical preferences for relating to and conducting research in the field of systemic couple and family therapy (CFT). To emphasize the need for the field of systemic CFT to be based on the best available knowledge, in the first article, we argue the benefits of applying the principles of evidence-based practice, and in the current article, we present the rationale behind the contents of a program for systemic family therapy research that safeguards methodological multiplicity. The need for multi-methodological systemic research is also recognized on the basis of the authors' self-reflexive accounts of overcoming barriers to learning skills and deepening their understanding of quantitative methods. We thus argue that trans-methodological reflexivity is necessary and we argue a preference for methodological multiplicity that includes statistical competency as regards the interdependence of observations (i.e., nonindependence), and we further argue that these are crucial components of a systemic research program.

Researching what we practice-The paradigm of systemic family research: Part 1.

This is part 1 of two articles that focus on the ideological and philosophical preference regarding how to relate to and conduct research in the field of systemic couple and family therapy. Thus, this article outlines the theoretical groundwork for part 2 of "Researching what we practice" in the same journal. Research in certain areas of systemic couple and family therapy (CFT), such as that influenced by social constructionism and postmodernism, has a different epistemological tradition than in the natural sciences. Thus, only research from a narrow, selected spectrum of epistemologies has been incorporated as a key source in the knowledge base of systemic CFT. The consequence is that the field of postmodern systemic CFT risks promoting only a limited range of research designs and knowledge while excluding other designs and knowledge types, reasoning that these are less useful in clinical practice. The rationale behind this perspective is derived from ideology and philosophy rather than scientific criteria. Accordingly, in our field of study, different epistemological perspectives are easily viewed as dichotomous, thus causing professional gaps in our field. This tendency constrains the mutual exchange and development that are needed. We present a possible way out of this dichotomized deadlock, first and foremost by acknowledging - and encouraging the use of - the great variety and breadth of existing research and knowledge. Referring to the guiding principles of evidence-based practice, we argue that this would endow the systemic CFT therapist and researcher with a greater knowledge base and range of research methodologies. This could help improve the quality of treatment provided to our clients and enhance the legitimacy of postmodern systemic CFT as a branch of psychotherapy.

"The troublesome other and I": Parallel stories of separated parents in prolonged conflicts.

This qualitative study aims to explore how noncohabiting parenting couples in prolonged conflict construct the other parent and themselves. Ten parents from five parent couples were interviewed. A dyadic analytical design was used, where parent's stories of conflict were analyzed in parallel with their co-parent. Drawing on positioning theory, self-identity as parents emerged as implicit counter positions in storylines, which construct the co-parent as "the troublesome other." Two typologies of conflicted storylines were prominent in the findings: storylines of violations of trust, positioning the co-parents in relation to traumatic events in the past and, storylines of who is bad, positioning the co-parent as either a disloyal co-parent or a dysfunctional parent. The findings indicate that prolonged conflicts made it impossible to find available positions for cooperation. We argue that family therapists should aid each household toward promoting child and family resilience rather than continued efforts to solve chronic conflicts.