1. How did the Milan Group help Family Counseling? First, the Milan Group helped focus on the historical evolution of the family problems, from great-grandparents to the present. Second, this group added a greater trust in the family to generate its own solutions. Milan Group found that the family usually did want to get better. Third, this group added an increased appreciation of and focus on beliefs that underlie family behaviors. Behaviors are driven by something (compare to the Black Box Metaphor). Fourth, this group added to the art of interviewing. Therapists did not have to jump right in during the first session to get started. They started circular questioning, where the counselor asked one member what he thought another member was thinking about a specific matter. The counselor should make sure to ask the same question of each person concerned.

2. Discuss what constructionism did for marriage and family counseling. First, it allowed for more collaboration in the field of marriage and family counseling. Before, the counselor picked one specialty and ruled out the others. Second, it elevated meaning to a position of equal importance to behavior in an attempt to understand the family. Third, it led to an increased humility about the theoretical models and more integration among all of them. Fourth, it led to an increased attention to values behind assumptions. The counselor should know his own identity. Fifth, there is less urgency to control and manipulate people. Sixth, it led to an increased trust in family resources and takes advantage of the family's strengths.

3. Discuss feminism. The feminists opposed two of the early patriarchal values. In early family counseling, men were the leaders of the field. In later years, women have been the leaders. First, the early patriarchal values allowed for spousal abuse and even encouraged it by not trying to stop it. Feminism criticized this part of the system. Second, they also criticized the idea that the abused person should take some of the responsibility for the behavior. They associated taking responsibility with taking blame, but taking responsiblity becomes a source of empowerment for change. Feminism also said that the therapist cannot remain neutral, that his or her values would come across in the sessions.

4. Discuss the early group and communication theorists. The Group and Communication Theorists were absorbed into the rest of marriage and family therapy. This group came up with several ideas of the healthy family. First, a functional system that depends on two specific processes. Negative feedback loop is when the family maintains integrity and structure in the face of environmental impact. Thus, it protects itself. Positive feedback is when the system accommodates new or novel input. Thus, it allows things in. Either extreme of these feedback systems is not healthy. Second, this group believed that the family needs to develop/adapt normally through the family life cycle. Third, this group said to avoid being trapped by destructive patterns through positive feedback. Fourth, watch communication patterns and behaviors. Healthy communications and behaviors will support a healthy system.

				Tom of Bethany

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