An Introduction to Family Therapy: Systemic Theory and Practice by Rudi Dallos and Ros Draper

Abstract

Maidenhead : Open University Press , 2005 , 360pp. , £23.74 (pb) . The first edition of this book appeared during my family therapy training, and it is a testament to its usefulness that it was the only book that I actually committed to buying. This revised and updated edition remains to my mind the most user-friendly and informative introduction for newcomers to the field of family therapy and systemic thinking. Its repetition of the same structure through each phase of the development of family therapy creates a coherent overview which in this second edition has been brought right up to date. Dallos and Draper present their subject in a style that manages to be clear and accessible while inspiring curiosity and a desire to explore further. They somehow manage to speak to their readers in a fresh and conversational manner, laying out complex ideas in an organized fashion. Even the potentially daunting chapter on research welcomes one in, and the authors' continued emphasis on practice-based evidence I believe makes it an ideal springboard to further research for even the less academically confident readers. The chapter on ‘Ideas that keep knocking on the door’ invited me into systemic thinking because it made a bridge and listened to other theoretical perspectives and viewed how they may be used. This is a systemic mindfulness that should inspire any practitioner to think out of his or her working comfort zone. The chapter on systemic formulation follows the book's formula and offers a structure that can guide designing a formulation along with helping the reader understand the meaning of these developments in practice, for both family and multi-disciplined practitioners. But to me the greatest strength of this text lies in its relevance to present-day practice, exemplified by the inclusion in this edition of sections on the application of systemic thinking and practice in the fields of addiction, post-divorce processes and forensic services. For me it feels validating to see weight given to systemic thinking in the field of addiction and substance misuse because of my own efforts to develop a family programme, including family therapy and other services within an abstinence-based residential treatment setting for alcohol and drug addiction. Vetere and Henley's integration of models is how meaningful family work is being created on the ground in this setting. I don't think that I will ever stop feeling like a student in this field and somehow I hope I never do. Dallos and Draper's book is an inspirational breath of fresh air that would help guide an orientation in development of any practitioner. It deserves a place on the bookshelf of both the newcomer and the qualified practitioner seeking to apply systemic principles.