The Therapy Process of Accompanying Mothers in Multiple Family Therapy Groups: Evidence from a German Child Psychiatric Setting

Abstract

The Therapy Process of Accompanying Mothers in Multiple Family Therapy Groups: Evidence from a German Child Psychiatric Setting This study provides an empirical contribution to the understanding of parents that accompany their children in psychiatric multiple family therapy settings (MFT). To this end, we conducted qualitative interviews with mothers that had successfully participated, with their diagnosed children (ages 3 to 9), in disorder-independent, age-homogeneous, and open family groups (the "Magdeburg Model") for several months. We performed a theoretical coding approach to the extensive interview material (n = 6 interviews, duration = 70 to 100 minutes each) according to Grounded Theory and extracted seven main and 29 sub-categories. These categories yield a coherent, complete, and specific subjective therapy model for this setting. One of the central findings is a profound understanding of to what extent and by which means the family group as a social arena paves and supports the arrival of the mothers in the group, their engagement into the therapy process, and their motivational and volitional steps during therapy. Another relevant result is a reconstruction of what we termed Arriving Home, which is the epitome of the positive cognitive, affective, and behavioral therapeutic development that mothers perceive. Conclusions for clinical practice as well as for qualitative and mixed methods therapy research are discussed.