International Family Therapy Association Research Articles

Editorial to the Special Issue of the Journal for Family Psychotherapy: International Approaches to Innovative Supervisory Practice

This special issue of the Journal of Family Psychotherapy was initially conceived at the 2019 World Family Therapy Congress sponsored by the International Family Therapy Association (IFTA) in Aberd...

Cuban public health: Living the Marxist dream.

Cuban Public Health: living the Marxist Dream William Reay OMNI Behavioral Health Northcentral University How one actually carry out a work of social welfare? How one unite individ­ual endeavor with the needs of society? (Ernesto Che Guevara) 1 A ny serious discussion of com­munity-based global health care must include Cuba's public health care system. The system is a curiosity in terms of political ideol­ogy, social history, economics, design, delivery, and outcomes. Cuba is note­worthy for its (a) low infant mortal­ity, {b) low rates of birth defects, and (c) life expectancy at a level found in high-income countries. All of this has been accomplished in spite of the U.S. embargo that has been in place for 50 years and the loss of trading partners since the fall of the Soviet Union about 20 years ago. When the American Public Health Association sponsored an academic and profes­sional exchange between the United States and Cuba in November 2010, I was anxious to participate so that I could explore the public health care system, which has been a hallmark of Cuban life since the 1959 revolu­tion. I wanted to look behind the outcomes to the methods employed and examine how Cuba conceptual­izes and implements health care, especially in relation to prevention. As a psychologist and administra­tor whtl has been advocating for a public health approach to behavioral health care, I have studied integrated community-based care systems for years. Educated in both psychology and law, I am especially interested in public health systems' balance among the competing interests of personal sovereignty, personal well-being, and community needs. These interests vary substantially within and among cultures in close relation to social con­ditions, including economic factors. As a result of my trip to Cuba, my conclusions about its health care sys­tem are mixed. Their revolutionary medical system remains militarized. The methods responsible for the outstanding rates of child health indi­cators, including high rates of immu­nizations, have high costs in personal autonomy and privacy. Moreover, problems in evaluation persist at all levels of this unique, highly aligned system of government and social management. Politics and Values of the Cuban Public Health System Our delegation was joined by Cuban midlevel political and admin-10n Revolutionary Medicine (speech to the Cuban militia; Aug. 19, 1960). istrative medical personnel responsi­ble health care management, including the minister of public health. From exchanges with these individuals, it became very clear that the theoretical framework of Cuban health care remains strongly aligned with Marxist-Leninist ideology, a relationship evident at every level of the system. In other words, the choice of outcomes of interest and the methods used to achieve those outcomes are driven by the values associated with the prevailing political ideology. Moreover, these choices in health policy are sustained by the social and political structures that are pervasive in Cuban life. The Cuban health care system consists of multiple nested primary relationships, all originating at the family level. Hence, maintenance of a healthy lifestyle-behavior consis­tent with the public health care sys­tem's goals-is a duty of citizens, who are strongly influenced by the health care system at every level of personal and institutional interac­tion. The relationships among par­ents and family members, medical clinics (called polyclinics), and med­ical and political personnel are so tightly nested that citizen perspec-article is based on a presentation.at the Third Greenville Family Symposium (cosponsored by the American Orthopsychiatric Association, the Clemson University Institute on Family & Neighborhood Life, the International Family Therapy Association, and the International Society for Child Indicators) at University Center in- Greenville, SC, in April 2011. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to William Reay, OMNI Behavioral Health, 5115 F St., Omaha, NE 68117. Electronic mail may be sent to breay@omnibehavioralhealth.com. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry 2012, Vol. 82, No.2, 181-185 © 2012 American Orthopsychiatric Association DOl: IO.llll/j.l939-0025.2012.01152.x

Dialogue Groups Between Descendants of Holocaust Perpetrators, Victims, and a Liberator: A Retrospective Account

ABSTRACT The 11th dialogue group between descendants of Holocaust perpetrators, victims, and liberators was held in conjunction with the International Family Therapy Association (IFTA) Conference in Reykjavík, Iceland, in October 2006. Some of the history and evolution of this unusual group of mental health professionals, which has had an existence of 12 years, has been chronicled in prior articles (Kaslow, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002). Therefore, in this article the most salient facts about the group's origins, raison d'être, and annual meetings, as well as changing group composition, is summarized. Some reflections on the course of the life of the group, its impact on its members, and the wider ripple effect are provided. Written comments made by some of the participants are included to illuminate their reflections on their experiences. The meeting in Reykjavik is described and finally the reasons for phasing out the group are given. A significant 12-year project is drawn to a close, hopefully with members having derived both new perceptions of the “other” and some deep and lasting healing through personal reexperiencing of the Holocaust having been incorporated and integrated differently into their lives. It is hoped that readers may deduce some principles and glean other information that will be valuable to them in their practices and their personal lives when dealing with survivors of the Holocaust and other more recent traumatic genocides: their students, supervisees, patients, colleagues, and perhaps relatives.

A View of Systemic Therapy in Greece: An Interview With Charis Katakis

Charis Katakis, PhD, is the director of the Laboratory for the Study of Human Relations in Athens, Greece, which she founded in 1983. The Laboratory is systemically oriented in its approach to therapy, training, and research. She is the author of five books; her first one, The Three Identities of the Greek Family, was first published in 1984 and is currently in its ninth edition. Her theoretical and research work in systems has been presented in numerous publications and presentations around the world. Dr. Katakis has also played an active role in many systemic organizations and associations. She was the first president of the Hellenic Association for Systemic Therapy, a member of the European Family Therapy Association Chamber of National Family Therapy Associations, a board member of the International Family Therapy Association, and served as president of the 8th World International Family Therapy Association Congress in Greece. In addition, she is an AAMFT approved supervisor at the founder's level.

Development and Influences on Family Therapy in Iceland

This article is about the groundwork and the development of family therapy in Iceland. The primary pioneers in Iceland are recounted. The environmental, cultural, and social influences and the influences of the Sagas on Icelanders and therapy issues are discussed. The article culminates with an account of the VI Nordic Congress in Family Therapy in Reykjavik in August 2002. The Congress placed the members of the Icelandic Association of Professionals Working in Family Therapy (FFF) firmly within the Nordic alliance alongside colleagues in other Northern countries. The profile of the profession has changed dramatically in Iceland since 1988 when Florence Kaslow, founder of the International Family Therapy Association and acclaimed author, came to Iceland, helping the profession gain recognition and become more accessible.

Descendants' Memories and Legacies

Since 1994, the author has led seven sessions of a Holocaust Dialogue Group between 2nd and 3rd generation descendants of victims and perpetrators. These annual group meetings have been held in conjunction with the congresses of the International Family Therapy Association (see Kaslow, 1995; 1997; 1998; 1999, 2000). In 2001 a session was conducted in Santiago, Chile of Jewish survivors only. This article describes the circumstances leading up to the meeting of this group in Chile, the dramatic process that occurred, and how this assemblage was similar to and different from the combined group meetings.

A Holocaust Dialogue Continues

The aftermath and the legacy of the holocaust lingers on in the collective unconscious and individual consciousness of descendants of survivors. The past few years, during the annual meetings of the International Family Therapy Association (IFTA), a dialogue group has been held between children of victims and of perpetrators-primarily, but not exclusively, Israeli and German therapists who are themselves descendants and/or who are treating those who carry within them the residue of this cataclysmic event. This article highlights the third meeting, which took place in March 1997 in Israel, and presents an update on what has transpired with individual group members since the last session they attended, which they partially attribute to the impact of the group. It closed with our agreement to meet again next year, and an emphasis on our shared commitment to preventing future holocausts.

Family psychology and family therapy abroad: A personal odyssey

Abstract This article is based on the author's lecturing experiences and workshop tours to over 20 countries;1 travels to these and various other countries where she has observed and studied families; numerous conversations with colleagues from many nations at international congresses and who served with her on the Board of Directors of the International Family Therapy Association;2 and extensive perusal of the literature. It attempts to provide an overview of the field as it has emerged in a variety of similar and different societies and cultures.