Black Families in Therapy: A Multisystems Approach

Abstract

I. Black Afro-American Families: The Cultural Context. Black Afro-American Families in Therapy: An Overview. Racism, Racial Identification, and Skin Color Issues. Black Extended Family Patterns and Informal Adoptions. Role Flexibility and Boundary Confusion in Black Families. Religion, Spirituality, and Black Afro-American Families. II. Major Treatment Theories, Issues, and Interventions. Therapist's Use of Self and Value Conflicts with Black Families. Major Family Therapy Approaches and Their Relevance to the Treatment of Black Families. Application of the Multisystems Approach to the Treatment of Poor, Black Families. Case Example. III. Specific Familial Structures and Interventions. Single-Parent Black Families. Black Middle-Class Families in Therapy. Issues in the Treatment of Black Couples. IV. Implications for Training and Future Research.Implications for Training. Conclusion.