An Experiment in Systemic Family Therapy Training: A Trainer and Trainee Perspective

Abstract

This paper describes an experiment in systemic family therapy training that is part of an on-going attempt to relate the concepts and practices of systemic family therapy to systemic family therapy training. An example of a training framework, Systemic Case Consultation, is presented. Through intertwining trainer and trainee voices, we share two levels of observation: (1) our descriptions of the framework and (2) our descriptions of our experiences. Namely, the trainer simultaneously reviews the framework and comments on her experiences; and likewise, the trainee simultaneously provides a clinical example and relates her experiences. The processes described are intricate and evolutionary, and thus, extremely difficult to present and analyze with objectivity. We realize that there are multiple operationalizations of systemic theory and present our work as only one.