“If you have a troubled marriage, a troubled child, a troubled self, if you’re in therapy or think that there’s no help for your predicament, The Family Crucible will give you insights . . . that are remarkably fresh and helpful.”—New York Times Book Review The classic groundbreaking book on family therapy by acclaimed experts Augustus Y. Napier, Ph.D., and Carl Whitaker, M.D. This extraordinary book presents scenarios of one family’s therapy experience and explains what underlies each encounter. You will discover the general patterns that are common to all families—stress, polarization and escalation, scapegoating, triangulation, blaming, and the diffusion of identity—and you will gain a vivid understanding of the intriguing field of family therapy.

This book explores the life and ministry of John Wesley from the perspective of Murray Bowen's Extended Family Systems Theory and to a lesser extent from Alfred Adler's concept of family constellation. Throughout the book, the author uses concepts drawn from these theories to explore significant historical and pivotal events in the life of John Wesley. Beginning with family events prior to his birth, the author also explores his early family constellation, influential themes, factors shaping his ministry, and various relational issues, including his relationships with Sophy Hopkey, Grace Murray, and his marriage to Mary Vazeille. It concludes by drawing lessons from Wesley's life pertinent to today's ministers.

This book challenges the fundamental paradigms in sexual-marital therapies, and provides a fresh look at the nature of intimacy and the diverse barriers to eroticism in many marriages. By integrating individual, sexual and marital therapies, this study attempts to provide a fresh look at the nature of intimacy and the diverse barriers to eroticism in marriage. The author refutes the common focus on sexual technique, calling instead for an emphasis on sexual potential.

Offers an indepth and thoughtful exploration of the relevance of psychoanalysis to family therapy.

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 I met with Carl, a psychiatrist, to discuss his family. He explained that his wife had called him about an appointment with him. She had been referred by John Simons, a child psychiatrist in town who worked mostly with adolescents. #2 The family was very tense during the session, and it seemed like they were about to fight. But Carl was able to defuse the situation by asking them to wait until Don arrived. #3 The family was having a difficult time deciding whether or not they would have an official meeting. I insisted that it would be unfair to Don and I thought unfair to Mrs. Brice to have him absent when we were discussing the prospect of the family changing. #4 It was clear to us that we needed the whole family to help deal with the anxiety of the situation. But the parents insisted that we were being professionally irresponsible by delaying the appointment.