The Child’s Voice in Family Therapy: A Systemic Perspective

Carole Gammer

Advance Acclaim

"Carole Gammer’s The Child’s Voice in Family Therapy is a treasure chest of ideas for how children can be involved in the process of therapeutic change, and an homage to creative approaches to family therapy. It is an enriching resource for both therapists and clients."
—Therese Steiner, coauthor of Children’s Solution Work.

"At last! A comprehensive and theoretically-grounded book about how we include children, as full participants, in developmentally appropriate ways, in our therapeutic work with family groups. Carole Gammer is to be congratulated! This is a warm, welcome, and lovingly narrated addition to a small and influential area of practice. Her experience and enjoyment of working with children suffuses this accessible book, with its useful anecdotes and illustrations of practice, integrated within a systemic framework that draws on intervention and theory from a range of disciplines. I have learned much from reading it."
— Arlene Vetere, PhD., AcSS., President of the European Family Therapy Association and Professor of Clinical Psychology, University of Surrey, UK

Overview

Though much progress has been made in the practice of family therapy, not enough attention has been paid to bring forth children’s perspectives in this field. Like most therapy, family therapy is carried out mainly through language; therapists and their adult patients communicate and find expression through words. Children, however, are limited in their language ability and the younger the child, the less developed her verbal resources. What are ways in which we can access a child’s representational universe?

Gammer provides a roadmap of modern and practical methods for interacting with children who are part of a family in therapy. Unlike many books on family therapy, this unique standpoint places the child’s voice and experience at the forefront. She examines a variety of cases, addressing the complicated role of sibling relationships and how to approach children with hyperactive behavior. Presenting a wide range of practical interventions, including art, video, and play therapy, she provides a comprehensive set of tools for therapists to use with children, and offers advice on how to successfully navigate through some of the unexpected turns

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Part I: Techniques
1. Thinking About the Family
2. Dramatization Techniques
3. Metaphor Techniques
4. Systemic Art Techniques
5. Externalization
6. Setting Limits
7. The Restoration of Play
8. Links to the Past
9. Video-Supported Intervention

Part II: Putting It All Together
10. A Roadmap for the Therapy
11. Opening Moves: The First Interview
12. Continuing

Part III: Special Themes
13. Children With Hyperactive Behavior
14. Sibling Relationships

Bibliography

Index

About the Author

Carole Gammer, clinical psychologist, studied at the University of Wisconsin and taught at the Children’s Hospital of Harvard University Medical School. Founder of Phasic Family Therapy and President of the Phasic Family Therapy Association in France, she directs training institutes in family therapy in Europe. She lives in Paris, France.

ISBN 13: 978-0-393-70541-6
ISBN 10: 0-393-70541-2
November 2008 / 304 pages/ hardcover