The Family in Medical Practice

My practice life has spanned 36 years and during that time I have been involved in untangling countless mysterious maladies-or at least trying to do so. All of these efforts were without the benefit of any formal training about family systems. I am greatly encouraged by this book because it first draws attention to the intricate web that mankind has woven for itself. The family physician has often been caught up in this web, and therefore rendered impotent. Efforts to understand all of this are to be applauded. It has been my good fortune to know the editors, Leonard Roberts and Michael Crouch and, as a family physician, I feel that their "hearts are in the right place." They have grown up, medically speaking, in an era when society has become more complex, where life is not easy. Birth and its medical participants are suspect; childhood is complicated by divorce and loneliness; adolescence is a time of aimless searching; young adults are hard pressed to earn a living; the quality of life is being threatened somewhat by the overgrowth of high technology; dying with dignity is at a premium. The editors are to be commended for helping us clarify the role of the family physician in all of this.

1 The History of the Family in Medicine.- 2 A Systems View of the Clinical Relationship.- 3 Family Systems Theory in Medical Practice.- 4 The Family Life Cycle in Medical Practice.- 5 Families and Illness.- 6 Applying a Systems Approach to Common Medical Problems.- 7 Systems-oriented Counseling.- 8 Using the Genogram (Family Tree) Clinically.- 9 Working with One's Own Family Issues: A Path for Professional Development.- 10 Future Directions for Family-oriented Medical Care: Research, Education, and Practice.- Appendixes.- A Some Residency Training Programs Emphasizing Family Systems.- B Some Family Therapy Training Programs, Centers, and Resources.- C Family Systems Research Programs/Centers.- D Some Family Systems Journals.- E Suggested Further Reading About Family Systems and Health.- Glossary of Terms.- Index of Names.