Family therapy or child therapy: An open or shut case.

An integrative approach to working with troubled children and their families.

“…Although there have been many attempts to explore the interface between the two perspectives when working with adults, the literature on integrating systemic and individual perspectives with young children is quite sparse. With few exceptions (Feldman, 1985; Gold, 1988; Duhl & Duhl, 1981; Pinsof, 1983), clinicians working with young children tend to line up in camps: family therapists see child therapists as pathologizing children (Combrinck-Graham, 1989; Haley, 1976; Kaslow & Racusin, 1990), while child therapists see family therapists as oversimplifying and ignoring the child's intrapsychic life (McDermott & Char, 1974).…”

Involving Children in Family Therapy and Systemic Consultation

“…Two ways are recommended for dealing with families that present with both marital and child problems. Whole family therapy may be followed by couples therapy after a resolution of the child's problem (Kniskern, 1981) or concurrent child and couples therapy may be offered (Kaslow and Racusin, 1990). Unfortunately no empirical research has been conducted to assess the relative efficacy of these practices.…”

Drawing a family map: an experiential tool for engaging children in family therapy

“…Keith and Whitaker (1981) argue that play is a powerful, perhaps essential tool in any successful family therapy, as do proponents of family play therapy (Anderson, 1993; Busby and Lufkin, 1992; Kaslow and Racusin, 1990; Scharff, 1989), but play therapy has more often been used in individual therapy, or in child‐centred filial play. Miller (1994) pointed out that the disciplines of play therapy and of family therapy have diverged more than cross‐fertilized.…”