| Abstract: | Psychologists as a profession have been relatively underrepresented in the field of family therapy. This is true when we consider the people who have shaped the field of family therapy and when we look at the program of the American Psychological Association (APA). It is even true when we look at the trainees and students at the Ackerman Institute, whose training program is the basis for these remarks. Among the mental health disciplines, psychology is the most rigorous in stressing critical and evaluative thinking, conceptualizing, and intellectual learning. Basic training in experimental methodology cultivates a preference for reductionist thinking. Family therapy, on the other hand, deals with themes, patterns, complexities, and data overload and necessitates learning that is affective and experiential as well as intellectual. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
