Books / Systemic & family
Family Therapy in Clinical Practice
Murray Bowen’s Family Therapy in Clinical Practice, first published in 1978, collects writings on his family systems approach.
Book details
Author of listed edition: Murray Bowen
Edition: First published in 1978; the previously listed ISBN belongs to a later edition
Publisher: Jason Aronson
Edition year: 1978
Language and origin: English (United States)
Form and genre: Clinical & Theoretical Monograph
Level: Advanced
Historical era: 1960–1979 · Humanistic, Cognitive & Systemic Turn
Covers: Bowen’s account of family systems; Differentiation of self and triangles; Family relationships across generations
APA 7th reference: Bowen, M. (1978). Family therapy in clinical practice. Jason Aronson.
What it is
First published in 1978, this collection presents Murray Bowen’s writings on family therapy and his account of family relationships. The National Diet Library catalogue records the 1978 Jason Aronson edition.
What it covers
Bowen’s framework uses concepts including differentiation of self, triangles and emotional cutoff to describe relationships within families. These are elements of a clinical theory, not established mechanisms that determine an individual’s mental health.
Historical and clinical context
Bowen’s work included research with families of people diagnosed with schizophrenia. A historical interpretation of family relationships does not establish that families cause schizophrenia. The US National Institute of Mental Health describes a combination of genetic and environmental factors in schizophrenia risk.
Reading this record
This entry draws on catalogue records and a public health source. The full book was not reviewed, and this description does not establish the safety or effectiveness of a particular family therapy approach.
Paired academic and clinical scholarship
Paired work: Family Evaluation: An Approach Based on Bowen Theory (Michael E. Kerr and Murray Bowen, 1988)
Reference: Kerr, M. E., & Bowen, M. (1988). Family evaluation: An approach based on Bowen theory. W. W. Norton & Company.
A later book presents a family evaluation approach based on Bowen theory; the full text was not reviewed.
Sources and inspection notes
National Diet Library. Family therapy in clinical practice, catalogue record.
Supports: Catalogue identifies Bowen, Jason Aronson and the 1978 publication; the full text was not reviewed.
CiNii Books. Family therapy in clinical practice, catalogue record.
Supports: Catalogue lists ISBN 0876687613 for a 1985 Jason Aronson edition rather than the 1978 record.
National Institute of Mental Health. Schizophrenia.
Supports: Describes genetic and environmental factors associated with schizophrenia; it does not establish a single family cause.