The Family Crucible: The Intense Experience of Family Therapy (Perennial Library)

“If you have a troubled marriage, a troubled child, a troubled self, if you're in therapy or think that there's no help for your predicament, The Family Crucible will give you insights... that are remarkably fresh and helpful.”—New York Times Book ReviewThe classic groundbreaking book on family therapy by acclaimed experts Augustus Y. Napier, Ph.D., and Carl Whitaker, M.D.This extraordinary book presents scenarios of one family's therapy experience and explains what underlies each encounter. You will discover the general patterns that are common to all families—stress, polarization and escalation, scapegoating, triangulation, blaming, and the diffusion of identity—and you will gain a vivid understanding of the intriguing field of family therapy. The Question Of Structure -- A Beginning -- Origins -- The Concept Of The System -- Initiative -- The Basic Conflict -- Grandmother's Ghost -- Toward Marriage -- A Partial Resolution -- Releasing -- The Underlying Crisis -- Return -- Hate -- The Therapeutic Moment -- Collision Course -- Carolyn -- The Terrible Choice -- David -- David's Family -- Ending Therapy -- Forum -- Suggested Readings -- Index. Augustus Y. Napier ; With Carl A. Whitaker. Includes Bibliographical References (pages [292]-293) And Index. TABLE OF CONTENTS: 1 The Question of Structure. 2 A Beginning. 3 Origins. 4 The Concept of the System. 5 Initiative. 6 The Basic Conflict. 7 Grandmother's Ghost. 8 Toward Marriage. 9 A Partial Resolution. 10 Releasing. 11 The Underlying Crisis. 12 Return. 13 Hate. 14 The Therapeutic Moment. 15 Collision Course. 16 Carolyn. 17 The Terrible Choice. 18 David. 19 David's Family. 20 Ending Therapy. 21 Forum "Would you like to see a new family with me?" Carl said.