In Family Therapies, Mark A. Yarhouse and James N. Sells survey the major approaches to family therapy and treat significant psychotherapeutic issues within a Christian framework. A landmark work, this volume was written for those studying counseling, social work, psychology, or marriage and family therapy. Fully updated and revised, this second edition includes new chapters on cohabitation, LGBT+ marriage, and family formation. Other issues covered include



- crisis and trauma

- marital conflict

- separation, divorce, and blended families

- substance abuse and addictions

- gender, culture, economic class, and race

- sexual identity



Yarhouse and Sells conclude by casting a vision for an integrative Christian family therapy and offer timely wisdom for therapeutic practice in the midst of a diverse and rapidly changing global context. Family Therapies is an indispensable resource for those in the mental health professions, including counselors, psychologists, family therapists, social workers, and pastors.

About the Series

Christian Association for Psychological Studies (CAPS) Books explore how Christianity relates to mental health and behavioral sciences including psychology, counseling, social work, and marriage and family therapy in order to equip Christian clinicians to support the well-being of their clients.



Mark A. Yarhouse (PsyD, Wheaton College) is the Dr. Arthur P. Rech and Mrs. Jean May Rech Professor of Psychology at Wheaton College. His books include Modern Psychopathologies, Sexuality and Sex Therapy, and Understanding Gender Dysphoria.



James N. Sells (PhD, University of Southern California) is professor of counseling, shares the Rosemary S. Hughes Professor of Christian Thought and Mental Health, and codirects the Charis Institute at Regent University. He is coeditor of Ministering to Families in Crisis and the author of several books including Family Therapies and Beyond the Clinical Hour.



Preface

Part I: Foundational Considerations



1. A Christian Understanding for Family Therapy



2. Historical Foundations of Family Therapy

Part II: Models of Family Therapy



3. Bowenian Family Therapy



4. Strategic Family Therapy



5. Structural Family Therapy



6. Psychodynamic Family Therapy



7. Contextual Family Therapy



8. Experiential Family Therapy



9. Solution-Focused Family Therapy 



10. Cognitive-Behavioral Family Therapy 



11. Narrative Family Therapy



12. Toward an Integrative Christian Family Therapy

Part III: Integration of Family Theory with Critical Issues in Psychotherapy



13. Crisis and Trauma



14. Attending to Marital Conflict



15. Separation, Divorce, and Remarriage



16. Individual Psychopathology



17. Substance Abuse



18. Gender, Culture, Economic Class, and Race



19. Cohabiting Couples and Families: Christian Counseling's New Reality



20. LGBT+ Couples and Families

Part IV: Casting a Vision



21. Conclusion: Casting a Vision for Christian Family Therapy



Author Index



Subject Index



"Yarhouse and Sells have created a masterpiece work analyzing approaches to family therapies. This is going to be a new classic, matching the accomplishment of Jones and Butman's analysis of psychotherapies in their book, Modern Psychotherapies."



"Mark Yarhouse and James Sells have written a very helpful book that is comprehensive, biblically based and well-written. I highly recommend it as an excellent text for those interested in a Christian approach to family therapy."



"In Family Therapies, Yarhouse and Sells provide an important resource for Christian scholars and therapists. The first two sections provide a thoughtful foundation and Christian critique of existing therapy models, reminiscent of what Stanton L. Jones and Richard E. Butman accomplished in their classic book, Modern Psychotherapies, but with a focus on models of family therapy. The third section, which could have been a book on its own, looks at contemporary issues in relation to a Christian perspective on family therapy. The final section casts a vision for an integrative model of family therapy. This is a significant book that will help shape the training and practice of Christian therapists."



"Yarhouse and Sells have written a practical, concise, invaluable, one-of-a-kind resource that integrates biblical, theological, psychological, theoretical, clinical and practical resources in ways that help the reader look at the family and family therapy through different lenses and better understand the individual in the context of their broader family system. This book will be read and reread by a broad audience."