There’s a growing recognition that “wisdom,” that elusive ability to see life whole,
By Rich Simon It seems astonishing that even just two or three decades ago, parents not only pretty much knew what was expected of them to turn their offspring into civilized adults, but they could actually count on society to back them up. Even more astounding, kids seemed to understand this, too. Even if they rebelled against, yelled about, or sullenly resented how “unfair” adults were, they seemed to acknowledge adult authority and realize that they would just have to wait until they turned 18 to get for themselves the keys to the kingdom of grown-up independence. 
Jay Lappin & Jorge Colapintoprivileging action over talk, and making family members active participants in therapy---have proven successful in cases ranging from eating disorders to substance abuse. Somewhat sidelined during the field’s love affair with postmodern therapies, the principles and techniques of this approach are now regaining their appeal. In this workshop, we’ll use case histories, videotaped examples, and exercises to demonstrate how to use key elements of Structural Family Therapy, such as directedness, enactments, and guided activation of family members’ underutilized strengths, in practice today.
Jay Lappin, M.S.W., L.C.S.W., the family therapy director at CENTRA pc and an approved supervisor for AAMFT, is an adjunct faculty member at Drexel University and the University of Pennsylvania. To learn more, visit http://www.centrapc.com/lappin.htm.
Jorge Colapinto, L.Psych., L.M.F.T., is a faculty member of the Minchin Center for the Family, approved AAMFT supervisor, and adjunct faculty at Drexel University. He’s the coauthor of Working with Families of the Poor. To learn more, visit http://www.colapinto.com.
© 2013 Psychotherapy Networker