ABSTRACT
Family therapy has undergone a major shift in theoretical emphasis in the last twenty years. The new narrative/conversational models of therapy seemed to have “overcome” the problems of power. This chapter examines the changes in family therapy theorizing and the nature of change in the theorizing. It argues that the new models of therapy are not particularly new but often proceed through a theoretical and historical myopia; that the emotional interaction between therapist and family is consistently neglected; and that the power issues in the therapeutic relationship are not resolved by the new models. One of the most pleasing aspects of family therapy has always been its willingness to consider new theories, new vantage points, new ways of conceptualizing theory and practice. Paradox in family therapy, once celebrated as the pinnacle of therapeutic efficacy, has fallen into disrepute, as a memory of a time when therapists outwitted the client family.
