ABSTRACT
For very good reasons, therapy and counseling are giving serious attention to the family systems of persons who seek help. Significant contributors to this approach with whom I am acquainted have been Murray Bowen, Edwin Friedman, Carl Whittaker, Augustus Napier, and W. Robert Beavers. Their efforts have been a healthy corrective to therapy and counseling which has enabled individuals to make satisfying and productive adjustments to life. If one takes seriously the contributions of family systems theorists, it is virtually impossible to help persons deal effectively with issues and concerns without acknowledging the importance of their families of origin. It is also important to consider the particular family systems which have helped individuals form their values, beliefs, lifestyles, and methods of coping with life and its realities. A grasp of their emphases, understandings, and approaches has much value for ministers concerned with giving help to those who are dying or grieving.
