ABSTRACT
Family systems therapy is an exciting approach to working with drug and alcohol abusers. Its appeal is in part due to the reliability of systems theory as a guide to intervention. Family systems principles lead the therapist to attend to observable phenomena and to develop a clear plan for treatment based on those observations. The theoretical model allows the therapist to conceptualize how a variety of agents and forces figure into the picture presented by the substance abuser and his or her family. Family systems therapy is flexible enough that it can often mesh with other approaches and techniques and forms the basis underlying our competency-based counseling program.
