ABSTRACT
TRUTH OR FICTION?
Researchers have asked, “How do families succeed?” many more times than asking, “Why do families fail?”
A problem-centered medical treatment model translates perfectly to the field of family therapy.
Three decades ago, family therapists did not have clear models of family health to help guide them in their work.
From a research standpoint, the judgment of professionals is the best perspective for understanding family strengths.
Researchers use these terms to describe families who are doing well together: strongfamily, happy family, good family, healthy family, successful family, nuclear family, resilient family, balanced family, and optimally functioning family.
The structure of a family tells a therapist a great deal about the emotional health of the family.
Strong marriages are the center of strong families.
When comparing strong families around the world, the differences from culture to culture are much more apparent than the similarities.
In assessing the strengths of a family, a therapist will find family income a critical indicator of strength.
The normative developmental transitions of the adolescent period of life are likely to disrupt healthy parent-child relationships for years to come.
Most families around the world are dysfunctional.
The strengths of families from culture to culture are much more similar than different.
A positive emotional bond in a family is a very important foundation for effectively dealing with a crisis.
After helping a family assess their strengths, a family therapist can then guide them in the process of developing plans that use their strengths to meet the challenges they face together in life.
Talking with families about their cultural beliefs and values can serve to help them identify and acknowledge how they may be using these to be a strong family.
