ABSTRACT
Family therapists have been keenly interested in promoting healthy family systems that will meet the needs of children. Just as parents may be at a loss for behavior management strategies, they often need education on the basics of emotional functioning. As health care continues to change, the need for lower costs, better patient care, and improved health outcomes continues to grow. Synergy is a concept from general systems theory and is a notion that lies at the center of successful interdisciplinary work. Medical family therapists are calling attention to the need for systemic interventions in healthcare settings. Illness affects family members in life-changing ways, and chronic illnesses present challenges to family structure, personal well-being, and the developmental tasks of all members. Parent training becomes a platform for “experiments” that can be adapted for each household.
