ABSTRACT
Many settings structure referrals as only administrative in nature. However, sometimes, a clinician can make a preliminary telephone contact after assignment to the case and inquire about who might attend the first meeting. The referral process has grown beyond the early traditions of psychotherapy, as mental health treatment has grown into complex service delivery systems. Some referrals are straightforward and others have complicated dynamics. Using terms like education, consultation, communication skills, and problem solving help to curb stigma. Power dynamics in all couples often emerge around who defines the problem and who initiates therapy. Family therapists often receive referrals from community sources, including employers, school counselors, psychologists, social workers, and community agencies. In the intake, the therapist explicitly accepts the individual’s or family’s definition of the problem while implicitly exploring additional ways to describe it using relational terms. Philosophically, first-generation family therapists critiqued the practice of mandating treatment.
