Family Therapy and Chronic Illness

Treatment for the chronically ill has traditionally focusedon physical factors and symptoms, despite the fact thatchronic illness also affects life in an emotional and spiritualway. The approach toward treatment described in thisvolume addresses all aspects of a patient’s life, includingtheir interpersonal experiences and relationships, presentingfamily therapists and family physicians as partof the same treatment team. This volume thus providesa foundation for understanding the role illness plays infamily systems.The meaning an individual gives to an illness is profoundlyinfluenced by and influences that person’s socialworld. In turn, social culture and social networks bothshape and are shaped by the individual’s experiences.Exploring how the meaning of chronic illness is definedtells us much about the individual’s interpersonal relationsand the resultant meaning given to the person’s illness. Asa consequence, family therapy must be an integral part ofthe treatment plan for chronically ill patients.Family Therapy and Chronic Illness approaches chronicillness from a leading-edge perspective. This approachenables therapists to listen attentively to complicated narratives.Because these stories, feelings, and emotions aredifficult to describe, the clients have demanding "telling"tasks while therapists have demanding "listening" tasks.This book sends an important message not just about thechronically ill, but also about their families, therapists, anddoctors, and how they can work together to develop thebest treatment plan possible.