By Mary Hotvedt, PhD
World Health Day is celebrated on April 7 annually each year and draws attention to a specific health topic of concern to people all over the world. The date of April 7 marks the anniversary of the founding of WHO in 1948.
For marriage and family therapists, nothing could be more central to our core than focusing on systemic mental health—in the US and abroad. With this in mind, AAMFT is pleased to announce that we will be publishing in the May/June issue of Family Therapy Magazine, The Assisi Manifesto, a document originating from a 2023 conference held in Assisi, Italy, where over 1,000 psychotherapists from various countries convened to discuss family therapy and its role in contemporary society. The manifesto, by Maurizio Andolfi, outlines key points regarding the importance of family therapy amidst new challenges facing mental health treatment globally.
The manifesto emphasizes:
- Listening to Youth Voices: It highlights the rise in adolescent mental health issues exacerbated by societal factors such as family disintegration and social media. The manifesto stresses the need to listen to the voices of young people and incorporate their perspectives into therapy without resorting to prejudiced labeling.
- Addressing Couple Crises and Divorce: Couple crises are recognized as not just private issues, but as affecting the broader family system, including children and extended family. The manifesto advocates for a multigenerational approach to healing and resilience within families experiencing such crises.
- Navigating Loss, Trauma, and Resilience: The manifesto acknowledges the inevitability of loss and suffering and calls for a culturally sensitive approach to mourning. Family therapists are encouraged to facilitate processes that strengthen families coping with trauma and loss, including those stemming from global crises such as wars and forced migrations.
- Confronting Social and Cultural Discrimination: The manifesto addresses social injustices such as discrimination, economic disparities, and political repression, recognizing both the vulnerability and resilience of families caught in these circumstances. It advocates for therapists to engage not only in therapy rooms but also in broader social contexts to promote empowerment and inclusivity.
- Advocating for Professional Training: The manifesto stresses the importance of intensive training for therapists working with families and communities, emphasizing ongoing education and understanding of both client and therapist traumas and resilience.
- Recognizing the Family as the Foundation of Society: In light of global political divisions and crises, the manifesto underscores the need to strengthen families as the cornerstone of society and a vital source of healing.
Overall, the Assisi Manifesto calls for a renewed focus on family therapy as a means of addressing contemporary mental health challenges within the broader social and cultural contexts in which families exist.
I am also pleased to announce that I have authored a companion piece to accompany The Manifesto which looks at the text from an American lens.
In my piece, I note that The Manifesto responds to the perceived decline in the prominence of family therapy, emphasizing a return to fundamental principles. It invokes the spirit of early pioneers in the field, such as Minuchin, Satir, and Whitaker, who passionately championed family-centric approaches. The document serves not only as a statement of principles but as a call to action, urging practitioners to integrate these principles into their work.
My key takeaways from the Manifesto include:
- Emphasizing the importance of the family unit and community support.
- Embracing inclusivity in practice, considering diverse cultural and familial contexts.
- Recognizing training as a continual process and encouraging therapists to confront personal and professional challenges.
- Advocating for social justice and community involvement.
- Encouraging boldness in practice, akin to the pioneering spirit of early family therapists.
Ultimately, the Manifesto is seen as a revitalization of the foundational spirit of family therapy, calling practitioners to recommit to its core principles and advocate for families' well-being. It challenges therapists to transcend mere professionalization and embrace the interconnectedness of human existence within families and communities.
Coming soon, AAMFT will be holding a new At Home webinar on Thursday, May 23, at 1:00 pm ET, titled Listening to Teen Voices in Family Therapy, with Maurizio Andolfi.
In this webinar, Maurizio Andolfi will outline the essential need to listen to youth voices in therapy without prejudice and labeling. Their voices, sometimes arrogant or bizarre, angry or provocative, are often a despaired cry for love and care. By showing a video of a family session from the Academia Multimedia Collection, Andolfi will illustrate how to build an alliance with a withdrawn teenager with the use of relational questions in the presence of his mother and maternal grandparents. Registration will be announced soon!
And one final note, the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy has opened a Call for Papers on Emerging Trends in Systemic Family Therapy Around the World. Please see the full details at the link below.
Please join us in celebrating global systemic mental health this April 7 on World Health Day, and look for the upcoming May/June issue of FTM where you can read the full pieces described above.
Mary E. Hotvedt, PhD, is an anthropologist and an MFT. Mary served as President of AAMFT. She has worked with Dr. Maurizio Andolfi for over 35 years. She is currently Chair of the Board of Regents for Western New Mexico University.