2024 marks the 50th volume of the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy. It’s hard to believe it’s been half a century since the very first issue of JMFT rolled off the printing press.
Some of you may be aware that the first article in Volume 1 in 1975 was Jay Haley’s “Why a Mental Health Clinic Should Avoid Family Therapy.” Haley’s tongue-in-cheek jab was fitting for the founders of the day, who often used humor to bring home a point. The piece begins with an editorial note suggesting that adding family therapy procedures to a health clinic might include consequences that are “likely to include disorientation of the staff, radically changed administrative procedures, and others, including service to larger numbers of people and better treatment outcome.” How appropriate for the journal to begin its life cycle with a wink and a nudge to incorporate systemic therapy into the realm of general healthcare; a reminder that so much progress has been made, but there is much left to do!
The second article to appear in Volume 1 was written by another founder, James Framo. His “Personal Reflections of a Family Therapist” reads like a literary time capsule, painting a picture of life as an early family therapist in the 70s: covering his reflections on the politics of a systems approach in conventional settings, resistances to family and marital therapy by other professionals, whether family or marital therapy works, the satisfactions, frustrations, and stresses of being a family therapist, and how one's own personal family relationships impact and are impacted by this work. It is as much a look back in history as it is a reflection of challenges MFTs still face today.
In the spirit of reflecting on the rich history of the journal, JMFT is pleased to offer a special 50th anniversary virtual issue. This curation highlights nearly 40 noteworthy and milestone articles from the past 50 years. Articles were selected based on the impact on the practice of family therapy, the advancement of the profession, and those that created a positive “buzz” for the practice and profession.
JMFT editor Lenore McWey, PhD, of Florida State University commented:
When we asked colleagues to share suggestions for papers that help shape our field, I wasn’t fully prepared for the volume, depth, and range of articles nominated for the JMFT 50th anniversary special virtual issue. The collection features early theoretical works, research that helped substantiate the legitimacy of systemic family therapy, measurement development, ideas about common factors, considerations for cultural humility, and evidence on the current state of the field. For some, this collection might feel like a walk down memory lane. For others, it may spur ideas for continued progress. Regardless, I hope this collection evokes inspiration. We hope you enjoy!
The issue is broken into sections like Seminal Works Demonstrating the Significance of Systemic Family Therapy, featuring works including the 1995 “The Efficacy and Effectiveness of Marital and Family Therapy: A Perspective From Meta-Analysis,” by William R. Shadish, Kevin Ragsdale, Renita R. Glaser, and Linda M. Montgomery.
The section on Historical Hot Takes: Manuscripts that Generated a Systemic Buzz, includes the 1980 article “Prescribing the Families’ Own Dysfunctional Rules as a Therapeutic Strategy” by Maurizio Andolfi.
In the category of Assessment in Systemic Family Therapy: Works that Moved the Field Forward, the 1981 article “Assessing Intimacy: The Pair Inventory” by Mark T. Schaefer and David H. Olson is featured.
The section covering Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Systemic Family Therapy includes “Different and Same: Family Therapy with Asian-American Families” by Insoo Kim Berg and Ajakai Jaya, published in 1993.
And the final section, The Current State of the Field: Research and Clinical Implications, includes “Reducing Mental Health Disparities Among Racially and Ethnically Diverse Populations: A Review of Couple and Family Intervention Research Methods (2010–2019), published in 2022 by Lekie Dwanyen, Kendal Holtrop, and Ruben Parra-Cardona.
The JMFT advisory council is excited to invite you to join us in celebrating the many years of high-quality content focusing on systemic therapy. All articles in the special issue are open to the public until July 2024. Please feel free to share with peers and others interested in mental health research.
We hope you enjoy the selections!