Family Systems Perspectives for Helping Professionals
Applications and Innovations for Effective Leadership, Collaboration, and Change
Michael J Walsh author Christine Sacco-Bene author Denise Cline Kelly author
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Taylor & Francis Ltd
Publishing:7th Dec '26
£150.00
This title is due to be published on 7th December, and will be despatched as soon as possible.
This hardback is available in another edition too:
- Paperback£34.99(9781041033394)
This interdisciplinary text extends the application of family systems models and theories to other roles and environments in which human services professionals work, providing evidence-based practices and tools for a wide range of organizational, professional, and business contexts.
With contributions from experts in multidisciplinary fields, this practical guide addresses contemporary challenges faced in schools, businesses, healthcare settings, and other professional settings, offering strategies for easy family systems integration and effective collaboration to facilitate change in complex systems. The authors examine family systems theories and models across cultural contexts and explore how clinical skills such as listening, theoretical application, and identifying behavioral patterns can translate into valuable skills for professionals across the human service spectrum. This book equips readers with the tools to evaluate and identify the larger systems of which they are a part, providing opportunities for professionals to creatively problem-solve in their organizations, deepen relationships with colleagues, and encourage enhancement and growth of and within the system and its subsystems. Chapters explore strength-based approaches, organizational planning, program evaluation, consultation, transformational leadership, the mediation process, as well as how to integrate systems analysis and interventions in healthcare settings, religious organizations, and other corporations. Emphasizing real-world applications, this book is designed to be accessible for a range of readers and includes illustrative case studies and reflection questions to support application and learning.
This is an invaluable guide for human service professionals and helping professionals in various organizational settings such as marriage and family therapists, counselors, psychologists, and social workers, as well as students in these fields. It is also intended for organizational leaders in educational, nonprofit, and for-profit settings who seek to apply family systems perspectives to enhance outcomes.
"Family systems thinking sparked one of the most influential paradigm shifts in the history of the counseling profession. Family Systems Perspectives for Helping Professionals skillfully extends this transformative lens to critical issues and diverse helping contexts, offering fresh insight where new perspectives are urgently needed. Innovative, practical, and deeply relevant, this book is a true game changer."
Rick Gressard, Ph.D., NCC, LPC, Chancellor Professor Emeritus, William & Mary School of Education; fellow, American Counseling Association
"At a time when disconnection, polarization, and complexity often dominate our world, this book is a powerful reminder that healing and growth happen through human connection and collaboration. Thoughtfully grounded in family systems and humanistic perspectives, it challenges us to move beyond isolated ways of thinking and toward deeper understanding, compassion, and relational awareness. This is an important and timely contribution that speaks to the heart of what it means to work, lead, and live well with others."
Victoria Kress, Ph.D., Youngstown State University
"This book brings family systems thinking to life in ways that will resonate with practitioners at every stage of their professional journey. The authors blend rigorous, evidence‑based research with fresh theoretical innovation, grounding their ideas in relatable examples that feel authentic and immediately useful. Whether working with families, teams, schools, corporate environments, community agencies, or even Federal settings, helping professionals will find guidance that strengthens leadership, deepens collaboration, and supports sustainable change. I see this text as an essential cornerstone that strengthens and advances systemic practice across the helping professions."
Sue E. Pressman, Ph.D., LPC, NCC, CCC, GCDFI, BCC, past president, American Counseling Association (2020-21); Fellow ACA; Fellow NCDA
"I caught the ‘systems bug’ years ago in my first family systems class, and it permanently changed how I came to understand the world. Since then, I have come to see how systems underlie nearly everything we do and experience—our nonverbal communication, consciousness, identity development, relationships, career choices, and the power dynamics that shape human interaction. This book reflects that perspective and offers a critical framework for understanding individuals, relationships, and society with greater depth, awareness, and insight."
Ed. Neukrug, Ed.D., Batten Endowed Chair of Counseling, Old Dominion University; executive director of the International Institute for the Advancement of Counseling Theory; ACA Fellow; Hohenshil Publications award winner
ISBN: 9781041033431
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
264 pages