It has been a long road for us as family therapists to reach an understanding of just this phenomenon-the sense of the whole, the family system. While we could have explained the theory of meeting with the whole family to the Brices, at that anxious moment it would not have touched them. There are situations where, in the words of Franz Alexander, the woice of the intellent is too soft. The family needed to test us. They needed the experience of our being firm. As unpleasant as it was, our response must have reassured them. They knew, and we sensed, how difficult their situation was and how tumultuous it could become. They simply has to know that we could withstand the stress if they dared open it up. Augustus Y. Napier
About This Quote

A family therapist, Dr. Karen Shapiro, explains the difficulties of coming to terms with being a family therapist. She gives insight into the Brices and how they must have felt when they first came to be seen by her. These were good people who had been given a difficult situation to deal with and they needed someone firm to help them through it.

Unfortunately, that is not what they got from their family therapist. They got someone who was too soft and too willing to coddle them and work around their problems.

Source: The Family Crucible: The Intense Experience Of Family Therapy

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