Integrative module-based family therapy: combining the "art" and "science" of family therapy
November 12, 2008 — The field of marriage and family therapy is currently at a crossroads. The challenge for contemporary therapists is how to incorporate the wisdom of previous models of family assessment and treatment for child and adolescent emotional and behavior disorders with the accountability that comes from evidence-based practice. The integrative, module-based family treatment model (IMBFT) provides a formalized series of steps that clinicians can use in their case planning and implementation. It is based on nine clinically relevant modules for assessment and intervention that are consistent with current best practices and empirically supported treatments.
Developed by Karen R. Gouze, PhD, and Richard Wendel, DMin, IMBFT guides therapists through a number of layers of analyses, or modules, in considering assessment issues relevant to child, adolescent, adult, and family functioning. This process allows therapists to access and integrate evidence-based methods within a comprehensive treatment plan that is sensitive to both the art of clinical judgment and the developing science of family therapy.
The model was published in 2005 in The Journal of Marital and Family Therapy. In the July 2008 issue of the journal, the model has been interpreted for application in the clinical setting. A workshop was presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in October 2008.
Karen R. Gouze, PhD, is an associate professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, and director of Training in Psychology at Children’s Memorial Hospital, Chicago, Illinois. Richard Wendel, DMin, is an assistant professor of Clinical Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, the Feinberg School, adjunct faculty of the Family Institute at Northwestern University, and an allied health professional at Children’s Memorial.
Contact: Peggy Jones
Children's Memorial Research Center
Phone: 773.755.6341 Fax: 773.755.6585