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‘Why should we talk to you? You'll only tell the Court!’ On being an informer and a family therapist
Author(s) -
Crowther Catherine,
Dare Christopher,
Wilson Judy
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
journal of family therapy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.52
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1467-6427
pISSN - 0163-4445
DOI - 10.1046/j..1990.00377.x
Subject(s) - impartiality , statutory law , agency (philosophy) , family therapy , psychology , psychotherapist , welfare , social psychology , law , political science , sociology , social science
The family therapy literature recognizes the constraints imposed on a therapist's freedom and impartiality in a statutory agency. This paper shows that clinical settings that are apparently independent are not free of such constraints. The wider professional welfare system has confused expectations of a clinical agency that it should provide simultaneously both therapy and a measure of social control. An account is given of one hospital‐based family therapy team's struggles to find manoeuvrability in child‐focused statutory cases, so as to be helpful both to families and referrers. One method of working is illustrated with a case example.