Systemic family therapy using the reflecting team: the experiences of adults with learning disabilities

Accessible summary Sometimes people with learning disabilities and their families get upset and want to talk about their problems. They might see a therapist who talks to them and their family together. This is sometimes called family therapy. The therapist might use a team of other therapists to give the family other ideas. This is called the reflecting team. We wanted to know what it was like for the person with learning disabilities when this happened. We showed five adults with learning disabilities a DVD of the reflecting team in their family therapy and asked what it was like for them. They told us interesting things about what was helpful and what was not helpful in their therapy. This will help us give a better service to adults with learning disabilities who have family therapy.Summary This research aimed to illuminate the experiences of adults with learning disabilities of the reflecting team, in the context of their systemic family therapy. Five adults with learning disabilities were recruited from one community learning disability team. A qualitative design using interpretative phenomenological analysis ( IPA ) was appropriate to gather participants' views using semi‐structured interviews. The interviews used DVD ‐assisted recall of the reflecting team. Various validation strategies were employed, including respondent feedback and a focus group with the therapists. Insights were gained in the areas of ‘therapists’ focus on strengths and difficulties’, ‘differences in metacognition’, ‘finding a voice in therapy’, ‘frustration with the outcome of therapy’ and ‘managing an unusual experience’. The research has indicated some important factors to consider in the successful inclusion of adults with learning disabilities in systemic family therapy.