Abstract
The first meeting in psychotherapeutic and psychosocial work, has a big impact on the continuation. It is a less explored research field. Children’s “voices” tend to come in the back-ground in family therapy and other settings. In a project at CAP (Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) the children’s views were collected in interviews with parents and therapists present. The grounded theory analysis process was used. The children addressed the importance of the therapist’s actions and positions in helping them to be able to communicate and to be in a dialogue. To be accepted and allowed to express feelings was important, and so was how the therapist managed to adjust to each person in the room and give space for various perspectives.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Andersen, T. (1992). Relationships, language, and pre-understanding in the reflecting process. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy, 13(2), 87–91.
Andersen, T. (1995). Reflecting processes: Acts of forming and informing. In S. Friedman (Ed.), The reflecting team in action (pp. 11–37). New York: Guilford Press.
Andersen, T. (2003). Reflekterande processer. [Reflecting processes]. Stockholm: Mareld.
Anderson, H. (1997). Conversation, language and possibilities: A postmodern approach to therapy. New York: Basic Books.
Andersson, M., Grevelius, K., & Salamon, E. (1990). AGS-modellen. [The AGS model]. Paper presented at the Second Nordic Congress of Family Therapy, Oslo.
Bachelor, A., & Horvath, A. (2002). The therapeutic relationship. In M. Hubble, B. Duncan, & S. Miller (Eds.), The heart and soul of change. What works in therapy (pp. 113–178). Washington: American Psychological Association.
Bryant, C. (1984). Working for families with dysfunctional children: An approach and structure for the first family interview. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 1, 102–117.
Cabie, M.-C., & Fride, A. (1990). The first interview as a systemic tool in the institution practice. Information Psychiatrique, 66, 561–567.
Cederborg, A. (1994). Family therapy as collaborative work. Dissertation, Linköping University, Department of Child Studies, Linköping, Sweden. ISBN 911-7871-358-7.
Charmaz, K. (2006). Constructing grounded theory. London: Sage.
Christiansson, S. (1994). Traumatiska minnen. [Traumatic memories]. Borås, Sweden: Natur och Kultur.
Coleman, W. (1995). The first interview with the family. Pediatric Clinics of North America, 42, 119–129.
Collén, B., Westin, C., & Thörnlund, M. (2006). Utvärdering av samarbete mellan brukare, nätverk och team med reflekterande samtal som metod. [Evaluation of collaboration between users, network and team using reflecting team as a method]. In H. Eliassen & J. Seikkula (Eds.), Reflekterende prosesser i praksis. [Reflecting processes in practice]. Oslo: Universitetsforlaget.
Glaser, B., & Strauss, A. (1967). The discovery of grounded theory: Strategies for qualitative research. Chicago: Aldine.
Gustafsson, L. (2000). Systemiskt perspektiv vid mottagandet av nybesök i vuxenpsykiatrin. [Systemic perspective at first consultations in psychiatry]. Svensk Familjeterapi, 3, 30–33.
Haley, J. (1980). Leaving home. The therapy of disturbed young people. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company.
Heller, J. A. (1987). Beginner’s guide to the problem-oriented first family interview. American Journal of Family Therapy, 15, 291–308.
Hubble, M., Duncan, B., & Miller, S. (Eds.). (2002). The heart and soul of change. What works in therapy. Washington: American Psychological Association.
Kazdin, A. (2004). Psychotherapy for children and adolescents. In M. Lambert (Ed.), Bergin and Garfield’s handbook of psychotherapy and behaviour change (pp. 543–589). New York: John Wiley and Sons Inc.
von Knorring, A., Andersson, O., & Magnusson, D. (1987). Psychiatric care and course of psychiatric disorders from childhood to early adulthood in a representative sample. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 28, 329–341.
Levitt, H., Butler, M., & Hill, T. (2006). What clients find helpful in psychotherapy: Developing principles for facilitating moment-to-moment change. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 53, 314–324.
Lincoln, Y., & Guba, E. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
Miller, S. (2004). Losing faith: Arguing for a new way to think about therapy. Psychotherapy in Australia, 10(2), 44–51.
Minuchin, S. (1993). Family healing. Tales of hope and renewal. New York: Free Press.
Odell, M., & Campbell, C. (1998). The practical practice of marriage and family therapy: Things my training supervisor never told me. Binghamton, NY: The Haworth Press, Inc.
Odell, M., & Quinn, W. (1998). Therapist and client behaviours in the first interview: Effects on session impact and treatment duration. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 24, 369–388.
Orlinsky, D., Ronnestad, M., & Willutski, U. (2004). Fifty years of therapy. Process-outcome research: Continuity and change. In M. Lambert (Ed.), Bergin and Garfield’s handbook of psychotherapy and behaviour change (pp. 307–387). New York: John Wiley and Sons Inc.
Paterson, J., Williams, L., Grauf-Grounds, C., & Chamow, L. (1998). Essential skills in family therapy: From the first interview to termination. New York: Guilford Press.
Patton, M. (2002). Qualitative research and evaluation methods (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Paulson-Karlsson, G., Nevonen, L., & Engström, I. (2006). Anorexia nervosa: Treatment satisfaction. Journal of Family Therapy, 28, 293–306.
Rennie, D. (2000). Grounded theory methodology as methodical hermeneutics. Theory and Psychology, 10, 481–502.
Salamon, E. (1993). Hur familjebehandling kan bli familjemisshandel. [How family treatment can become family abuse]. Paper presented at the Third Nordic Congress on Family Therapy, Odense, Denmark.
Seikkula, J., Aaltonen, J., & Alakare, B. (2001a). Open dialogue in psychosis I: An introduction and a case example. Journal of Constructivist Psychology, 14(4), 247–265.
Seikkula, J., Aaltonen, J., & Alakare, B. (2001b). Open dialogue in psychosis II: A comparison of good and poor outcome cases. Journal of Constructivist Psychology, 14(4), 265–287.
Seikkula, J., Arnkild, T., & Eriksson, E. (2003). Postmodern society and social networks: Open dialogues in network meetings. Family Process, 42, 185–203.
Stierlin, H. (1980). The first interview with the family. New York: Brunner/Mazel.
Stith, S., Rosen, K., McCollum, E., Coleman, J., & Herman, S. (1996). The voices of children: Preadolescent children’s experiences in family therapy. Journal of Marital & Family Therapy, 22, 69–86.
Strickland-Clark, L., Campbell, D., & Dallos, R. (2000). Children’s and adolescents’ views on family therapy. Journal of Family Therapy, 22(3), 324–341.
Sveaass, N., & Reichelt, S. (2001). Engaging refugee families in therapy: Exploring the benefits of including referring professionals in first family interviews. Family Process, 40, 95–114.
Thulesius, H. (2003). Balancing. Cancer from a primary care perspective. Dissertation, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden. ISBN 91-628-5501-8.
Tomm, K. (1992). Therapeutic distinctions in on-going therapy. In S. McNamee & K. Gergen (Eds.), Therapy as social construction (pp. 116–135). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Wampold, B. (2001). The great psychotherapy debate. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum Associates.
Weber, T., McKeever, J., & McDaniel, S. (1985). A beginner’s guide to the problem-oriented first family interview. Family Process, 24, 357–364.
Wilson, J. (1998). Child-focused practice. A collaborative systemic approach. London: Karnac.
Acknowledgments
This work was supported by grants from the Gillbergska foundation and the foundation Professor Bror Gadelius’ Minnesfond. For valuable comments thanks go to professor Rolf Holmqvist, Linköping, and professor Per Jensen, Oslo. We also thank Dr Kristina Haglund for important help with analyses and comments.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hartzell, M., Seikkula, J. & von Knorring, AL. What Children Feel About Their First Encounter with Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Contemp Fam Ther 31, 177–192 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10591-009-9090-x
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10591-009-9090-x