Skip to main content
Log in

The Role of Creativity in Marriage and Family Therapy Practice: A National Online Study

  • Published:
Contemporary Family Therapy Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The purpose of this study, using an online methodology, was to investigate therapists' perceptions of the role of creativity in couples' and family therapy. Along with completing a quantitative measure assessing creativity in their work, participants responded to four open-ended questions which addressed the meaning of creativity, characteristics of a “creative” family therapist, some creative interventions they have used with couples and families, and barriers to their own creativity as a family therapist. A total of 142 marriage and family therapists in 36 states in the United States participated. The findings shed light on the unique importance of creativity in couples and family treatment.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  • Baer, J. (1993). Creativity and divergent thinking: A task-specific approach. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bernard, H. R. (2000). Social research methods: Qualitative and quantitative approaches. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carson, D. K. (1999a). The importance of creativity in family therapy: A preliminary consideration. The Family Journal: Counseling and Therapy for Couples and Families, 7, 326–334.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carson, D.K. (1999b). Counseling. In M. Runco & S. Pritzker (Eds.), Encyclopedia of creativity (pp. 395–402). San Diego, CA: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carson, D. K., & Becker, K. W. (in press). Creativity in psychotherapy: Reaching new heights with individuals, couples, and families. New York: Haworth Press.

  • Cole, H. P., & Sarnoff, D. (1980). Creativity and counseling. Personnel and Guidance Journal, 59, 140–146.

    Google Scholar 

  • Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1996). Creativity: Flow and the psychology of discovery and invention. New York: Harper Collins.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dacey, J., & Lennon, K. H. (1998). Understanding creativity. San Fransisco: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Deacon, S.A.,& Thomas, V. (2000). Discovering creativity in family therapy: A theoretical analysis. Journal of Systemic Therapies, 19(3), 4–17.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dowd, E.T. (1989). The self and creativity: Several constructs in search of theory. In J. Glover & C. Reynolds (Eds.), Handbook of creativity (pp. 233–242). NewYork: Plenum Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frey, D.H. (1975). The anatomy of an idea: Creativity in counseling. Personnel and Guidance Journal, 54, 23–27.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gladding, S.T., & Henderson, D.A. (2000). Creativity and family counseling: The SCAMPER model as a template for promoting creative process. The Family Journal: Counseling and Therapy for Couples and Families, 8, 245–249.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heppner, P.P., Fitzgerald, K., & Jones, C.A. (1989). Examining counselors' creative processes in counseling. In J.A. Glover, R.R. Ronning, & C.R. Reynolds (Eds.), Handbook of creativity (pp. 271–280). New York: Plenum Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Innovations International (1998). Creativity Self Test. Salt Lake City, Utah.

  • Johnson, S.M., & Greenberg, L.S. (Eds.) (1994). The heart of the matter: Emotion in marital therapy. New York: Brunner/Mazel.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kiser, D.J., & Piercy, F.P. (2001). Creativity and family therapy theory development: Lessons from the founders of solution-focused therapy. Journal of Family Psychotherapy, 12(3), 1–30.

    Google Scholar 

  • Manning, P.K., & Cullum-Swan, B. (1994). Narrative, content, and semiotic analysis. In N.K. Denzin& Y.S. Lincoln (Eds.), Handbook of qualitative research (pp. 463–477). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miles, M.B., & Huberman, A.M. (1994). Qualitative data analysis (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Openlander, P. (1991). Creativity and systems therapy. Journal of Strategic and Systemic Therapies, 10(2), 69–83.

    Google Scholar 

  • Papp, P. (1984). The creative leap: The links between clinical and artistic creativity. Family Therapy Networker, 8(5), 20–29.

    Google Scholar 

  • Piercy, F., & Nelson, T. (1999, January/February). Flow in the consulting room. Family Therapy Networker, 23(1), 46–47.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sternberg, R.J.,& Lubart, T.I. (1999). The concept of creativity: Prospects and paradigms. In R.J. Sternberg (Ed.), Handbook of creativity (pp. 3–15). New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taibbi, R. (1996). Doing family therapy: Craft and creativity in clinical practice. New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tesch, R. (1990). Qualitative data: Analysis types and software tools. New York: Falmer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weber, R.P. (1990). Basic content analysis (2nd ed.). (Quantitative Applications in the Social Sciences Series, Vol. 49). Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wolcott, H.F. (1994). Transforming qualitative data: Description, analysis, interpretation. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Carson, D.K., Becker, K.W., Vance, K.E. et al. The Role of Creativity in Marriage and Family Therapy Practice: A National Online Study. Contemporary Family Therapy 25, 89–109 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022562122420

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022562122420

Navigation