Rewriting Family Scripts

Families can develop self-destructive routines so predictable that members seem to be following a script - each coming in on cue as the plot unfolds. Such scripts can be altered, however, when families in therapy learn how to improvise new patterns of relating. Rewriting Family Scripts presents an innovative approach to doing just that - incorporating into family therapy elements of script theory and recent findings in attachment research, including those related to narrative. Developing a new systemic attachment concept, "the secure family base," from which individual members can feel safe enough to explore and improvise new scripts, author John Byng-Hall shows how families can change insecure relationship patterns both during and after therapy. Clearly written, jargon-free, and illustrated with detailed clinical case material, this book presents a comprehensive conceptual framework that illuminates the central issues of family therapy practice. . Filled with insight into theoretical foundations as well as practical suggestions for clinical practice, Rewriting Family Scripts is a valuable resource for family therapists of all orientations, attachment theorists, family theorists, and other readers interested in understanding and improving family dynamics.