This study explored the experiences of young adult couples navigating sickle cell disease (SCD), focusing on the shared and individual perspectives that inform their collective navigation of the illness. Using a systemic lens, the research addressed a critical gap in understanding how this chronic condition shapes relationship dynamics. Advances in SCD treatment have increased life expectancy, allowing more patients to transition into young adulthood and form intimate relationships. Despite this, systemic support for these couples remains sparse. As partners navigate shared coping, there is an urgent need for interdisciplinary care that integrates Medical Family Therapy (MedFT) with biomedical treatment to address the psychosocial complexities of the disease. Using a transcendental-phenomenological approach, researchers conducted individual interviews with both partners from nine couples (N = 18). Data were analyzed dyadically to capture how individual perceptions and shared relational realities converge to influence adaptation. Six core themes were identified, indicating that effective adaptation and relational stability are fostered by couples’ ability to recognize the individual and shared experiences of living with a chronic illness. This research provides a foundation for medical family therapists to develop approaches that enhance psychosocial outcomes for young adult couples with SCD.
This study aimed to investigate the understanding and strategies of mothers of children with autism concerning the utilization of digital technology. The research utilized a qualitative descriptive method. A total of 20 mothers were interviewed. The data were analyzed using the thematic analysis method with Taguette software. The results were categorized into four themes: digital technology use by children with autism, screen interaction duration, two aspects of digital technology, and assistive technologies suggested for educational applications. Families with children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) indicate that their primary motivations for utilizing electronic devices are for feeding or soothing, typically commencing usage from birth or, at the latest, by the age of two. This study indicates that families restrict the active screen time of children with ASD to one to three hours, while imposing no limitations on passive screen time. Families acknowledge the educational and developmental advantages of electronic gadgets utilized by their children; yet, they also indicate potential detrimental effects related to behavioral issues following device usage. Moreover, they have stated that assistive technologies developed through the “Video Modeling Teaching Technique,” “Computer-Assisted Instruction Technique,” and “Learning Through Play” can facilitate the growth of children diagnosed with ASD.
UndocuBlack individuals hold intersecting identities as migrants, undocumented, and Black people. These overlapping experiences deepen marginalization and oppression, increase mental health difficulties, and decrease access to mental health care, leading to worsened outcomes. Using the framework of Critical Race Theory, this article illustrates the importance of clinicians assessing the role of racism in the mental health care landscape and understanding the compounded effects of immigration status on mental well-being. Therapists should address the barriers to accessing professional mental health services at both the community and client levels. At the community level, clinicians should actively work to restructure bureaucratic health systems and policies that reinforce racism, nativism, and xenophobia. At the client level, when working with undocuBlack individuals, partners, and families, mental health providers should (1) practice cultural humility, (2) seek a client-centered understanding of racial positioning, (3) acknowledge undocumented immigrant isolation, and (4) honor ethical responsibility to the community.
Narrative therapy is well known for its extensive repertoire of practices that deconstruct cultural influences, foster respectful relationships, and enhance clients’ agency. These practices rely on a decentered and influential therapeutic posture that positions therapists as experts in asking questions and clients as experts in their own lives. While foundational, this posture offers limited guidance for navigating affective nonverbal expressions, which are constitutive of therapeutic interactions in family therapy. The term co-centering has been proposed to describe the affective micro-adjustments therapists make in response to clients’ moment-to-moment experiences (Beaudoin, 2023a, 2023b, 2024; Beaudoin Monk, 2024). However, the specific practices through which co-centering is enacted have not yet been articulated. This article advances the concept by delineating three interrelated levels of micro-practices that can make co-centering more explicitly teachable in family therapy clinical training. Clarifying these micro-practices supports both beginning and experienced therapists in responding with greater intentionality to families’ affective and nonverbal processes.
Extant literature exploring postpartum depression (PPD) primarily focuses on individual risk factors, individual psychotherapy treatment, and psychotropic care. Recent work has started to recognize the importance of including partners and family members in maternal mental health care to improve outcomes. The authors critically examined 12 articles to understand the theoretical foundations, methodologies, and effects of varying levels of family involvement across said work. We applied a systemic lens to increase understanding of family interventions to improve PPD outcomes and applied a tiered model approach to expand on scholarship that translates family science research into these care practices. Results show strong support for family involvement in PPD interventions. Perinatal mental health impacts whole family systems, not just birth mothers, and leveraging social supports may positively impact postpartum outcomes. We conclude with suggestions for clinicians and researchers to further examine diverse experiences and explore nuances in family interventions for this population.
