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Immigration in Couple and Family Therapy

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Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy

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Introduction

Couple and family therapy is an effective treatment approach for a range of concerns, including the dynamics inherent in the process of immigration. From a systemic perspective, immigration affects not only those individuals who seek or complete immigration from one country to another, but may also have intergenerational and relational effects. Couple and family therapy is an appropriate modality to focus on experiences related to immigration, such as ambiguous loss, acculturation, blended family identities, and anxiety related to deportation. Examination of these concerns from intergenerational transmission and systemic lenses are ideal frameworks.

Theoretical Context for Concept

Several theories guide therapist conceptualization and intervention for those facing immigration-related concerns in couple and family therapy. First, the adversities often related to the process of immigration may be understood through the lens of the minority stress model (Meyer 2003). The...

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References

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Human Development and Family Studies, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA

    Kelley Quirk

  2. Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA

    Libby Poulin

Authors
  1. Kelley Quirk
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  2. Libby Poulin
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kelley Quirk .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. The Family Institute at Northwestern, Evanston, Illinois, USA

    Jay Lebow

  2. The Family Institute at Northwestern, Evanston, Illinois, USA

    Anthony Chambers

  3. The Family Institute at Northwestern, Evanston, Illinois, USA

    Douglas C. Breunlin

Section Editor information

  1. Human Development and Family Studies, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA

    Kelley Quirk Ph.D.

  2. The Family Institute at Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA

    Adam Fisher Ph.D.

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Quirk, K., Poulin, L. (2018). Immigration in Couple and Family Therapy. In: Lebow, J., Chambers, A., Breunlin, D. (eds) Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-15877-8_1015-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-15877-8_1015-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-15877-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-15877-8

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