Name
Donald S. Williamson (1935–)
Introduction
Donald S. Williamson has been known for his approach to intergenerational family theory and therapy as well as for his contributions in the field of medical family therapy. Born in Dungannon, Northern Ireland, in 1935, Williamson moved to the USA in 1961 to pursue a degree at a joint doctoral program in Pastoral Psychology at Garret Theological Seminary and Northwestern University. He worked for 2 years from 1964 to 1966 at the Menninger Clinic in Topeka, Kansas, before graduating. Originally ordained as a Methodist minister, Williamson credited his first encounter with family therapy to his clinical education at Menninger where he saw Don Jackson demonstrating family therapy sessions (Lawson 1994). Since then Williamson had become an active contributor and leader in the marriage and family therapy field, influencing generations of family therapists through his multiple roles as an administrator, educator, researcher, clinician, and...
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Key Citations
Bray, J. H., Williamson, D. S., & Malone, P. E. (1984). Personal authority in the family system: Development of a questionnaire to measure personal authority in intergenerational family processes. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 10, 167–178.
Lawson, D. M. (1994). Donald S. Williamson: Intergenerational family theorist and therapist. The Family Journal: Counseling and Therapy for Couples and Families, 2(2), 167–174.
Sander, F. M. (1979). Individual and family therapy: Toward an integration. New York: Jason Aronson.
Williamson, D. S. (1982a). Personal authority in family experience via termination of the intergenerational hierarchical boundary: Part II. The consultation process and the therapeutic method. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 8, 23–37.
Williamson, D. S. (1982b). Personal authority in family experience via termination of the intergenerational hierarchical boundary: Part III. Personal authority defined, and the power of play in the change process. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 8, 309–323.
Williamson, D. S. (1991). The intimacy paradox: Personal authority in the family system. New York: Guilford.
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Krizova, K. (2017). Williamson, Donald. 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_805-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-15877-8_805-1
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