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Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy pp 2316–2318Cite as

Prescribing Family Rituals in Couple and Family Therapy

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Name of Concept

Prescribing Rituals in Family Therapy

Introduction

Celebrating special occasions and acknowledging family traditions are parts of the rituals that families experience. Rituals can have healing properties for clients dealing with an array of clinical and non-clinical issues. Some rituals reflect history, others reflect tradition, while others serve to be the glue that holds families together. When some families experience the absence of rituals, mental health professionals can prescribe family rituals, with the intent of healing the family and promoting stronger ties.

Theoretical Context for Concept

Family rituals are anchored in systemic family therapy. The theoretical basis for prescribing family rituals rests on the assumption that family rituals serve four important functions: (1) organize the family, (2) mediate individual expectations, (3) recognize and regulate subsystems, and (4) absorb the impact of change and facilitate transitions (Roy 1990). Rituals allow...

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References

  • Bergman, J. (1990). Clinical road maps for prescribing rituals. In J. Zeig & S. Gilligan (Eds.), Brief therapy: Myths, methods and metaphors. New York: Brunner/Mazel.

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  • Kiser, L., Bennett, L., Heston, J., & Paavola, M. (2005). Family ritual and routine: Comparison of clinical and non-clinical families. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 14(3), 357–372.

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  • Roberts, J. (2003). Setting the frame: Definition, functions and typology of rituals. In E. Imber-Black, J. Roberts, & R. Whiting (Eds.), Rituals in families and family therapy (pp. 3–48). New York: Norton.

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  • Rogers, J., & Holloway, R. (1991). Family rituals and the care of individual patients. Families, Systems & Health, 9(3), 249–259.

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  • Roy, A. (1990). Family rituals: Functions and significance for clergy and psychotherapists. Group, 14(1), 59–64.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Midwestern University, Downers Grove, IL, USA

    Lorna London

Authors
  1. Lorna London
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lorna London .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. The Family Institute at Northwestern University, Center for Applied Psychological and Family Studies, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA

    Jay L. Lebow

  2. The Family Institute at Northwestern University, Center for Applied Psychological and Family Studies, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA

    Anthony L. Chambers

  3. The Family Institute at Northwestern University, Center for Applied Psychological and Family Studies, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA

    Douglas C. Breunlin

Section Editor information

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

    Kelley Quirk

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

    Adam Fisher

  3. Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA

    Adam Fisher

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London, L. (2019). Prescribing Family Rituals in Couple and Family Therapy. In: Lebow, J.L., Chambers, A.L., Breunlin, D.C. (eds) Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-49425-8_358

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