Apa Division 43 History

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History of APA Division 43: The Society for Couple and Family Psychology
Introduction
The Society for Couple and Family Psychology, Division 43 of the American Psychological Association, was recognized in 1990 as a specialty field for family psychology (American Psychological Association, 2017). Then in 2007, the name of Society for Family Psychology was emplaced. Within the past decade the Society for Family Psychology expanded to the Society for Couple and Family Psychology. Division 43 celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2007 (American Psychological Association, 2017). For clarity, I will refer to the Society for Couple and Family Psychology as ‘Division 43’. In this report, family therapy will be the primary discussion organized by section: …show more content…

In 1995, the first conference by division 43 was held. Unfortunately, shortly after the celebration, the division began facing issues pertaining to certification laws and health care management. A task force was developed to communicate with health care providers and organizations about treatment and practice. By 1996, division 43 achieved specialty status (Dewsbury, 1996, p. 296) and had received recognition in graduate school programs. Since this period the Society for Couple Family Psychology has continued to grow, both in members, alliances, and opportunities for research and …show more content…

The term ‘homeostasis’ was used a lot, referring to the balance with the individual, their family, and their environment (Sexton et al., 2003, p. 9). Succeeding the work of Ackerman was Murray Bowen, who explored the mother and child relationships in the context of a schizophrenia diagnosis. This lead to the development of Bowen’s Systems Theory. Following the works of Murray Bowen, John Bell was the first practitioner to see families as a whole, incorporating techniques often found in group therapy (Sexton et al., 2003). Soon after, other models began to emerge, from the Mental Research Institute (MRI). The scientific emphasis, led the field to utilize concrete definitions, encourage ongoing attempts to find solutions to problems, defining and focusing the desired change, and executing plans (Sexton et al., 2003, p. 11). The idea to provide structure and organization for research and therapy models in family