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Bogdanov's Tektologiya
Moscow, URSS. Alexander Bogdanov pubishes the 3 volumes of "Tektologiya: Vseobschaya Organizatsionnaya Nauka" (Tektology: Universal Organization Science), where he describes a new universal science that unifies all social, biological and physical sciences by considering them as systems of relationships and by seeking the organizational principles that underlie all systems. -
Period: to
Prehistory
Thinkers who laid the foundations of systemic thinking and family therapy practice -
Milton Erickson: the hypnosis research
USA. Milton H. Erickson obtaines his MD degree from the University of Wisconsin Medical School in 1928 with a specialisation in Neurology and Psychiatry, after studying hypnosis in Clark Hull's laboratory and undertaking independent research following ideas on hypnosis that differed from Hull's. Between 1929 and 1948 Erickson takes up a series of positions at state hospitals that facilitated his active research into practical therapeutic skills.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milton_H._Erickson) -
Cannon: the concept of Homeostasis
Chicago, IL. Walter B. Cannon publishes “The Wisdom of the Body”. He builds upon the work of Claude Bernard and coins the word homeostasis to describe a self-regulating process by which biological systems maintain stability while adjusting to changing conditions.
(https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2020.00200/full) -
Korzybski: "The map is not the territory"
Chicago, IL. Alfred H. S. Korzybski publishes “Science and Sanity”. The Polish-American philosopher and engineer coins the phrase "The map is not the territory” to convey the fact that people often confuse models of reality with reality itself (https://www.the-possible.com/the-map-is-not-the-territory/).
Bateson will make this concept the lintel of his Epistemology. -
Bateson: Naven, the schismogenesis
Cambridge, UK. Gregory Bateson pubishes “Naven: a survey of the problems suggested by a composite picture of the culture of a New Guinea tribe drawn from three points of view”.
The Naven, a Iatmul's ritual of collective disguise, is interpreted as a 'schismogenesis': a process of differentiation that leads men and women to define themselves by contrast in their respective ethos. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schismogenesis) -
von Bertalanffy: the biology research
Wien, Austria. Ludwig von Bertalanffy becomes professor at the University of Vienna as director of the Biology Institute.
He will propose that living organisms are examples of open systems and as such do not follow the second law of classical thermodynamics and are characterised by negative entropy. This property explains the growth, differentiation and increasing complexity of organisms.
(https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4612-3902-4_25) -
American Association of Marriage Counselors
Alexandria, VA. It is founded what will become the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT).
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Association_for_Marriage_and_Family_Therapy) -
Bion, Rickman et al.: the Northfield Experiments
Birmingham, UK. Wilfred Bion, John Rickman, Harold Bridger, Tom Main and Michael Foulkes, in order to treat the many soldiers traumatised by the war, decide to focus on the psychiatric ward as a whole, structuring it as a community, encouraging mutual support and cooperation (in some ways similar to life in the army).
(https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/EC7E385EA13DE71921C71311DADB9490/S135551460001004Xa.pdf/therapeutic_communities.pdf) -
Carl Whitaker at the Emory University
Atlanta, GA. Carl Whitaker starts working at the Emory University Department of Psychiatry. In the wake of existentialist philosophers, Whitaker saw his therapeutic paradigm (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/progress-notes/201908/10-essential-elements-carl-whitakers-theory-and-therapy) as a protest against the reduction of human existence to mere behaviour, cognition or even theories. -
The Macy’s Conferences
New York, NY. Participants in the Macy's Conferences include Gregory Bateson, Julian H. Bigelow, John R. Bowman, Kurt Lewin, Margaret Mead, Claude Shannon, Heinz von Foerster, John von Neumann, Heinz Werner, Norbert Wiener et al. -
Maxwell Jones: the Democratic Therapeutic Community
London, UK. After developing at Mill Hill a unit along similar lines of Northfield experiments, Maxwell Jones becomes the director of a new unit at Belmont (Henderson) Hospital in Surrey, setting up to tackle traumatised soldiers. Here he developed the specific concept of the Democratic Therapeutic Community (DTC), based on four principles: democracy, reality confrontation, permissiveness and communality.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Therapeutic_community) -
Period: to
The Macy’s Conferences
New York, NY. The Josiah Macy, Jr. Foundation sponsored a series of conferences aiming to bring together a diverse, interdisciplinary community of scholars and researchers who would join forces to lay the groundwork for the new science of cybernetics.
Among the participants are Gregory Bateson, Julian H. Bigelow, John R. Bowman, Kurt Lewin, Margaret Mead, Claude Shannon, Heinz von Foerster, John von Neumann, Heinz Werner, Norbert Wiener et al. -
Erickson in Phoenix
Phoenix, AZ. Milton Erickson establishes his private business and become active in the Society for Clinical and Educational Hypnosis (SCEH). -
John Bowlby: The origins of attachment theory
Cambridge, UK. E. John M. Bowlby publishes “The study and reduction of group tensions in the family”. Human Relations, 2, 123–128. -
von Foerster at University of Illinois
Urbana, Il. Heinz von Foerster becomes head of the Electron Tube Laboratory in the Department of Electrical Engineering at the Universtiy of Illinois -
Bell: the first Family Therapist
Worcester, MA. John Elderkin Bell, a psychologist at Clark University, begins treating families. He didn’t publish his ideas until a decade later, and he had few offspring. He didn’testablish a clinic, develop a training program, or train well-known students. For these reasons he is rarely remembered as the first family therapist. -
The Bateson Project
Stanford, CA. Gregory Bateson, organizes ground-breaking collaboration with Donal de Avila Jackson, Jay Haley, John Weakland, Bill Fry. -
Harry Stack Sullivan: “Self-system"
Washington, DC. Harry Stack Sullivan publishes “The Interpersonal Theory of Psychiatry”, proposes the concept of “Self-system" as the individual's collection of self-perceptions -
Period: to
The Bateson Project
Stanford, CA. The group was responsible for some of the most important papers and innovations in communication and psychotherapy in the 1950s and early 1960s, such as the double bind theory of schizophrenia. -
Murray Bowen: family as emotional unit
Bethesda, MD. Murray Bowen starts working at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), where he will stay until 1959.
In this period he formalises two basic concepts:
- the tension between the undifferentiated mass of the familiar self (degree of fusion) and differentiation (constant struggle for self-definition);
- symptoms as the result of a multigenerational process. -
Ronald Laing: “The Divided Self”
London, UK. Ronald David Laing publishes “The Divided Self. An Existential Study in Sanity and Madness”. Laing lays the foundations of anti-psychiatric thinking, proposing the idea that it is society, and in particular the patient's family, that is responsible for his deviant behaviour, which considered and treated as insane ends up becoming more so. -
Ackerman founds the Family Mental Health Clinic
New York, NY. Nathan W. Ackerman founds the Family Mental Health Clinic, putting forward the idea to position family therapy as the primary therapeutic modality in the treatment of children. -
Minuchin at the Wiltwyck School for Boys
New York, NY. Salvador Minuchin starts working as a psychiatrist at the Wiltwyck School for Boys -
Boszormenyi-Nagy at EP Psychiatric Institute
Philadelphia, PA. Ivan Boszormenyi-Nagy starts working at the Family Therapy Department of the Eastern Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute. -
Wynne at NIMH Family Study Section
Bethesda, MD. Wynne is appointed chief of the Section on Family Studies at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).
Lyman Wynne spent 20 years at the National Institute of Mental Health, where he became head of Intramural Research and pioneered family therapy.
He headed the Family Study section (1957-1961), and the Adult Psychiatry Branch (1961-1971). -
Lidz: the role of the fathers of schizophrenic patients
New Haven, Connecticut. Theodore Lidz, Alice Cornelison, Stephen Fleck and Dorothy Terry publish “The interfamilial environment of the schizophrenic patient I: The father”, Psychiatry, Vol. 20, pp. 329–342. -
Ackerman: The Psychodynamics of Family Life
New York, NY. Nathan Ackerman publishes "The Psychodynamics of Family Life" -
Bowen at Georgetown University
Washington, DC. Murray Bowen continues to develop transgenerational approach working at the "Georgetown University Medical Center", moving to "Georgetown University Family Center" in 1975 . -
Badaracco at the Hospital Neuropsiquiátrico Borda
Buenos Aires, Argentina. Jorge E. García Badaracco starts working as director of the Hospital Neuropsiquiátrico Borda, where he will develop the multi-family psychoanalytic community work. He will publish in 1990 “Comunidad terapéutica psicoanalítica de estructura multifamiliar” -
Palo Alto: the MRI (Mental Research Institute)
Palo Alto, CA. Donald de Avila Jackson, Jay Haley, John Weakland, Bill Fry and Virginia Satir found the birthplace of systemic problem-solving brief therapies. joins them in the same year. Bateson, who was opposed to applying his group's knowledge to 'therapy', which always implies 'power' (Bateson, 1976), is not part of this new project, despite the fact that it is carried out by all former members of the Bateson group and people strongly influenced by his thinking. -
Watzlawick at MRI
Palo Alto, CA. Paul Watzlawick becomes a consultant at Mental Research Institute. -
New York: The Ackerman Institute for the Family
New York, NY. Nathan Ackerman founds The Family Institute, that will become known as the Ackerman Institute for the Family after his death in 1970.
Ackerman was not interested in creating a specific theory of family therapy, but rather was committed to developing clinical innovations for working with families and couples. -
Siegi Hirsch at Zandwijk adolescent center
Amersfoort, Netherlands. Siegi Hirsch works as a group psychoanalyst in the Zandwijk adolescent center, whose experience will make him influential in the French juvenile justice system. Deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau, Hirsch helped to organise homes for Jewish children after the war, and became a social worker between Brussels and Amsterdam. Later training with Minuchin, Bowen, Satir, Papp, Hoffman, Boscolo and Cecchin, he represents a collector and disseminator of systemic thought in Europe. -
Bell: Family Group Therapy
New Haven, Connecticut. John Elderkin Bell publishes "Family Group Therapy: A Method for the Psychological Treatment of Older Children, Adolescents, and Their Parents". -
Satir at MRI
Palo Alto, CA. Virginia Satir becomes MRI director of the First Family Therapy Training Program -
First publication of Family Process
USA. Established by Nathan Ackerman, Donald deAvila Jackson, and Jay Haley as a mutual project of the Mental Research Institute and the Family Institute (later to be named the Ackerman Institute for the Family). Haley became the first editor-in-chief. -
Haley: Strategies
Palo Alto, CA. Jay Haley publishes “Strategies of Psychotherapy” -
Selvini Palazzoli: the anorexia research
Milano, Italy. Mara Selvini Palazzoli publishes "L'anoressia mentale" inaugurating the line of study that would lead her to join the family therapy movement and develop the Milan model. -
Satir: Conjoint Family Therapy
Palo Alto, CA. Virginia Satir publishes “Conjoint Family Therapy”. Her approach is to create change in larger systems, while respecitng the congruence of smaller subsystems, in a safe, trusting and accepting environment, where individuals are heard, valued and validated. -
Laing and Esterson: the family nexus
London, UK. Ronald David Laing and Aaron Esterson publish “Sanity, Madness and the Family: Families of Schizophrenics”, formulating the concept of family nexus -
Boszormenyi-Nagi & Framo
Philadelphia, PA. Ivan Boszormenyi-Nagi & James Framo publish “Intensive family therapy: Theoretical and practical aspects” -
Stierlin at NIMH
Bethesda, MD. After first becoming interested in family therapy during his first period in Maryland, from 1957 to 1963 (when he had already come into contact with Bateson, Bowen, Ackerman, Wynne and Boszormenyi-Nagy), Stierlin returned to Bethesda in 1965 to work in the Family Therapy Department of the National Institute of Mental Health, together with Lyman Wynne and Margaret Singer, as head of the adolescent unit. -
Lidz: Schizophrenia and the family
New Haven, CT. Theodore Lidz, Stephen Fleck, and Alice R. Cornelison publish "Schizophrenia and the family" -
J.A. Ríos: Centro Stirpe
Madrid, Spain. José Antonio Ríos Gonzàlez founds the Centro Stirpe, where he starts practicing family therapy. -
Laing at Kingsley Hall
London, UK. Ronald D. Laing and his colleagues asked for use of the Hall as a community for themselves and people in a state of psychosis. As a result, Kingsley Hall became home to the Philadelphia Association and one of the most radical experiments in psychiatry, lasting from 1965 to 1970. -
Minuchin: the Child Guidance Clinic
Philadelphia, PA. Salvador Minuchin establishes the Child Guidance Clinic with Braulio Montalvo & Jay Haley, developing the Structural family therapy. -
Watzlawick: Pragmatics of Communication
Palo Alto, CA. Paul Watzlawick, Janet Helmick Beavin, Donald de Avila Jackson publish “Pragmatics of Human Communication: A Study of Interactional Patterns, Pathologies, and Paradoxes” -
von Bertalanffy: General system theory
Edmonton, Canada. Ludwig von Bertalanffy works at the University of Alberta, and publishes “General system theory. Foundations, development, applications” -
Basaglia: The institution denied
Gorizia, Italy. Franco Basaglia publishes “L'istituzione negata. Rapporto da un ospedale psichiatrico” -
London: the Marlborough Family Service
London, UK. Alan Cooklin is co-founder of the Marlborough Family Service. -
Basaglia in Trieste
Trieste, Italy. Franco Basaglia becomes Director of Psychiatric Hospital, Pilot area for Italy in World Health Organization research related to mental health services. -
Byng-Hall: The Tavistock Family Therapy Workshop
London, UK. John Byng-Hall and Rosemary Whiffen at Tavistock Clinic start the Family Therapy Workshop. First British Family Therapy Training integrating Attachment Theory. -
Wynne at the University of Rochester
Rochester, NY. In 1971 Wynne succeeded John Romano as chairman of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry. He stepped down after six years in this position to focus on family therapy and research. Wynne became professor emeritus of psychiatry in 1998. -
Ackerman dies at 62
Putnam Valley, NY. Born on 22 November 1908 in Bessarabia, Moldova, Nathan Ackerman dies on 12 June at the age of 62 of a heart attack. -
The Milan Group
Milan, Italy. Mara Selvini Palazzoli, having started working with families at the Centro per lo Studio della Famiglia in 1967, together with a group of eight psychoanalysts, decides to separate to pursue the systemic approach with three of her colleagues. Selvini Palazzoli, Luigi Boscolo, Gianfranco Cecchin and Giuliana Prata start developing their original systemic approach. -
Bateson: An Ecology of Mind
Santa Cruz, CA. Gregory Bateson publishes “Steps to an Ecology of Mind” a collection of Bateson's works over his career. Subject matter includes essays on anthropology, cybernetics, psychiatry, and epistemology, and the development of key systemic concepts, such as Information, Schismogenensis, Logical types and deuterolearning -
Satir: Peoplemaking
Palo Alto, CA. Virginia Satir publishes “Peoplemaking” -
Campbell: Milan method at Tavistock
London, UK. David Campbell, Ros Draper, Caroline Lindsay propose the Milan Method at Tavistock Clinic -
Maturana and Varela: De Maquinas y Seres Vivos
Santiago, Chile. Humberto R. Maturana, Francisco J. Varela publish “De Maquinas y Seres Vivos” the first version of what will be translated in 1980 as "Autopoiesis and Cognition" -
Cancrini: the Systemic-relational approach
Rome, Italy. Luigi Cancrini, Grazia Cancrini, Marisa Malagoli Togliatti, Luigi Onnis, Maurizio Coletti establish the Centro Studi di Terapia Familiare e Relazionale (CSTFR) with a systemic-relational approach, where "relational" means integrating the systemic gaze with a strong emphasis on the patient's internal world -
Boszormenyi-Nagi and Spark: Invisible loyalties
Philadelphia, PA. Ivan Boszormenyi-Nagi, and Geraldine M. Spark publish “Invisible loyalties: Reciprocity in
intergenerational family therapy” -
Elkaïm: the Lincoln Family Therapy Training Program
New York, NY. After directing a mental health centre in the Bronx, which was part of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Mony Elkaïm founded the Lincoln Family Therapy Training Program, accredited by New York University, a family therapy school specialising in working in urban ghetto settings. -
Hirsch and the first French family therapy trainings
Paris region, France. Siegi Hirsch works with young psychoanalytical therapists (Robert Neuburger among them), often employed part-time in social care centres, giving life to a "Hirschian school" and developing numerous other family-systemic initiatives both in Paris and in the provinces. -
Minuchin: Families and Family Therapy
Philadelphia, PA. Salvador Minuchin publishes “Families and Family Therapy” -
Caillé: Theoretical Models in Family Psychotherapy
Paris, France. Philippe Caillé publishes “La question des Modèles Théoriques en Psychothérapie de Famille” Annales de Psychothérapie, 8, 4–11. -
Pluymaekers and Elkaïm at “La Gerbe”
Brussels, Belgium. Jacques Pluymaekers and Mony Elkaïm work together at 'La Gerbe', founded by Pluymaekers a few years earlier. La Gerbe is a pilot project, at the same time a youth centre, a community centre and a mental health centre, where they develop the systemic approach to disadvantaged social situations. -
Stierlin in Heidelberg University
Heidelberg, Germany. Walter Bräutigam brings Stierlin back to Heidelberg to the Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, where Stierlin becomes director of the Department of Psychoanalytic Research and Family Therapy. He will serve this post until his retirement in 1991.
The Heidelberg concept grows, especially in cooperation with the Milan group (Selvini Parazzoli, Boscolo and Cecchin), dealing with family treatment of psychosomatic issues and severe physical illness. -
Boszormenyi-Nagi at Hahnemann University
Philadelphia, PA. Ivan Boszormenyi-Nagi served as Chief professor of the Family Therapy Department at Hahnemann University (today Drexel University), year of his retirement, after which he served as an emeritus professor. -
Watzlawick et al.: Change
Palo Alto, CA. Paul Watzlawick, J.H. Weakland and R. Fisch publish "Change: The Principles of Problem Formation and Problem Resolution. -
Milan Group: Paradox and counterparadox
Milan, Italy. Mara Selvini Palazzoli, Luigi Boscolo, Gianfranco Cecchin e Giuliana Prata publish “Paradosso e Controparadosso: Un nuovo modello nella terapia della famiglia a transazione schizofrenica” -
Andolfi and the Istituto di Terapia Familiare
Rome, Italy. Maurizio Andolfi, Carmine Saccu, Paolo Menghi, Anna Maria Nicolò establish the Istituto di Terapia Familiare -
Gaspare Vella and the Centro Studi
Rome, Italy. Gaspare Vella, Camillo Loriedo, Chiara Angiolari, Sergio Lupoi e Luisa Martini establish the Centro Studi e Terapia per la Psicoterapia della Coppia e della Famiglia.
The centre's approach is systemic-relational with a focus on Carl Whitaker's experiential teachings -
Jay Haley, Cloé Madanes and the Family Therapy Institute
Washington, DC. Jay Haley and Cloé Madanes found the Family Therapy Institute, where they develop their Strategic Approach.
In 1977 they publish “Dimensions of family therapy” in the Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 165(2), 88–98 -
Sluzky director of MRI
Palo Alto, CA. Carlos E. Sluzky serves as Director of MRI until 1983 -
The Institute of Family Therapy (IFT) in London
London, UK. Alan Cooklin and some others found the Institute of Family Therapy (IFT) -
Ausloos, Perrone and Menthonnex: first FT training in Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland. Guy Ausloos, starts with Reynaldo Perrone and Andrée Menthonnex family therapy training at the Centre d'études et de formation continue (Haute école de travail social) of the Institut d'Études Sociales de Genève. -
Rodolfo de Bernart: FT in the Italian public service
Firenze, Italy. Rodolfo de Bernart establishes the first public family therapy center in Italy. -
Sarró: the Centro de Terapia Familiar de Barcelona
Barcelona, Spain. Alberto Sarró will be directing the Family Therapy Centre of Barcelona for some fifteen or twenty years. -
Journées francophones de thérapie familiale
Lyon, France. The psychiatric hospital Saint Cyr au Mont d'Or organised the first Journées francophones de thérapie familiale in Lyon, which are still organised every 3-4 years by the journal Thérapie familiale. -
Neuburger and the CEFA
Paris, France. Among Hirsch's students since 1974, Robert Neuburger introduced him to the Société parisienne d'aide à la santé mentale (SPASM). In 1977, he began a cycle of introductory seminars in family therapy as part of the SPASM's ongoing training. In 1978, Robert Neuburger founds the Centre d'Étude de la Famille - Association (CEFA) organizing a real training in family therapy for a limited number of participants. -
American Family Therapy Academy (AFTA)
New York, NY. The American Family Therapy Academy is founded. M. Bowen is the first president (1977-1981), followed by James Framo (1982-1983). AFTA is a smaller, invitation-only organization dedicated to advancing systemic thinking and systemically-oriented services for families. -
AAMC becomes AAMFT
USA. The American Association of Marriage Counselors, founded in 1942, changes its name to American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) -
de Shazer and Berg: the Brief Family Therapy Center (BFTC)
Milwaukee, WI. Steve de Shazer, Insoo Kim Berg, Jim Derks, Eve Lipchik, Marilyn LaCourt, Elam Nunally found the Brief Family Therapy Center (BFTC). -
Italy: "Legge Basaglia"
Rome, Italy. The 13th of May the Italian Parliament approved the so-called 'Basaglia law' (L.180/78), which imposes the closure of asylums and regulated compulsory health treatment, establishing public mental health services. -
The McMaster Model of Family Functioning
Providence, RI. Nathan B. Epstein, Duane S. Bishop, Sol Levin publish “The McMaster Model of Family Functioning”. Journal of Marriage and Family Counseling, 4,19-31. -
Minuchin: Psychosomatic Families
Philadelphia, PA. Salvador Minuchin, Bernice L. Rosman and Lester Baker publish "Psychosomatic Families: Anorexia Nervosa in Context" -
Laqueur pioneers multi-family therapy
Montpellier, France. Henri Peter Laqueur practices the first multi-family therapies. -
Nicole and Bernard Prieur
Paris, France. Nicole Prieur, Bernard Prieur establish their family therapy private practice (that will become CECCOF) -
Sociedad Argentina de Terapia Familiar
Buenos Aires, Argentina. The Sociedad Argentina de Terapia Familiar is founded. First president is Jorge E. García Badaracco. -
Mony Elkaïm: the IEFSH
Brussels, Belgium. Mony Elkaïm founds the Institut d’études de la famille et des systèmes humains (IEFSH). -
Eia Asen at Marlborough family service
London, UK. K. Eia Asen serves as psychiatrist at Marlborough family service, developing Multiple Family Therapy -
Weakland and Watzlawick: Studies at the Mental Research Institute
Palo Alto, CA. Weakland and J., Watzlawick, P. publish “The Interactional View: Studies at the Mental Research Institute, Palo Alto, 1965–1974” -
Bateson: Mind and Nature
Santa Cruz, CA. Gregory Bateson publishes 'Mind and Nature. A Necessary Unity' in which he developed the concept of Mind and the metaphor Creature vs. Pleroma. -
Bronfenbrenner: The Ecological Systems Theory
Cambridge, MA: Urie Bronfenbrenner, publishes "The Ecology of Human Development: Experiments by Nature and Design" in the Harvard University Press. -
Sylvie Angel: the Centre Monceau
Paris, France. Sylvie Angel estabishes the Centre de thérapie familiale Monceau, specialising in the family treatment of addictions. A trainee of Hirsch's during the seminars at SPASM, Silvye Angel had started practising family therapy at the Marmottan Hospital's service for drug addicts, where she proposed the project of a family therapy department, which was rejected. She therefore decides to found her own centre. -
Sluzki: Colliding Epistemologies
Washington, DC. Carlos E. Sluzki publishes “Colliding Epistemologies” The Family Center Report (Georgetown University) 2(2) 4-7. -
Boscolo and Cecchin: the Centro Milanese di Terapia della Famiglia
Milan, Italy. Luigi Boscolo and Gianfranco Cecchin parted from Mara Selvini Palazzoli to open a clinic and training centre: the CMTF, where they developed the Milan Approach in its constructionist and narrative form. -
Yveline Rey: the CERAS
Grenoble, France. Yveline Rey founds the Centre d'Études et de Recherches sur l'Approche Systémique (CERAS). -
Maturana and Varela: Autopoiesis and Cognition
Santiago, Chile. Humberto R. Maturana, Francisco J. Varela publish “Autopoiesis and Cognition: The Realization of the Living” -
Perrone: the IFATC
Lyon, France. Reynaldo Perrone founds the Institut de Formation et Application des Thérapies de la Communication (IFATC) -
Selvini and Prata: the Invariable Prescription
Lyon, France. Mara Selvini and Giuliana Prata presented the "Invariable Prescription" at the Lyon conference of the journal Thérapie familiale. -
Milan Group: Hypothesisation, Circularity, and Neutrality
Milan, Italy. Mara Selvini Palazzoli, Luigi Boscolo, Gianfranco Cecchin and Giuliana Prata publish "Ipotizzazione, circolarità, neutralità: tre direttive per la conduzione della seduta" -
Milton Erickson dies at 78
Phoenix, AZ. Born on 5 December 1901 in Aurum, Nevada, he died on 25 March 1980 at the age of 78 following septic shock due to streptococcal-B peritonitis that was not diagnosed in time. -
Gregory Bateson dies at 76
San Francisco, CA. Born on 9 May 1904 in Grantchester, UK, Gregory Bateson died on 4 July 1980, aged 76, leaving three children: Mary Catherine Bateson (1939-2021) by his first wife Maragaret Mead; John Sumner Bateson (1951-2015) by his second wife Elizabeth Sumner; and Nora Bateson (b. 1969) by his third wife Lois Cammack. -
Mariotti and Bassoli: the ISCRA institute
Modena, Italy. Fabio Bassoli and Mauro Mariotti found ISCRA - Istituto di Psicoterapia Sistemica e Relazionale di Modena e Cesena. -
The APRTF in Paris
Paris, France, Elida Romano, Patrick Chaltiel, Jean Clair Bouley, Didier Destal estabish the Association parisienne de recherche et de travail avec les familles (APRTF) -
Tom Andersen at the University of Tromso
Tromsø, NO. Tom Andersen becomes Professor in Social Psychiatry at the Institute of Community Medicine, University of Tromso -
de Bernart and Dobrowolski: The Istituto di Terapia Familiare (ITFF)
Firenze, Italy, Rodolfo de Bernart and Cristina Dobrowolski found Istituto di Terapia Familiare di Firenze (ITFF) -
von Foerster: observing systems
Urbana, Il. Heinz von Foerster publishes "Observing systems". The foundamental work that represents the evolution from the original cybernetics of complex machines (observed systems) to the Second-Order Cybernetics. -
Zaragoza meeting of Family Therapy
Zaragoza, Spain. The first recorded meeting of Family Therapy in the Country. Among others, F. Carrasco, A. Carreras, A. Fernández, P. Lago, L. Lalucat, C. Martín, C. Miralles, C.F. Rogero, J.L. Ruiz de Munain, R. Sanz, A. Sarró and T. Suarez. They have been, among others, the ones who have disseminated Family Therapy in Spain, with their training seminars and publications. -
Linares: la Escuela de Terapia Familiar de Barcelona
Barcelona, Spain. J.L. Linares founds the Escuela de Terapia Familiar del Hospital de Sant Pau de Barcelona. -
Mara Selvini Palazzoli: the Nuovo Centro per lo Studio della Famiglia
Milan, Italy. After separating from Boscolo and Cecchin, Mara Selvini Palazzoli and Giuliana Prata create the Nuovo Centro per lo Studio della Famiglia, with the goal of a more strictly strategic experimentation. -
Keeney: the aesthetics of change
Cambridge, MA. Bradford Keeney publishes “Aesthetics of Change” -
Michael K. White: the Dulwich Centre.
Adelaide, Australia. Michael K. White founds the Dulwich Centre. -
Carpenter and Treacher: the art of convening families
Bristol, UK. John Carpenter and Andy Treacher publish “On the neglected but related arts of convening and engaging families and their wider systems”. Journal of Family Therapy, 5(3), 337-358. -
Rojero and Suárez: Paradigma sistémico y terapia de familia
Madrid, Spain. Carmen Rojero and Teresa Suárez publish "Paradigma sistémico y terapia de familia" -
The XVI Congress of the Spanish Association of Neuropsychiatry
Oviedo, Spain. Family Therapy makes its official presentation in the Spanish psychiatric field, with Suarez and Rogero presenting their paper "Systemic Paradigm and Family Therapy" at the XVI Congress of the Spanish Association of Neuropsychiatry. -
Alanen: therapy joint meetings
Turku, Finland. In Turku University Hospital, Yrjö O. Alanen starts developing need-adapted treatment with therapy joint meetings and a family-centered intervention. -
Maturana, von Foerster, Boscolo and Cecchin: Philosophers meet Clinicians
Calgary, Canada. Karl Tomm organises the conference 'Philosophers meet clinicians' with the participation of Humberto Maturana, Heinz von Foerster, Luigi Boscolo and Gianfranco Cecchin, assisted by Vernon Cronen and Barnett Pearce. The Milan Model espouses second-order cybernetics and constructivism. -
Haley: Ordeal Therapy
Washington, DC. Jay Haley publishes “Ordeal Therapy. Unusual ways to change behavior” -
Società Italiana di Psicologia e Psicoterapia Relazionale (SIPPR)
Rome, Italy. Directors of Italian training centers (Cancrini and Malagoli Togliatti from the CSTFR, Andolfi and Saccu from the ITF, Vella and Loriedo from the Centro Studi e Terapia, Boscolo and Cecchin from CMTF, De Giacomo and Pierri from the Centro Interdisciplinare), found the Società Italiana di Psicologia e Psicoterapia Relazionale (SIPPR). -
De Giacomo and Pierri: the Centro Interdisciplinare
Bari, Italy. Piero De Giacomo, Gianpaolo Pierri found the Centro Interdisciplinare e di Ricerca di Interventi sui Sistemi Umani -
The Basque Family Therapy Association
Bilbao, Spain. La Asociación Vasca de Terapia Familiar is the first family therapy association formed in the Country. It will be followed by the Valencian, the Aragonese, the Madrid and the Catalan Associations. -
Ríos González: Manual de orientación y terapia familiar
Madrid, Spain. J.A. Ríos González, publishes "Manual de orientación y terapia familiar” (Prólogo de M. Yela Granizo). -
Seikkula starts developing Open Dialogue
Tornio, Finland. At Keropudas Hospital in Western Lapland, Jaakko Seikkula, Jukka Aaltonen and Birgitta Alakare (among others) devolop from the need-adapted treatment the first principles of what will be called Opend Dialogue (flexibility, mobility, multidisciplinary team work, and always meeting in the presence of the clients). -
de Shazer: Solution Focused Therapy
Milwaukee, WI. Steve de Shazer publishes “Keys to Solution in Brief Therapy” -
Goldner: Feminist Family Therapy
New York, NY. Virginia Goldner publishes “Feminism and family therapy”. Family Process, 24(1), 31-47. -
Byng-Hall: The family script
London, UK. John Byng-Hall publishes “The family script: a useful bridge between theory and practice. Journal of family therapy” Journal of family therapy, 7(3), 301-305. -
SIRTS: Italian Society for Systemic Research and Therapy
Milan, Italy. Boscolo e Cecchin found the Società Italiana di Ricerca e Terapia Sistemica (SIRTS), which will become a reference point for Italian systemic therapists with a social-constructionist background. -
Ragone and Di Caprio: Ecopsys
Napoli, Italy. Berniero Ragone and Ester Livia Di Caprio found the Istituto Ecopsys (since 1991 Gruppo Nexus) -
Prata: the Centro di Terapia Familiare Sistemica e di Ricerca
Milano, Italy. After 16 years, Prata parts from Mara Selvini Palazzoli and estabishes her own clinic: the Centro di Terapia Familiare Sistemica e di Ricerca. -
Alain Chabert: ESA
Chambéry, France. Alain Chabert, Pascale Perinel estabish the Unité Fonctionnelle de Thérapie Familiale Systémique at the Centre Hospitalier Spécialisé de la Savoie, joint with ESA (Eco Système Association) -
The European Family Therapy Network
Europe. Formally created in 1986, The European Family Therapy Network had grown via informal meetings which took place at important conferences in the field dating back to 1983. -
Nisse and Sabourin: the Centre des Buttes-Chaumont
Paris, France. Martine Nisse and Pierre Sabourin found the Centre des Buttes-Chaumont, developing a systemic-analytic approach to incest and other forms of abuse. -
Boscolo, Cecchin, Hoffman and Papp: “Milan Systemic Family Therapy”
New York, NY. Luigi Boscolo, Gianfranco Cecchin, Lynn Hoffmann, Peggy Papp publish “Milan Systemic Family Therapy” -
Rolland: Chronic illness and the life cycle
New Heaven, CT. John S. Rolland publishes "Chronic illness and the life cycle: A conceptual framework". Family Process, 26(2), 203–221. -
Andersen: The reflecting team
Tromsø, Norway. Tom Andersen publishes “The reflecting team: Dialogue and meta-dialogue in clinical work”. Family Process, 26(4), 415–428 -
Tomm: Interventive interviewing
Calgary, Canada. Karl Tomm publishes “Interventive interviewing: II. Reflexive questioning as a means to enable self-healing”. Family Process, 26(2), 167-18 -
Centro Bolognese di Terapia della Famiglia
Laura Fruggeri, Anna Castellucci, Maurizio Marzari and Massimo Matteini, trained at the School in Milan directed by Luigi Boscolo and Gianfranco Checchin, founded the Centro Bolognese di Terapia della Famiglia. After being a branch of the CMTF School of Specialisation in Psychotherapy for 24 years, as of 2018 it independently runs its own School of Specialisation. -
Anderson and Goolishan: linguistic systems
Galveston, TX. Harlene Anderson and Harold A. Goolishan publish “Human systems as linguistic systems: Preliminary and evolving ideas about the implications for clinical theory. Family Process, 27(4), 371-393.” -
Galdo: the ISPPREF
Napoli, Italy. Gennaro Galdo, Gemma Trapanese and Sergio Maria Maresca found the Istituto di Psicologia e Psicoterapia Relazionale e Familiare (ISPPREF) -
Satir dies at 72
Menlo Park, CA. Born on 26 June 1916 in Neillsville, Wisconsin, Virginia Satir died on 10 September, aged 72 of pancreatic cancer. -
White and Epston: the Narrative Approach
Adelaide, AU. Michael K. White and David Epston publish “Literate Means to Therapeutic Ends” -
Elkaïm: Si tu m’aimes, ne m’aime pas
Brussels, Belgium. Mony Elkaïm publishes “Si tu m’aimes, ne m’aime pas. Approche systémique et psychothérapie” -
Laing dies at 61
Saint-Tropez, France. Born on 7 October 1927 in Govanhill, Glasgow, UK, Ronald Laing dies on 23 August at the age of 61 of a heart attack while playing tennis with his colleague and friend Robert W. Firestone. -
Hoffman: the Art of Lenses
New York, NY. Lynn Hoffman publishes “Constructing Realities: An Art of Lenses”. Family Process, 29(1), 1-12. -
European Family Therapy Association
Brussels, Belgium. The European Family Therapy Association is founded from the European Family Therapy Network. M. Elkaïm is the first President. -
E. Gutiérrez: the First Postgraduate Course on Family Therapy in a Spanish University
Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Emilio Gutiérrez Garcia organises the first Postgraduate Course on FT (levels I and II), with the participation of J. L. Rodríguez-Arias (Salamanca), S. de Shazer (Milwaukee, USA), P. Watzlawick (MRI, Stanford, USA), J.A. Ríos (Madrid), Christine E. Vaughn (London), Edna Rogers (UTA, USA) and Frank E. Millar (Wyoming, USA). -
Bowen dies at 77
Chevy Chase, Maryland. Born on 31 January 1913 in Waverly, Tennessee, Murray Bowen dies on 9 October of lung cancer. -
Federación Española de Asociaciones de Terapia Familiar
Cartagena, Spain. FEATF is founded. Jose Antonio Ríos is the first president. -
Alanen: the Need-adapted treatment
Turku, Finland. Yrjo O. Alanen, K. Lehtinen, V. Räkköläinen and J. Aaltonen publish "Need-adapted treatment of new schizophrenic patients: experiences and results of the Turku Project",
Acta Psychiatr. Scand., 83(5):363-72. -
Andolfi: the Accademia di Psicoterapia Familiare
Rome, Italy. Maurizio Andolfi changes the denomination of the Istituto di Terapia della Famiglia in Accademia di Psicoterapia della Famiglia (APF), defining his Trigenerational stuctural approach -
Saccu: the Scuola Romana di Psicoterapia Familiare
Rome, Italy. Carmine Saccu, separating from Andolfi, founds the Roman School of Family Psychotherapy, promoting a more symbolic-experiential approach. -
The Taos Institute: Promoting Social Constructionism
Taos. NM. Harlene Anderson, David Cooperrider, Mary Gergen, Kenneth Gergen, Sheila McNamee, Suresh Srivastva, Diana Whitney found The Taos Institute -
Inger and Inger: Co-Constructing Therapeutic Conversations
Portland, OR. Ivan B. Inger, David Campbell, Jeri Inger and Rosalind Draper pubish “Co-Constructing Therapeutic Conversations: A Consultation of Restraint” -
Istituto Italiano di Psicoterapia Relazionale
Rome, italy. In 1993, the Centro founded by Vella changed its name to Istituto Italiano di Psicoterapia Relazionale (IIPR) -
Olson Circumplex Model
Minneapolis-Saint Paul, MN. David H. Olson publishes “Circumplex Model of Marital and Family Systems: Assessing family functioning”. In F. Walsh (Ed.), Normal family processes (pp. 104–137). The Guilford Press. -
Scuola di psicoterapia Mara Selvini Palazzoli
Milan, Italy. Mara Selvini Palazzoli, Stefano Cirillo, Anna Maria Sorrentino, Matteo Selvini open a training program in their Centro per lo Studio della Famiglia: the Scuola di psicoterapia Mara Selvini Palazzoli -
SFTF: Société française de thérapie familiale
Paris, France. Sylvie Angel, Jean-Clair Bouley, Patrick Chaltiel, Didier Destal, Bernard Geberowicz, Marc Habib, Serge Hefez, J.A. Malarewicz, Jacques Miermont, Michèle Neuburger, and Robert Neuburger are the founding members of the Société française de thérapie familiale. -
Cassen: Institut Michel de Montaigne
Bordeaux, France. Myriam Cassen establishes the Institut Michel de Montaigne. -
Keeney and Wendel: Resource Focused Therapy
Palo Alto, CA. Bradford Keeney and Wendel A. Ray publish “Resource Focused Therapy” -
Hare-Mustin: postmodern analysis of therapy
Cambridge, MA. Rachel Thies Hare-Mustin
“Discourses in the mirrored room: A postmodern analysis of therapy”. Family Process, 33(1), 19-35. -
Caruso: Centro Panta Rei
Milan, Italy. Antonio Caruso founds Centro Panta Rei -
Caillé and Rey: Les objets flottants
Grenoble, France. Philippe Caillé and Yveline Rey publish “Les objets flottants. Méthodes d’entretiens systémiques” -
Falicov: a multidimensional comparative framework
San Diego, CA. Celia Jaes Falicov publishes “Training to think culturally: A multidimensional comparative framework”. Family Process, 34(4), 373-388. -
The Association for Family Therapy and Systemic Practice
London, UK. The Association for Family Therapy and Systemic Practice is founded. -
Ausloos: The Competence of Families
Montréal, Canada. Guy Ausloos publishes “La compétence des familles. Temps, chaos, processus” -
White: Re-Authoring Lives
Adelaide, AU. Michael K. White publishes “Re-Authoring Lives: Interviews and Essays” -
Seikkula et al: Introducing Open Dialogue
Jyväskylä, Finland. Jaakko Seikkula, Jukka Aaltonen, Birgitta Alakare, K. Haarakangas, J. Keranen, and M. Sutela publish "Treating psychosis by means of open dialogue". In S. Friedman, The reflecting team in action: collaborative practice in family therapy. Where they present their analysis of their work since 1984, identifying the 7 principles, and calling their approach "Open Dialogue" -
Carl Whitaker dies at 86
Nashotah, Wisconsin. Born in Raymondville, NY, in 1912, Carl Alanson Whitaker dies on 21 April at the age of 86, from complications of a stroke. He leaves a daughter, Nancy Whitaker-Emrich, of Portland, Oregon. -
Cierpka at the family therapy institute of the University of Heidelberg
Heidelberg, Germany. Manfred Cierpka becomes head of Ruprecht-Karls-University Institute for Psychosomatic Cooperative Research and Family Therapy -
Società Italiana di Terapia Familiare
Rome, Italy. Maurizio Andolfi, Paolo Menghi, Anna Maria Nicolò, Carmine Saccu found the Società Italiana di Terapia Familiare, which brings together Italian family therapists of a more structural-experiential orientation -
Ugazio: the European Institute of Systemic-relational Therapies
Milan, Italy. Valeria Ugazio founds the European Institute of Systemic-relational Therapies (EIST). -
Mara Selvini Palazzoli dies at 82.
Milan, Italy. Born in Milan on 15 August 1916, Mara Selvini Palazzoli dies on 21 June at the age of 82. -
The Beavers Systems Model of Family Functioning
Dallas, TX. Robert Beavers and Robert H. Hampson publish “The Beavers Systems Model of Family Functioning” Journal of Family Therapy, 22(2), 128-143 -
Eia Asen: The Marlborough Model of Multiple Family Therapy
London, UK. K. Eia Asen, Neil Dawson and Brenda McHugh publish “Multiple Family Therapy: The Marlborough Model and Its Wider Applications” -
Gurman and Fraenkel: The history of couple therapy
Madison, WI. Alan S. Gurman, Peter Fraenkel publish “The history of couple therapy: A millennial review”. Family Process, 41(2), 199-260. -
von Foerster dies at 90
Pescadero, CA. Born in 1911 in Vienna, Austria-Hungary, Heinz von Foerster dies on October 2 at 90. -
Stratton: Systemic family therapy manualized
Leeds, UK. H. Pote, P. Stratton, D. Cottrell, D. Shapiro, P. Boston publish “Systemic family therapy can be manualized: research process and findings”. Journal of Family Therapy, 25(3), 236-262. -
Walsh: Family resilience
Chicago, Il. Froma Walsh publishes “Family resilience: A framework for clinical practice”. Family Process, 42(1), 1-18. -
Cecchin dies at 71
Milan, Italy. Born on 22 August 1932 in Nogarole Vicentino, Italy, Gianfranco Cecchin died on 2 February at the age of 71 in a car accident. -
Eisler: family therapy for anorexia nervosa
London, UK. Ivan Eisler publishes “The empirical and theoretical base of family therapy and multiple family day therapy for adolescent anorexia nervosa” Journal of Family Therapy, 27(2), 104-131. -
Relates: the Spanish-speaking Network
Guadalajara, México. The Spanish and Latin American Network of Systemic Schools is founded with the aim of disseminating Systemic Family Therapy throughout the Spanish-speaking world. -
Boszormenyi-Nagy dies at 86
Glenside, PA. Born on 19 May 1920 in Budapest, Hungary, Ivan Boszormenyi-Nagy died on 28 January at the age of 86 of Parkinson's complications. -
Watzlawick dies at 85
Palo Alto, CA. Born on 25 July 1921 in Villach, Austria, Paul Watzlawick died on 31 March of cardiac arrest at the age of 85. -
Jay Haley dies at 83
La Jolla, CA. Born on 19 July 1923 in Midwest, Wyoming, Jay Haley died on 13 February, aged 83 of cardiopulmonary failure. -
Tom Andersen dies at 71
Oslo, Norway. Tom Andersen was born on 2 May 1936 in Oslo and died on 15 May at the age of 71, from injuries sustained in a fall. -
Michael White dies at 59
San Diego, CA. Born on 29 December 1948, in Adelaide, Australia, Michael White died on 4 April, aged 59, of a heart attack. -
Boscolo dies at 82
Milano, Italia. Nato il 27 marzo del 1932 a Nogarole Vicentino, Italia, Luigi Boscolo muore Muore il 12 gennaio, dopo una lunga malattia, a 82 anni. -
Minuchin dies at 96
Boca Raton, Florida. Born on 13 October 1921 in San Salvador, Argentina, Salvador Minuchin dies on 30 October, aged 96 in a nursing facility. -
Mony Elkaïm dies at 79
Brussels, Belgium. Born on 7 November 1941, in Marrakech, Morocco, Mony Elkaïm dies on 20 November, at the age of 79 after a long illness.