Integrative Family Therapy With Couples

Assimilative family therapy equips the therapist with the knowledge of multiple theories and interventions and the ability to integrate them according to the needs of the client. This approach uses Bowen family systemic theory as the home theory and integrates concepts and interventions from psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, communications, and other systems therapies.

Therapeutic work considers contextual variables that include the clients' age, ethnicity, culture, racial background, gender identification, religious beliefs, health status, marital and socioeconomic status, as well as personal traits such as resilience, attachment, and optimism. Common factors play an important role in this model, and these are monitored consistently throughout treatment.

In this video program, Dr. Patricia Pitta demonstrates assimilative family therapy with a couple attempting to improve their relationship by identifying and working through the personal, couple, and intergenerational issues affecting their behaviors and feelings.

Dr. Pitta's therapeutic approach to problems is an "Integrative Healing Family Therapy Approach." What that means is each individual gets the opportunity to look at his/her thinking, feeling and behavior in relationship to the self and others.

The next step is to define his/her stance on the problem presented. It means to have self-awareness are in relation to the problem. It is the ability to separate the head from the heart when dealing with an emotionally charged issue, so clients can identify feelings, thoughts and behaviors. That means no matter what the age of the client, the ability to begin to take responsibility for who they are and how they think, and act is essential.

Each individual comes packaged with strengths and weaknesses. It is the therapist's job to take those strengths and build upon them and little by little release the weaknesses to build a strong self who knows what is desired and how to achieve it, based in reality and not fantasy.

Patricia Pitta, PhD, ABPP, is a board-certified couple and family psychologist. She is a fellow of APA and the Academy of Family Psychology. Dr. Pitta is a licensed clinical psychologist as well as a clinical fellow and approved supervisor of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy.

Dr. Pitta has received numerous awards throughout her career and has appeared in various media outlets. She is in private practice in Manhasset, New York.

Her book, Solving Modern Family Dilemmas: An Assimilative Family Therapy Model, discusses the assimilative family therapy model and its application throughout the life cycle.

She is a clinical adjunct professor and the director of the postgraduate program in integrative couple and family psychology at St. John's University.

• Pitta, P. (2002). Integrative healing family therapy: A therapy of choice for the adolescent centered family. Division 43, Summer, 18(3). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
• Pitta, P. (l995). Adolescent-centered family integrated philosophy and treatment. Psychotherapy. Spring, 3(1). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
• Pitta, P. (l996a). An integrated supervisory model family psychologist. Division 43, Winter, 12(1). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
• Pitta, P. (l996b). Psychodynamic and systemic integration theory: Application to the individual. Psychotherapy Bulletin, Division 29, Summer, 31(3). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
• Pitta, P. (l996c). Psychodynamic and systems integration model and its application to the individual. Invited Paper. Psychotherapy Bulletin, Division 29, Fall, 32(3). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
• Pitta, P. (l996d). Marital therapy: A search for the self and each other: a systemic – psychodynamic integrated approach. Psychotherapy Bulletin, Division 29, Fall, 31(4). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
• Pitta, P. (l997). Marital therapy: A systemic psychodynamic integrated approach: A case study. Psychotherapy Bulletin, Division 29, Winter, 32(1). Washington DC: American Psychological Association.
• Pitta, P. (l998). Psychodynamic-systemic integration applied to child focused families. Invited Paper, Psychotherapy Bulletin, Division 29. Winter. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
• Pitta, P. (l999). Comprehensive marital therapy manual. Division 42. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

APA Videos

• Family Therapy Over Time
  Susan H. McDaniel
• Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy
  Andrew Christensen
• Integrative Systemic Therapy With Couples
  William M. Pinsof
• Parenting Our Elderly Parents
  Patricia J. Pitta
• Restoring Trust After Infidelity
  Lawrence Josephs
• Stepfamily Therapy in Practice
  Scott Browning
• Working With Issues in Divorce
  Jay Lebow

APA Books

• Emotion-Focused Couples Therapy: The Dynamics of Emotion, Love, and Power
  Leslie S. Greenberg and Rhonda N. Goldman
• Enhanced Cognitive–Behavioral Therapy for Couples: A Contextual Approach
  Norman B. Epstein and Donald H. Baucom
• The Marriage Checkup Practitioner's Guide: Promoting Lifelong Relationship Health
  James V. Cordova
• Primary Care Psychology
  Robert G. Frank, Susan H. McDaniel, James H. Bray, and Margaret Heldring