2 authorities in the field core therapeutic tasks that need special attention in the treatment of disadvantaged families. The paper goes on to propose approaches to the use of self by therapists in the implementation of these tasks in... more
2 authorities in the field core therapeutic tasks that need special attention in the treatment of disadvantaged families. The paper goes on to propose approaches to the use of self by therapists in the implementation of these tasks in ways that may be most effective with disadvantaged families. Materials and Methods For the identification and description of the therapeutic tasks, the paper will resource the work and experience of experts in the field who have contributed to the literature and research on therapy with disadvantaged families. For the proposed perspectives on therapists' use of self in the implementation of these tasks, the paper looks to the Person-of-the-Therapist Model on the use of self, a systematic method of thinking about the active and purposeful use of self by therapists in the therapeutic process. The theory and methodology behind the model is described, and an example of its use with a disadvantaged family is offered. Disadvantaged families call for a particular kind of therapeutic attention. The very designation "disadvantaged" adds a distinct dimension to the therapy that calls for therapists to take into account the
