The Family Crucible: Napier & Whitaker's Family Therapy

Introduction: The Family in Crisis

When spouses begin to have difficulties in their marriage, they often lose track of the impact their arguments have on their children. So wrapped up in day-to-day difficulties, they allow the rest of the family to become secondary. In The Family Crucible by Napier and Whitaker, the daughter becomes so depressed that psychological help is required, and it is then that the family as a whole must determine how to rebuild itself, if possible.

The book recounts the ongoing therapy of the "Brice" family, which consists of the parents David and Carolyn, their adolescent daughter Claudia, their six-year-old daughter Laura, and their eleven-year-old son Don. Family therapy serves as the central mechanism through which the hidden fractures within this household are gradually brought to light.

The Brice Family's First Therapy Sessions

The therapy begins by involving the father, who would have been more than pleased to relinquish responsibility at that point. He soon explains that Claudia's problems may be the most pressing concern, but there is much more taking place beneath the surface. As he talks, David becomes more assertive and then aggressive — which turns out to reflect the anguish parents feel when they are fearful for their children. As he continues, Claudia's anger turns to tears. Therapist Carl Whitaker then asks David to look beyond Claudia's concerns to the family as a whole. This is difficult for David, since he and the other family members believe that Claudia is the main problem. What does the rest of the family have to do with it?

Don describes a typical scenario in which trouble begins with Claudia and her mother and ends with the whole family having a miserable dinner — or, at worst, Claudia storming off and his parents arguing. The only way Don knows to stop the arguing is to pick on Laura until she cries, effectively redirecting attention. The therapists also learn from Don that Carolyn uses him as a sounding board for family problems, and David does the same with Claudia, rather than the two parents talking to each other. After speaking with Laura, the therapists find that she is frightened both by Claudia's talk of suicide and by her parents' potential divorce.

In this first session, it becomes clear that Claudia is placed in the middle of her parents' conflict, even though she likes to believe her father was always on her side. In the second therapy session, it is clarified that Claudia's emotional struggles are a way for her parents to express their unresolved marital problems. David and Carolyn overcompensate by being cool and controlled, while Claudia overcompensates by being more emotional.

Core Themes in the Early Chapters

Several important points emerge from these initial chapters. First, what appears to be the "truth" behind a problem may be only a manifestation of the issue, not the issue itself. Claudia's difficulties may be of major concern, but underlying them are the marital problems between her parents. Second, what affects one or more individuals in a family affects everyone. Even six-year-old Laura, who seems relaxed and happy on the surface, turns out to be frightened and unhappy.

Third, in order to avoid confrontation, a person may complain to someone else rather than to the person causing the concern. David and Carolyn use their children as sounding boards rather than confront each other directly. Fourth, when people are hurting they will do almost anything as a cry for help, even without realizing it. Each family member is doing whatever possible to make the situation so untenable that outside help becomes necessary. Without intervention, it is quite possible that Claudia might have attempted suicide, or Don might have acted out in some way that finally forced David and Carolyn to seek help.

Finally, these early chapters introduce the role of the psychotherapists and highlight their importance to the family's well-being. The therapists raise essential but hidden concerns, mediate conflicts, act as a calming force, and motivate each participant to speak for themselves.