Therapy with Single Parents: A Social Constructionist Approach

Atwood, Joan D., & Genovese, Frank. (2006). Therapy with Single Parents: A Social Constructionist Approach. NY: Haworth Press.

This book provides practical information, using common language for clinicians and others who work with single parents/systems. It utilizes a social constructionist approach to examine the conceptualizations of singlehood and single parenting in the context of the legitimized intact family structure. The stigmatization that is sometimes applied to nontraditional family forms is characterized as a by-product of the social meaning and construction of these terms. This book strives to depict .single parenthood as a viable family structure instead of a deficit position.

In the Introduction, the authors qualify that this book is intended primarily for therapists in private practice who work with White, middleclass divorced or widowed women. This focus is based upon clinical expertise with this population and not intended to discount the personal experiences of women of color, adolescent mothers, or men. Regardless of this disclaimer, the material exhibits utility for adaptation (with some modification) to practice with other single-parent populations.

This book is divided into four sections. The first part focuses on the social and psychological experiences of separated, divorced, and widowed women. The second part focuses on sexuality and the sexual experiences of single women. The third part addresses the interface of single parents with larger social systems, and the final section describes the use of social construction therapy with single-parent families. Case histories are utilized throughout the text to illustrate theoretical and clinical issues relevant to practice with this population.

In chapter 1, the first of five chapters in Part I, the life experiences of separated and divorced women are described. An overview of divorce rates and other statistics are presented. The psychological reactions of women to divorce, including the stages of emotional separation (i.e., denial, conflict, ambivalence, acceptance) are reviewed. Valuable insights into the cognitive/ emotional processes of separating and divorcing women contribute to practice knowledge with this population.

In chapter 2, widowhood is described. Atwood and Genovese distinguish the experiences of widows from those of divorced or separated persons. Widows often experience...