Interpersonal communication in and through family: structure and therapy in Turkey

Abstract

It is essential for professionals in the mental health sector to identify and understand the different family models and the effects of social transformations. Historically and at present, however, Turkish families live in a ‘culture of relatedness’, with emotional and/or material interdependence between generations. Marriage and family therapy is a newly emerging discipline in Turkey. Although studies on family structure and common problems in families have been made, data on the practice of family therapy are limited. To our knowledge, this is the first paper aiming to describe the practice of family therapies in Turkey, situating them against a backdrop of sociological and social/psychological studies in family structure.