Reflecting teams (RTs) are used in family therapy in order to introduce multiple perspectives and provide the ‘difference that makes a difference’. Research suggests that reflections made by an RT may be a factor in the change process for family members. This study aims to further the understanding of the helpfulness of reflections in family therapy, thus supporting RTs to be as effective as possible. A quantitative longitudinal questionnaire method was used in order to collect data on family members’ perceptions of the helpfulness of reflections made by an RT during their family therapy sessions. The results show that certain types of reflections are less helpful than others and the helpfulness of reflections was found to contribute to the change process for family members. The results are discussed along with reflections on the research process, limitations and recommendations for further research.
Practitioner points
Some types of reflections made by the reflecting team are more helpful than others, so using these more helpful reflection types may optimise progress in family therapy
Reflections contribute to the change process in family therapy, therefore reflecting teams are valuable to include in family therapy sessions