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Research tools

If you are carrying out research which requires you to ‘manualise’ the therapeutic practice you are developing, systemic competencies and manuals referenced here may be useful to draw on. A freely accessible family / relational outcome measure is also listed here.

SCORE-15 index of family functioning and change

SCORE is a self-report outcome measure designed to be sensitive to the kinds of changes in family relationships that systemic family and couples therapists see as indications of useful therapeutic change. It is intended to be serviceable in everyday practice; short, acceptable to clients and usable across the full range of our work (presenting problems, clientele groups, and the formats of work – including individual, couple, family and multi-family groups). It is free to use. 

The FTSRC have created a free SCORE-15 App for therapists. It enables them to get families completing SCORE easily and securely, and to use SCORE data as part of the therapy process – by presenting the results visually for the family and therapist to look at together within the session . Therapists can register to use this app at the SCORE-15 App website.

For more information on SCORE visit the SCORE page on the AFT website.

Systemic therapy competences framework

The systemic competences were developed by a group of systemic psychotherapists working with Tony Roth and Steve Pilling at Centre for Outcomes Research and Effectiveness (CORE) at University College London.

Leeds systemic family therapy manual

The manual is principally designed as a research tool for outcome studies in which the effectiveness of systemic therapy can be assessed. It therefore aims to offer a framework and guidelines for the implementation of systemic family therapy, so that therapists can offer a unified version of therapy, with some flexibility to express their own creativity.

Practice based evidence based practice

A fluid and evolving manual of Feedback-informed Integrative Therapy within Systems (FITS) has been developed and applied as a Practice Based Evidence Based Practice (PBEBP) which is able to fit with the uniqueness and complexity of family, social and cultural life.

Self-harm intervention: Family therapy (SHIFT).

The SHIFT Family Therapy Manual was adapted from the Leeds Family Therapy Research Centre Manual and developed for use in the Self Harm Intervention: Family Therapy (SHIFT) trial, funded by the National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment Programme (project no. 07/33/01).

Useful articles

Chenail, R.J. (2011) How to conduct clinical qualitative research on the patient’s experience. The Qualitative Report 16(4), pp. 1173-1190.

Corboz-Warnery, A., Fivaz-Depeursinge, E., Gertsch Bettens, C. and Favez, N. (1993) Systemic analysis of father-mother-baby interactions: The Lausanne triadic play, Infant Mental Health Journal, 14(4), pp. 298–316. doi: 10.1002/1097-0355(199324)14:4<298::AID-IMHJ2280140405>3.0.CO;2-#.

Olson, D.H., Waldvogel, L. & Schlieff, M. (2019) Circumplex model of marital and family systems: An update. Journal of Family Theory and Review 11(2) pp. 199-211. https://doi.org/10.1111/jftr.12331

Tilden, T & Wampole, B.E. (eds) (2017) Routine Outcome Monitoring in Couple and Family Therapy. The empirically informed therapist.  Springer.