Families and Therapists Facing Familistic Prejudices in Italy. Developing Context-Sensitive Therapeutic Practices

Abstract

This paper aims to contextualize CFT within the contradictory socio-cultural environment in which families live and develop in Italy: new family lifestyles and old prejudices against new family forms coexist. It is important for therapists to be aware of the possibility that clients may internalize prejudices or social stereotypes and thus make decisions that are ultimately inappropriate for their own situation. Equally, it is important for psychotherapists to have first distanced themselves from the prejudices that clients may socially and culturally share or that might be present in their models. We will address this issue through the analysis of three different clinical cases selected according to a pattern that connects them despite their differences. The clinical cases reflect the specificity of the Italian socio-cultural context while also demonstrating how a second-level perspective—articulated through defined competencies—fosters context-sensitive clinical practice.