p.13 A developmental perspective is also essential in understanding resilience. Rather than a set
of fixed traits, coping and adaptation involve multiple processes that may vary over time. Most forms of
stress are not simply a short-term, single stimulus, but a complex set of changing conditions with a past history and a future
course (Rutter, 1987). Given this complexity over time, no single coping response is invariably most successful.
It is more important to have a variety of coping strategies to meet different challenges as they
emerge. The ability to choose viable options is crucial in resilience.
p.20 A holistic assessment includes all contexts the family inhabits, aiming to understand the challenges,
constraints, and resources in its position.
p.21 An understanding of family resilience must also incorporate a developmental perspective, since varied
processes are needed to meet emerging psychosocial challenges over time. We can usefully draw upon the models of vulnerability
and protective mechanisms proposed by Garmezy and Rutter to understand individual resilience, as
well as a growing body of research on family stress, coping, and adaptation... In the immunity model, protective
factors are thought to serve as reserves against a decline in functioning under stress... In the compensatory
model, personal attributes and environmental resources are thought to counteract the negative effects of stressors...
In the challenge model, stressors can become potential enhancers of competence and resilience, provided that
the level of stress is not too high... these three mechanisms may operate simultaneously or successively in the adaptive
repertoire for resilience, depending on varied coping styles and phases or development (Werner, 1993).
p.23 Family resilience cannot be captured in a snapshot at a single moment in time... resilience
involves many interactive processes over time
p.70 For resilience, we need to take stock of our situation - our challenges, constraints, and resources
- and then focus on making the most of our options. Both active mastery and acceptance are required, akin to the
Serenity Prayer at the heart of recovery movements.
p.84-85 change is an inevitable part of the human condition. Families must be able to adapt
to changing developmental and environmental demands - both normative (expectable, predictable) and nonnormative (uncommon,
untimely, or unexpected). A dynamic balance between stability ("homeostasis") and change ("morphogenesis") enables
a stable family structure while also allowing for change in response to life challenges...
Bouncing Forward: Capacity for Adaptive Change
Leading family therapists and researchers have found that the capacity to change is essential for
high functioning in couples and families, especially under stress... studies find that the
capacity for adaptability, flexibility, and change predict the long-term success of a couple relationship... Partners
must be able to evolve together and cope with the multitude of internal challenges and external forces in their lives... couples
and families do best when they construct relationships with a flexible structure that they can mold and reshape to
fit their needs and challenges over time.
p.85 Resilience is commonly thought of as "bouncing back," like a spring, to our precrisis shape or norm.
A more apt metaphor for resilience might be "bouncing forward," rebounding and reorganizing adaptively to fit new
challenges or changed conditions. For instance, with a major loss... we must forge a new pathway... In rebuilding
our lives, we must construct new patterns and recalibrate "normal" settings to meet unanticipated challenges.
p.108 Collaborative problem solving: Identifying problems, stressors, constraints, options... Focusing on
goals, taking concrete steps
p.116 The McMaster group... has outlined several steps in effective problem solving process. Family members
first need to recognize a problem... Collaborative brainstorming enables them to weigh and consider possible options, resources,
and constraints, and to decide on a plan. They then need to initiate and carry out action, monitor efforts, and evaluate their
success.
p.118 By understanding impasses to problem solving, we can find ways to overcome them.
p.133 Mastering the art of the possible is a vital key for resilience. Clinicians can help
families take stock of their situation - the challenges, constraints, and resources - and then focus energies on making the
best of their options.
p.134 Flexibility, a core process in resilience, involves adaptive change. The ability
to rebound is thought of as "bouncing back" like a spring, to a preexisting shape or norm. However, after most major
transitions and crisis events, families can't simply return to "normal" life as they knew it. Rather, their
challenge involves "bouncing forward," constructing a new sense of normality and adapting to meet new challenges.
p.260 In resilience-based practice, it's important to be explicit that our intentions in gathering information
are to understand family stresses and their impact for families, as well as family objectives and pathways for moving forward.
We assess families within a positive framework, searching for resources and potential as well as vulnerabilities and
constraints, all in relation to their challenges and their aims.
p.261 Rather than waiting for things to calm down, it's better to make some time in early sessions
to understand major stresses and identify patterns and constraints connected with members' distress.
p.262 Diagnostic assessment can be essential in identifying serious mental illness and substance abuse,
determining the risk for destructive behavior
