DISTINGUISHED CONTRIBUTION TO FAMILY SYSTEMS RESEARCH

Howard Markman, Ph.D.
by Evan Imber-Black, Ph.D.

Marital and Family relationship research pioneer, clinical innovator, multi-colleague collaborator and generous mentor form the professional core of Howard J. Markman, AFTA's richly deserved 2008 awardee for Distinguished Contribution to Family Systems Research. Markman's 1977 Indiana University Clinical Psychology dissertation, “A Behavioral Exchange Model Applied to the Longitudinal Study of Couples Planning to Marry” set the stage for his three decade long trail-blazing work with couples.

Bringing a depth of commitment to the amelioration of relationship distress, Howard Markman, together with his colleague, Scott Stanley, developed PREP, the Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program. This internationally disseminated and well researched program exemplifies Howard's commitments as a researcher in the real world of couples. A quarter century of longitudinal research funded by NIMH and NICHD examining the prediction and prevention of relationship strife and divorce has resulted in over 125 journal articles and several books for both the profession and the public. Of critical importance, this is decidedly not ivory tower research, but rather a living, breathing research agenda whose relevance has positively enhanced the lives of couples and families across social classes, ethnicities and international borders in diverse settings of communities, religious institutions, the armed services and prisons.

Always taking a family life cycle focus, Markman's research examines pre-marital relationships, the transition to parenthood, gender, the impact of destructive parental conflict on developing children and divorce, all with the intention of creating the best in educational interventions whose purpose is to alleviate suffering and amplify relational buoyancy and joy. Markman and his colleagues' contemporary research themes, focusing on couple commitment, forgiveness, sacrifice and friendship point our field in a direction beyond correction and towards deeper relational meanings.

Howard's model of responsible engagement with thousands of couples in his research is mirrored by his sustained collaboration with colleagues and his dedicated concern for the next generation in our field. Peter Fraenkel cites Howard as “one of my most important mentors, always available, empathic and specific in his suggestions.” In my role as editor of Family Process , I have been repeatedly struck by Howard's generosity as he makes room for trainees and the younger members of his research team to take beginning leadership positions in research and publishing. In sum, this award proudly goes to Howard Markman for his significant body of work wrapped in genuine humanity.

DISTINGUISHED CONTRIBUTION TO FAMILY THERAPY THEORY AND PRACTICE

Harlene Anderson, Ph.D.
By Susan McDaniel

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Don-David Lusterman, Ph.D.
By Rachel Ann Dash, MSW, ACSW

Don-David Lusterman has made major contributions to the field as an innovative scholar, educator and clinician who has, from the beginning, practiced and encouraged a multiperspective, deeply respectful approach. He is a pioneer in the area of infidelity and in bringing a feminist perspective into couple therapy. He is author of Infidelity: A Survival Guide, targeted to a general audience and published in four languages, and for the APA he coauthored Bridging Separate Gender Worlds: Why Men and Women Clash and How Therapists Can Bring Them Together. His work in the areas of theoretical integration and ecosystemic family-school consultation has been widely recognized. He co-edited Integrating Family Therapy: Handbook of Family Psychology and Systems Theory and Casebook for Integrating Family Therapy: An Ecosystemic Approach, also APA. He has published 35 articles and many book chapters, and has presented widely in this country and internationally. Don-David was awarded his Ph.D in Clinical Psychology from Yeshiva University. He was on the faculty of Yeshiva and Hofstra Universities. Don-David is a charter member of AFTA and has been a board member. He helped found the Family Therapy division of the APA and its Society for the Psychological Study of Men and Masculinity, and is a fellow of 6 APA divisions. He also helped found the American Board of Family Psychology and was its first executive director and is a diplomate of the American Board of Professional Psychology. He was on the editorial board of several family therapy journals. As an educator, Don-David founded and led Hofstra's Program in Family Therapy which continues today as a Masters program. Peter Fraenkel speaks of Don-David's "devotion to gaining institutional support and status for family therapy; doing it in the humble, collaborative, unflashy but passionate manner that typifies this man". Peter adds that "he is a model therapist- warm, caring, comforting and also capable of challenging people to free themselves of restricting beliefs and patterns". Many of us know Don- David as a colleague and consultant from whom we continue to learn , a loving and wise human being, a wonderful story teller, an exquisite pianist, a renaissance man (he's working on a novel), a devoted husband to his wife and best friend of 55 years, Judy, and a proud father of three and grandfather of five. His unending curiosity and zest for life is summed up in his own words: "Sleep is a waste of time because there are just not enough hours to engage in all I'm passionate about."

INNOVATIVE CONTRIBUTION TO FAMILY THERAPY

Patricia Minuchin, Ph.D.
By Beatrice Wood, Ph.D.

The phrase “butterfly effect” refers in chaos theory to how subtle, and even gentle, change introduced into a complex dynamic system can generate vast alterations in process and outcome.

Some innovators take the world by storm. Pat Minuchin promoted paradigm shifts by way of a “butterfly effect.” She stimulated profound changes through subtle, gentle and persistent innovations at just the right time and place.

Pat's 1985 paper, "Families and individual development: Provocations from the field of family therapy," in Child Development , was timed just when developmental psychology was becoming aware of relational effects beyond dyads. Pat's insemination of this field with systems theory stimulated systemic developmental theories and research, some of which will hopefully reverberate back to family systems.

Pat has been influential in bringing developmental considerations into family systems work. Her book, "Working with Families of the Poor," (second edition 2007, J.Colapinto, S.Minuchin co-authors), has been a classic since first published a decade ago. The book beautifully sets forth a developmental systemic approach to moving service systems toward a family orientation, training workers to be systemic, while helping foster care systems in NYC to evolve.

Sal is Pat's husband, and they have a son, Dan, a family therapist/supervisor, and a daughter, Jean, an artist/teacher, and mother to Colleen, their cherished 14 year-old granddaughter. Pat is Professor Emerita at Temple University, Research Professor at NYU and Co-Director, with Sal, of Family Studies, Inc. Pat has left behind university and research to immerse herself in the efforts of people concerned with helping families to function better, and service organizations to become more humane and effective. Although changes at this level are slow and at times irregular, Pat has created a “butterfly effect” that no doubt will continue to enrich systems evolution.
The “butterfly effect” is an apt metaphor for the nature of change that Pat has inspired. It also portrays eloquently the gentleness, subtly and grace with which she engenders change. It is an honor to be her colleague and friend, and to present her with AFTA's “Award for Innovative Contribution to Family Therapy.”

DISTINGUISHED CONTRIBUTION TO SOCIAL JUSTICE

Jack Saul, Ph.D.
by Judith Landau, MD, DPM, CFLE