Normal Family Processes

“I have already adopted this book for my Family Life Cycle class (master level class in a MFT department). I cannot think of any other book more appropriate for this specific class.”

—Doody's Review Service


“The book provides an excellent springboard from which to foster student/trainee curiosity and further learning....I have already used insights from this book for work with my own clients.”

—Clinical Social Work Journal


“The authors emphasize what families and marriages are doing that works well, building on family strengths rather than highlighting deficits....[Most care providers] would benefit from the therapeutic expertise, current research, and broad perspectives the contributing authors present.”

—Family Ministry


“A classic in the clinical literature....Belongs on the shelf (or desk) of every practitioner, teacher, and student in the mental health and social science fields.”

—The Family Journal


“This volume takes another step forward on the trail that Walsh has blazed in the field of family therapy. It captures the breadth and depth of family life like no other book. This is a great text for graduate courses and a joy to read for experienced professionals.”

—William M. Pinsof, PhD, private practice, Chicago, Illinois


“A classic text retains its relevance! The 'go-to' text on normal family processes has been significantly updated for its fourth edition, reflecting what the editor fittingly refers to as the 'new normal' of families. Therapists in training (or in practice!) will find this an invaluable resource for understanding the varieties of normal family life in our increasingly diverse world.”

—Wayne H. Denton, MD, PhD, Professor and Director, Marriage and Family Therapy Program, Florida State University


“There is a reason this book is in its fourth edition—it is simply the most definitive text on this topic on the market today. The comprehensive coverage and chapter authors who are leaders in the field have made Normal Family Processes part of the 'collective conscious' of clinicians, students, and faculty who work with families the world over. With new chapters on contemporary topics such as neurobiology, gender norms, and kinship care, this book will continue to be the standard text for clinically focused graduate family development courses.”

—Sean D. Davis, PhD, LMFT, Couple and Family Therapy Program, Alliant International University


“The fourth edition of this highly influential work integrates important contemporary knowledge about family functioning and family processes. Walsh is a visionary thinker who has long been at the forefront of conceptualizing and advocating for a competence orientation for understanding families. This volume covers universal family issues (such as relationships, work, neurobiology) as well as specific challenges (such as divorce, illness, immigration). Each chapter balances thoughtful reviews of the literature with translational guidance for family assessment and intervention, making the book a welcome resource for researchers, therapists, and educators.”

—Anne E. Kazak, PhD, ABPP, Department of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine; Director, Center for Pediatric Traumatic Stress, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia


“Walsh and her colleagues have framed for us the critical and emerging issues for families in the 21st century. They bravely tackle some of the most thorny and enduring issues in family work, such as family structure, race, class, and sexual orientation, among others. Each chapter is well-conceived, steeped in the most current scholarship, and offers essential knowledge for students, clinicians, and researchers alike. The chapter material—whether theoretical, conceptual, and/or empirical—can be applied immediately in clinical intervention with families. This book offers an excellent foundation for further study and practice. As a text, the full volume is very relevant for social work foundation courses in both the clinical and human behavior tracks, and for family therapy and couple therapy courses.”

—Ellen R. DeVoe, PhD, MSW, Boston University School of Social Work