The Family Crucible: The Intense Experience of Family Therapy

The Family Crucible is a nonfiction book on the topic of family therapy, written by Augustus Y. Napier under the mentorship of Carl A. Whitaker. The book contains elements of fiction in that it does not adhere strictly to factual events. Napier is a psychologist who interned with Whitaker in the 1970s and continues to lead the family therapy movement today. The Family Crucible was originally published in 1998 and serves to explain The Challenges of Family Therapy through the lens of the Brice family. By discovering The Interconnectedness of the Family, the Brices experienced Growth Through Initiative, Insight, and Self-Awareness, and therapy was successful for them. The Family Crucible has sold over 125,000 copies. It is a formative work in the field of family therapy and continues to be widely referenced today.

This guide utilizes the 2017 First Harper Perennial edition of the book.

Summary

The Family Crucible is a work by Augustus Y. Napier, who interned with Carl A. Whitaker in the 1970s in his family therapy practice. The book covers the therapeutic process of the Brice family, made up of Carolyn and David and their three children, Claudia, Don, and Laura.