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The Family Journal

The Family Journal

Counseling and Therapy for Couples and Families

eISSN: 15523950 | ISSN: 10664807 | Current volume: 31 | Current issue: 2 Frequency: Quarterly

The Family Journal advances the theory, research and practice of counseling with couples and families from a family systems perspective. Edited by Stephen Southern, the journal provides groundbreaking, innovative scholarship for counseling researchers, educators and practitioners.

The most diverse coverage available 

To help you keep pace with the field, The Family Journal blends theory, research and practice in each issue. In addition to articles reporting the latest and most important research, the journal also features multiple columns that provide a wide variety of content, focusing on how to make interventions from a systemic perspective. Regularly featured sections include: Ethics Literature Reviews Case Consultation Interviews with leaders in family therapy Counselor Training Techniques To Share Book and Video Reviews.

Who will benefit from The Family Journal?

Anyone involved with counseling and therapy for couples and families today faces pressing challenges. The Family Journal is a reliable, comprehensive resource that serves the needs of a wide audience: For researchers, up-to-date articles in both empirical research and conceptual scholarship, plus reviews of recent literature. For educators, the latest research and theory keeps coursework current, in addition to articles focusing on counselor training. For practitioners, articles include implications for practice, plus a regular section on practical ideas and tips.

This journal is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

The Family Journal: Counseling and Therapy for Couples and Families is the official journal of the International Association of Marriage and Family Counselors (IAMFC). The purpose of the journal is to advance the theory, research, and practice of counseling with couples and families from a family systems perspective.

Editor
Stephen Southern Mississippi College, USA
Ethics Section Edition
Bret Hendricks Texas Tech University, USA
Section Editors
Kent Becker Saybrook University, USA
Thomas W. Blume Oakland University, USA
Jill D. Duba Western Kentucky University, USA
Maureen Duffy Miami Shores, Florida, USA
Daniel Eckstein Sam Houston State University, USA
Karen Eriksen Eriksen Institute for Ethics
Joshua M. Gold University of South Carolina, USA
Larry Golden University of Texas at San Antonio, USA
Bret Hendricks Texas Tech University, USA
Martin Jencius Kent State University, Ohio, USA
Roy M. Kern Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania
Vaughn S. Millner University of South Alabama, USA
Alex O. Miranda Florida Atlantic University, USA
Mary Kay Nieponski  
Paul R. Peluso Florida Atlantic University, USA
Lia Softas-Nall University of Northern Colorado - Greeley, Colorado
Len Sperry Florida Atlantic University, USA
Richard E. Watts Sam Houston State University, USA
Editorial Board
Kent Becker Saybrook University, USA
Esther Benoit Walden University, USA
James Robert Bitter East Tennessee State University, USA
Loretta J. Bradley Texas Tech University, USA
Rochelle Cade University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, USA
Brian S. Canfield Florida Atlantic University, USA
Robert Casares, Jr. Wake Forest University, USA
Julia Champe Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, USA
See Ching Mey Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia
Jane C. Coe Smith Idaho State University, USA
R. Rocco Cottone University of Missouri, St Louis, USA
Stacy Cretzmeyer Murrells Inlet, SC, USA
Daniel R. Cruikshanks Aquinas College, USA
Carlos M. Del Rio Bellevue University, USA
James M. Devlin Mississippi College, USA
Maureen P. Duffy Miami Shores, Florida, USA
Hurol Fisilogu Ankara, Turkey
Brande Flamez Lamar University, USA
Victoria Foster College of William and Mary, USA
Kerrie K. Fuenfhausen Lenoir-Rhyne University, USA
Joshua M. Gold University of South Carolina, USA
Rebecca M. Goldberg Mississippi State University, USA
Kenisha Gordon Mississippi College, USA
Bernard G Guerney, Jr North Bethesda, MD, USA
Laura K. Harrawood McKendree University, USA
Bret Hendricks Texas Tech University, USA
Lisa Hooper Univeristy of Louisville, USA
Debra K. Huntley Concordia University, St. Paul, USA
Karin B Jordan The University of Akron, USA
Benjamin P. Kelch Ohio Christian University, USA
Gabe Keri Ft. Wayne, IN, USA
Roy M. Kern Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania
Aaron Kindsvatter University of Vermont, USA
Amy Lew Family Institute of Cambridge, USA
Krista Malott Villanova University, USA
Ronald Marshall University of the West Indies- St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago
Charles R McAdams III College of William and Mary, USA
Patrick R. McGrath National Louis University, USA
A. Zaidy Mohdzain Southern Arkansas University, USA
William A. Mosier Wright State University, USA
Glenda Phillips Reynolds Walden University, USA
Scott T. Ronis University of New Brunswick, Canada
Christopher D. Schmidt Villanova University, USA
Thomas R. Scofield University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, USA
Francis P. Segedin Southern University, USA
James Sells Regent University, USA
Tammy Totten Walden University, USA
David Shepard California State University, Fullerton, USA
Audra Skukauskaite University of the Incarnate Word, USA
Elizabeth Smith University of Connecticut, USA
Olga Smoliak University of Guelph, Canada
Lisa Softas-Nall University of Northern Colorado, USA
Catherine Ford Sori Governor's State University, USA
Jon Sperry Lynn University, USA
Len Sperry Florida Atlantic University, USA
Anne L. Stewart James Madison University, USA
Fred E. Stickle Western Kentucky University, USA
Tracy A. Stinchfield Immaculata University, USA
Daniel G. Williamson University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, USA
Jennifer N. Williamson University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, USA
Mark S. Woodford The College of New Jersey, USA
Editorial Assistant
Todd Frugia The Family Institute at Northwestern University, USA
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  • OVERVIEW

    The Family Journal invites articles concerned with theory, research, and practice in counseling with couples and families. Research manuscripts include quantitative, qualitative, and evaluation designs. Descriptive articles may include current issues, innovative methods, and professional concerns.

    Originality
    All manuscripts are the original work of the authors, have not been published, and are not being considered for publication elsewhere. In the event of publication, The Family Journal retains copyright ownership. For any extensive quotation (more than 500 words) used in the manuscript, authors must obtain a letter of permission for its use and submit a copy of that letter with the manuscript. Authors bear full responsibility for the accuracy of references, quotations, tables, and figures.

    Client Anonymity
    Client anonymity must be protected in all manuscripts. Authors should avoid all identifying information in describing clients and their personal histories.

    Review Process
    All manuscripts will be sent for initial review to three members of the Editorial Board. Reviewers’ comments are sent to authors. Authors and reviewers remain anonymous throughout the review process. Generally, authors can expect within 6 months a decision regarding publication. Prior to publication, authors will receive a copy of the edited article for final approval.

    Submission of Manuscripts
    Manuscripts should be submitted electronically to https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/tfj.

    STYLE

    Manuscripts
    We prefer manuscripts that are 20 pages or less in length, double-spaced, using guidelines from the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th or latest edition), and saved in Microsoft Word (97 or later version). There should be separate pages for the title page, abstract, references, and any tables or figures. Use tables and figures sparingly, including only essential data. Combine tables whenever possible. All information identifying the author should appear only on the title page. The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.) will be used to evaluate and edit manuscripts. Authors should carefully prepare and proofread their manuscripts. Insure agreement of citations and references. Avoid technical terminology, jargon, and acronyms. Demonstrate multicultural sensitivity and competency through thoughtful applications and examples. Authors should reduce bias in language against persons based on gender, sexual orientation, race or ethnicity, disability, and age. Headings and subheadings should be used to organize the paper. All titles should be as brief and meaningful as possible. Limit use of footnotes and appendices. Since the journal uses a masked or anonymous reviewing system, please omit all citations, references, footnotes, and other information pertaining to the authors’ identities or affiliations. All manuscripts should conform to the ethical codes of the American Counseling Association and International Association of Marriage and Family Counselors.

    Cover Letter
    Prepare a cover letter in the e-mail to accompany the manuscript. Include all authors’ names and affiliations to avoid potential conflicts of interest. Clarify funding and special circumstances in an author note. Provide accurate addresses and phone numbers, as well as e-mail addresses and fax numbers, to facilitate the review process. Indicate in your cover letter how the proposed article could inform the membership of the International Association of Marriage and Family Counselors, as well as clinicians and researchers in diverse settings. We would like to receive manuscripts from professionals working in countries outside the USA. We can accept manuscripts written in other languages if the author provides an English translation.

    EDITOR

    Stephen Southern, Editor, The Family Journal Editorial Office, The Family Institute at Northwestern University, 618 Library Place, Evanston, IL 60201

    ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

    Authors seeking assistance with English language editing, translation with editing, or figure and manuscript formatting, to fit the journal’s specifications should consider using SAGE Author Services. Other additional services include creation of infographics and video summaries to promote your article with colleagues and over social media. Visit SAGE Author Services on our Journal Author Gateway for further information.

    Please be aware that SAGE has no affiliation with SPi and makes no endorsement of the company. An author’s use of SPi’s services in no way guarantees that his or her submission will ultimately be accepted. Any arrangement an author enters into will be exclusively between the author and SPi, and any costs incurred are the sole responsibility of the author.

    SAGE Choice and Open Access

     

    If you or your funder wish your article to be freely available online to nonsubscribers immediately upon publication (gold open access), you can opt for it to be included in SAGE Choice, subject to payment of a publication fee. The manuscript submission and peer review procedure is unchanged. On acceptance of your article, you will be asked to let SAGE know directly if you are choosing SAGE Choice. To check journal eligibility and the publication fee, please visit SAGE Choice. For more information on open access options and compliance at SAGE, including self author archiving deposits (green open access) visit SAGE Publishing Policies on our Journal Author Gateway.

    Preprints

    The Family Journal may accept submissions of papers that have been posted on pre-print servers; please alert the Editorial Office when submitting and include the DOI for the preprint in the designated field in the manuscript submission system. Authors should not post an updated version of their paper on the preprint server while it is being peer reviewed for possible publication in the journal. If the article is accepted for publication, the author may re-use their work according to the journal's author archiving policy.

    If your paper is accepted, you must include a link on your preprint to the final version of your paper.

    Visit the SAGE Journals and Preprints page for more details about preprints.

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