Understanding Fathers’ Roles: An Evidence-Based Practice Guide for Family Therapists Purpose: To apply current fathering literature to Family Therapy with adolescents To help close the Research-to-Practice gap Offer a systemic framework for working with fathers and their families.

What is optimal? Depends on individual fathers, families, and context. Father involvement can be both harmful and helpful to children. Elements of Control and Closeness parallel to Olsen’s Circumplex Model. Range of father involvement Enmeshed Absent Controlling Permissive Defining Father Involvement:

Defining Father Involvement (cont.) Typically thought of as time spent with children doing something (reading talking working...) and the amount of authority a father has. What about all the invisible stuff? Does knowing kids schedule count as involvement? Financial plans for their future? How about worrying about kids? Talking to mom?

Defining Father Involvement (cont.) Current literature defines father involvement in terms of various domains Mainly cognitive, affective, and behavioral Fathering in its broadest terms is all the activities, emotions, and thoughts involved in men raising children. However direct involvement as a parent is not the only way a father influences his children.

Some examples: Social Capital—social networks, reciprocity among peers—basically connections, “How hooked up your dad is” Financial Capital— “Is your daddy rich?” Human Capital— “My dad is smarter than your dad.”

According to Lamb (2004) "researchers, theorists, and practitioners no longer cling to the simplistic belief that fathers fill unidimensional and universal roles in their families and in their children's eyes. Instead they recognize that fathers play a number of significant roles... whose relative importance varies across historical epochs and sub cultural groups" (p.3).

In other words: There is no standard of perfection when it comes to fathering. Good fathering changes depending on the context, the child’s needs, and the resources available Therefore as therapists we are best off respecting a family’s autonomy by asking them what their needs are and helping to activate their resources to meet those needs

When to involve fathers in therapy: Abuse? Mentally/ Physically Well? Toxic Relationship with Mom? Is a Surrogate or Fictive Kin Father Involved in the Family? Buffer for Absence of Father. Encourage Mom to Utilize Support Network. Is a Father Present in the Family? Is the Presenting Problem Best Treated Individually? Is Dad Willing and Able to Come to Therapy? Address the Problem Incorporating Dad’s Role Into the Solution! No Yes No Yes

Other Things to Consider How does gender of therapist affect therapy? How does gender of children affect therapy? Gatekeeping role on part of mother can affect father’s willingness to participate in therapy How do you get dad in the door?

Getting Dad to Therapy Most often a simple invitation from mom or personal contact from therapist EARLY in therapy is sufficient Also consider sending him a letter emphasizing the importance of his role for his children Offer to help dad to “catch up” on therapy by coming with the kids and leaving mom at home Consider meeting with the parents and no kids to empower dad (enlist mom’s help ahead of time) Sometimes dad will be the one to initiate therapy and mom will require your efforts if she is to become involved

He’s here--now what? Fathers typically come to therapy for their identified patient (I.P.) child From a systemic perspective fathers role is therefore an appropriate entry point Have dad define his role (don’t want to be limited by general trends in literature) Can work with entire family through roles or the “structure” of the family

Other Possible Approaches Dad’s emotional connection to youth Solution Focused emphasis on family functioning rather than on problem Narrative restorying of family problem and individual roles Your theory of choice Little empirical evidence for what works with fathers General empirical support for a theory does not generalize to individual families A positive process and helpful outcome are the goal

Positive Process Start working with dad ASAP Go at the client’s pace –Some dads may need individual therapy prior to family therapy –Often times couples or co-parenting therapy can greatly ease the family therapy process Some dads may relegate parenting to mom Some moms may relegate parenting to dad Some moms may occupy a gatekeeping role