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Context

Context – the magazine for family therapy and systemic practice

Current Issue

 

201 | October 2025

Pride: Celebrating queer lives and telling queer stories

Edited by Sarah Favier and Rosie Bucklandcontents

Context is a well-respected bi-monthly publication, and a valued resource for students in training and qualified family and systemic psychotherapists. Context is included with AFT membership, but non-members may purchase an annual subscription or individual issue.

Context covers news and views on issues concerning professional groups working with children, families and adults in a therapeutic environment. It provides a user-friendly forum for sharing and stimulating therapeutic ideas among those working in the public and independent sectors, and information about events, publications, training, conferences, workshops and jobs.

We are interested in articles on all aspects of theory and practice. Context is often guest-edited on a theme. A list of planned topics and guest editors is available here. Articles and proposals for articles may be submitted to be considered for publication by contacting Context. If you are considering submitting an article, you may find our information on writing for Context helpful.

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Write for Context: View the list of planned issue themes and submit an article for publication

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Sample issue

177 | October 2021 edited by Ged Smith

 

201| Contents

Editorial Rosie Buckland and Sarah Favier

Feature articles

Queer and curious – Finn Mackay and Claudia Zitz

At the Rainbow’s End – Clare Summerskill

Commentary on ‘At the Rainbow’s End’ article – Paul Willis

Understanding the experiences of LGBTQ+ young people in residential care – Jason Schaub and Omar Mohamed

Queer Connections – Annette Strzedulla, Caitlin Molloy, Dawn Thibert, Ilaria Robin Calussi, Liz Kirkbride, Macushla Lovell-Meade, Navya Anand and Nancy Brown

‘Journey group is my family now’ – Sarah Favier

Our family – Charlotte Harris

Being the debate – Isaac Stephens-Parr

The social grace I am being encouraged to ignore: Resisting the erasure of trans identities in an NHS child and adolescent mental health service – navigating ethical dilemmas with systemic action – Ali Knight

A light bulb moment in conversation about transgender experiences: Hearing the voices of young people from the front line of CAMHS – Mark Chidgey

What can we do to support families with parents from trans and gender-diverse communities? – Trish Hafford-Letchfield and Christine Cocker

Trans and non-binary sexualities: A narrative inquiry research project – Sandro Voi

Pink balloons and boomboxes: Remembering Section 28 – Tom Marshman, Lois S. Bibbings and Sarah Jones

Safe – Katy Rose Bennett 

From the shadows to the spotlight: LGBTQ+ centred emotionally focused couples’ therapy – Sandra Taylor, Robert Allan and Caitlin Edwards

Identity in the shadow of faith: The challenge of identity negotiation within religious conservatism – Ezra Lockhart

Reports and reviews

Intersex perspectives in systemic practice: AFSP webinar presented by Annette Strzedulla and Amanda Middleton, 26 March 2025 – Report by Jess West

Family Therapy in Bulgaria – Petya Varcheva, Borislava Mecheva and Teodora Gerginova

AFSP Northern Ireland branch report 2024/2025 – Clare Macauley

EFTA Congress: Confluences and Controversies in Systemic Thinking, Practice and Research, 27-30 August 2025, Lyon, France – Reflections from some of those present

INSPIRE conference: ‘Making room for spiritual and existential perspectives in systemic and dialogical practice and research’, 12 – 13 June 2025, Oslo, Norway – Hannah Sherbersky

Association news

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2025 Issues

197 | February 2025

 

Edited by Ged Smith

198 | April 2025

The art, craft and application of systemic questioning

Edited by Matthew Selman

199 | June 2025

Past, present and future: AFT at 50

Edited by Abi Jordan, Judith Lask and Hannah Sherbersky

197 | Contents

Editorial – Ged Smith

A 1.5-order therapy: Between knowing and not-knowing – Ged Smith

Epistemology and relationship: The two interconnected cornerstones of systemic praxis. Reflections on Gianfranco Cecchin’s work – Laura Fruggeri

The ethics of change: In conversation with structural family therapist Jorge Colapinto – Tom Regel and Jorge Colapinto

Systemic leadership and developing responsive mental health agencies: An interview with Percy Aggett – Percy Aggett and Yoko Totsuka

The 5 x 5 Model®: A systemic leadership approach – Matthew Adam

Moving towards listening and hearing – a proposed model for community listening events in a perinatal context – Eloise Wynter, Ranjyot Panesar, Ruth O’Shaughnessy and Laura Smith

Reflections on working within the dichotomous juxtaposition of systemic and medical models as a trainee advanced clinical practitioner (TACP) – Sarah Millar

Tech tug-of-war: Families’ battles with screen time – Ezra Lockhart

A systemic family practitioner and a family therapist: How do we decide who should do what? – Elaine Farrer

The ATOM – a multifaceted tool for therapy, supervision and teaching – Paul Hackett

An evaluation of the ‘social graces’ in systemic thinking and practice – Liam Myles

A personal account of my systemic coaching approach – Hazel Hyslop

AFT Scotland branch update – Gillian Petrie, Susan MacGregor and the AFT Scotland committee

‘A 1.5-order therapy: Between knowing and not-knowing’ – workshop presented by Ged Smith, 16 November 2024, Dublin – Review by Don Boardman

In tribute to Monica Roman – Gwyn Daniel, Charlotte Burck, Sumita Dutta, Carol Halliwell, Carlos Hoyos, Alison Pearce, Mark Phillips, Denise Wilson, Cathy Laver-Bradbury, Jayne Muldowney, Natalie Macdonald, Pete Hamilton, Lara Bracher, Roy Smith and Carole Payne

AFT webinar: Is there a war over gender? History, theory and activism through a feminist lens – by Finn Mackay – Report by Cas Schneider

Alan Carr Q & A about two review papers – Alan Carr interviewed by Sarah Helps

AFT equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) committee – Charlotte Chiu

In tribute to Allen Crocker – Ged Smith

AFT news

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200| August 2025


Edited by Carole Payne

201| October 2025

Pride: Celebrating queer lives and telling queer stories

Edited by Sarah Favier and Rosie Buckland

202| December 2025

Ecotherapy, environment, dystopian futures

Edited by Hugh Palmer and Chiara Santin