Dr. Tom Thomas found a deep interest in a new care approach, “Family Therapy,” and was drawn to explore it further in Philadelphia. He attended training sessions conducted by Salvador Minuchin. At The Child Guidance Clinic in Philadelphia, he studied families and took part in a project evaluating the effectiveness of structural family therapy for adolescent girls and their families dealing with anorexia nervosa. During his internship, he also learned from Dr. Lester Lubrosky, a prominent psychiatrist at the University of Pennsylvania renowned for his research on the dodo bird effect, which compares the impact of different clinical models. Dr. Lubrosky stressed the importance of the therapeutic relationship, motivating Dr. Todd to enhance his relationship-building skills under the mentorship of Harry Aponte. By the third session, Dr. Todd consistently noticed positive changes in the families he worked with.
The Child Guidance Clinic, situated in South Philadelphia next to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), relocated to a new facility in the University of Pennsylvania Medical complex in 1974. The period of seven years from Minuchin’s arrival in Philadelphia to the Clinic’s relocation marked significant progress in developing the theories, practice, and research of Structural Family Therapy. The following seven years post-relocation allowed for further development and, notably, the dissemination of these ideas and practices.
The innovative rich tradition of systemic thinking inherited from the original Family Therapy Training Center established by Dr. Salvador Minuchin is still practiced at PCFTTC.com. Join the alliance as a lifelong member and equip yourself to adopt a strength-based approach that is relational, contextual, developmental, and trauma-informed when assisting children, youth, adults, and families in need of care across the continuum of services.
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