27

This paper shows how researchers and clinicians can collaborate and mutually enhance each other by using the “systemic consultation” whose purpose is to assess family interactions. The family itself or a therapist may request the systemic consultation, which is composed of two sessions. During the first one, the family (or the therapist) asks questions and then the family plays semi-standardized games, which are recorded. During the second session, the video recording is reviewed, which serves as a basis for discussion and for formulating answers to the questions asked. This paper first describes the practice of systemic consultations—its aims, principles, and observational approaches—and then illustrates this practice with a case study of intra-family violence. This case shows the benefits of this practice for research and clinicians. The micro- and macro-analytic observations provided by researchers and the clinical understanding of therapists show that collaboration can be beneficial for researchers and therapists alike.