Abstract
This paper addresses several contemporary theoretical issues in the family therapy field: clinicians' and students' selection of a theoretical orientation in light of the political struggles of competing schools of thought; problems of eclecticism for the practicing family therapist; the role of theory in clinical practice; and size and scope issues in theory‐building. Finally, the paper suggests a periodic activity, termed an Epistemologic Declaration, designed to help therapists clarify and refine their basic therapeutic beliefs.
