Journal profile · PSYCHOLOGY, CLINICAL
International Journal of Systemic Therapy
ISSN 2692-398X · eISSN 2692-3998 · Bellwether Publishing, Ltd.
International Journal of Systemic Therapy: CAS Zone 4 · Psychology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 0.7 (journal website); subscription journal; APC charged, amount not published; review about 84 days (first decision after review, publisher); acceptance rate 43% (journal website); 34 articles in 2025; indexed in ESCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
International Journal of Systemic Therapy is published by Bellwether Publishing, Ltd. and is in Zone 4 of Psychology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Counseling, Therapy, and Family Dynamics, Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications and Attachment and Relationship Dynamics, together about 43.2% of its articles. Its main subfields are Clinical Psychology. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The International Journal of Systemic Therapy (IJST) is a peer-reviewed journal dedicated to advancing systems-based therapy with individuals, couples, families, and the larger community. IJST publishes original research, conceptual papers that advance theory, case studies, and innovations in training for a diverse, multidisciplinary audience. Submissions may include: Empirical studies: Original, well-designed, and implemented empirical studies in systemic psychotherapy. Clinical implications and limitations should be included. Clinical practice strategies: Detailed descriptions of therapeutic procedures used successfully to treat specific relational and family related issues; descriptions of family therapy processes used to manage problems usually treated in individually oriented therapy; or examinations of a few cases, thematically, presenting the range of treatment possibilities for specific issues. Program Reports: Descriptions of treatment programs used successfully to treat specific issues salient to family therapy. Applied, clinical case examples should be included. Peer Review Policy: All review papers in this journal have undergone editorial screening and peer review. Publication office: Taylor & Francis, Inc., 530 Walnut Street, Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Read the Instructions for Authors .
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): PSYCHOLOGY, CLINICAL
Editorial board by country: 1 in mainland China (about 3%); most named United States 30, Hong Kong, China 2, Mainland China 1, South Korea 1, Spain 1 (39 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Counseling, Therapy, and Family DynamicsPsychology20.6%
- Psychotherapy Techniques and ApplicationsPsychology12.1%
- Attachment and Relationship DynamicsPsychology10.5%
- Child Therapy and DevelopmentPsychology7.3%
- Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional DevelopmentPsychology6.9%
- Family and Disability Support ResearchPsychology5.8%
- Counseling Practices and SupervisionPsychology5.6%
- Educational and Psychological AssessmentsPsychology3.8%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Psychology Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Psychology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Psychology, Clinical | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Psychology Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Psychology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Psychology, Clinical | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
Database indexing
ESCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
PubMedEmbasePsycINFOCINAHLPublisher website
Other: OCLC, Digest of Neurology & Psychiatry, Russian Academy of Sciences Bibliographies, VINITI RAN - Referativnyi Zhurnal
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 0.7Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 1Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 1LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher) 2025
- 1Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.25LetPub ·
- SJR (publisher) 2025
- 0.25Publisher website ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.46LetPub ·
- SNIP (publisher) 2025
- 0.46Publisher website ·
- h-index
- 33OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 221OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 0.73OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 0%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 2.67%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 32LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher)
- 45,000Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 1,025 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 20 | 3 | 6 |
| 2025 | 34 | 4 | 29 |
| 2024 | 24 | 1 | 22 |
| 2023 | 27 | 1 | 81 |
| 2022 | 18 | 2 | 37 |
| 2021 | 12 | 0 | 71 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Publisher-reported review time from the journal's website
84 daysfirst decision after review
The publisher's own definition applies; dates from this journal's articles in the last 24 months are not available yet, so the publisher's figure is used.
Figures by source
- Acceptance rate (publisher)
- 43%Publisher website ·
- Submission to first decision
- 13 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 84 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 16 daysPublisher website ·
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Subscription journalLetPub
A subscription journal: articles are read by subscription or purchase, and authors usually pay no publication charge.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Publisher website | Yes, amount not published | — | — |
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
Article types accepted4
- clinical practice strategiesClinical practice strategies: Detailed descriptions of therapeutic procedures used successfully to treat specific relational and family related issues; descript…Length not stated
- empirical studiesEmpirical studies: Original, well-designed, and implemented empirical studies in systemic psychotherapy. Clinical implications and limitations should be include…Length not stated
- program reportsProgram Reports: Descriptions of treatment programs used successfully to treat specific issues salient to family therapy. Applied, clinical case examples should…Length not stated
- research articleResearch Article | Published online: 13 Sep 2026Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Open access, Peer review
- AI use Artificial Intelligence Assisted Couples Counseling Skills Practice
Susan F. Branco et al. Research Article | Published online: 28 Oct 2025
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
International Journal of Systemic Therapy is a hybrid open access journal that is part of the Taylor & Francis Open Select publishing program, giving you the option to publish open access. Publishing open access means that your article will be free to access online immediately on publication, increasing the visibility, readership, and impact of your research. Why choose open access? Increase the d…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review
All review papers in this journal have undergone editorial screening and peer review. Model summary
All review papers in this journal have undergone editorial screening and peer review.
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Bellwether Publishing, Ltd.
- ISSN
- 2692-398X
- Electronic ISSN
- 2692-3998
- Society / sponsor
- International Family Therapy Association
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 37, Issue 3 (2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about International Journal of Systemic Therapy
What CAS zone is International Journal of Systemic Therapy in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, International Journal of Systemic Therapy is in Zone 4 of Psychology, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Psychology, Clinical. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 4 of Psychology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of International Journal of Systemic Therapy?
The journal's website gives an impact factor of 0.7 (2025); this is the journal's own figure, as LetPub lists none for it; CiteScore 1, h-index 33.
How long does peer review take at International Journal of Systemic Therapy?
The publisher reports about 84 days (first decision after review); the journal's website gives an acceptance rate of 43%. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
Where are the editorial board members of International Journal of Systemic Therapy based?
Of the 39 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 1 (about 3%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (30), Hong Kong, China (2) and Mainland China (1). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index International Journal of Systemic Therapy?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, International Journal of Systemic Therapy is indexed in ESCI and Scopus. The journal's website also lists PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO and CINAHL; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is International Journal of Systemic Therapy open access, and what is the APC?
International Journal of Systemic Therapy is a subscription journal. APC charged, amount not published.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-26). Last updated: .