The second section focuses on evaluation and treatment. In-depth chapters demonstrate how to apply the approach during the various stages of the family's developmental life cycle, covering everything from planning therapy and defining goals to performing effective diagnosis and assessment and giving feedback to clients. The book also provides a wealth of useful advice for treating problems that arise with divorce and remarriage. Throughout, special attention is given to ethical considerations in therapy, the responsibilities of both the therapist and clients, and issues of gender and ethnicity

"Linking research with clinical practice, this text shows therapists how to do evidence-based practice when treating contemporary families. Today's families are diverse and complex, and their problems do not always improve when treatment focuses on addressing a diagnosis. To achieve successful, lasting change, therapists must help families change their patterns of interaction. This book examines several common interactional challenges that contemporary families face, such as co-parenting, divorce, intimate partner violence, blending families, and loss and bereavement. For each challenge, contributors examine research regarding the concern as well as research on multiple diverse family types, and then provide clinical examples showing how to develop interventions for these family types. With its combined focus on inclusion, social justice, and evidence-based practice, this book will help clinicians work with today's diverse families in effective, culturally responsive ways"--

Treating Chemically Dependent Families

This groundbreaking volume shows how the clarity and discipline of cognitive therapy can be applied to the treatment of family of origin issues, such as alcoholism and incest, without compromising depth and clinical sophistication. Treating Family Of Origin Problems begins with a discussion of the characteristics of dysfunctional families and an overview of the cognitive model. Subsequent chapters explore coping strategies, goals of recovery and treatment, diagnostic considerations, and assessment of family of origin issues. Ways in which the therapist's own family of origin issues and the therapist's posture can influence the treatment process are addressed in a discussion of various metacommunicative elements that can affect the client's ability to use treatment constructively. Throughout, illustrative clinical material shows how clinicians can utilize embedded messages and other techniques to circumvent resistance; confront various types of acting-out behavior while remaining in a supportive, collaborative posture; and provide a consistent focus in treatment, highlighting the underlying mechanisms that cause distress without becoming mired in unproductive attention to the presenting symptoms. The volume concludes with discussions of building coping strategies, utilizing relationship material, and variations in the recovery process.

This book describes Brief Strategic Family Therapy, a strengths-based model for diagnosing and correcting interaction patterns that are linked to troublesome symptoms in children ages 6 to 18.

Over 50 million Americans have a mental illness, but as many as 20 million don't have their illness detected. And many others get substandard treatment. Family members play a crucial role in recognizing mental illness, and helping a loved one get the treatment they need. The early signs of mental illness are clear if you know what to look for, and getting rapid and effective treatment will help your relative get better faster. If you think a family member or friend may be struggling with a mental illness, or isn't getting effective treatment, this guide will help you recognize symptoms, get the right treatment, and work together as a family to help your loved one get better. Inside you'll find step-by-step support and information for determining whether someone you care about is suffering from a mental disorder, and what you can do to help. The Family Intervention Guide to Mental Illness outlines the nine fundamental steps to recognizing, managing, and recovering from mental illness. It provides both diagnostic information and details about therapy options and useful medications. With the right advice, determined effort, and a lot of love, you can make a difference.