Starting Treatment With Children and Adolescents provides therapists with a time-tested framework for treatment and a moment-by-moment guide to the first few sessions with a new patient. In twelve remarkable case studies, verbatim transcripts of individual play-therapy sessions are brought to life through running commentary on techniques and theory and a fine-grained analysis of what worked, what didn’t, and what else the clinician could have done to make the session as productive as possible. Clinicians will come away from the book with a unique window into how other therapists actually work as well as new tools for engaging children and adolescents in process-oriented treatment. They’ll also be guided through an exploration of common questions such as how else could I have handled that situation? What other paths could I have tried? Where might those other paths have led? What treatment strategies are most advantageous to my patients’ growth – and to my own?

Presenting a fresh approach to child and adolescent therapy, this book identifies five principles at the heart of the most potent evidence-based treatments--and shows how to apply them. Clinicians learn efficient, engaging ways to teach the skills of Feeling Calm, Increasing Motivation, Repairing Thoughts, Solving Problems, and Trying the Opposite (FIRST) to 5- to 15-year-olds and their parents. FIRST principles can be used flexibly and strategically in treatment of problems including anxiety, posttraumatic stress, depression, and misconduct. In a convenient large-size format, the book features 37 reproducible parent handouts, decision trees, and other clinical tools. Purchasers get access to a companion website where they can download and print these materials, plus Spanish-language versions of selected parent handouts.

In this book, a clinical scientist highlights youth psychotherapies that have been tested and shown to work. Treatments for fears and anxiety, depression, attention deficits and ADHD, and conduct problems and disorder are described in detail, their conceptual basis explained, their clinical application illustrated by richly developed case examples, and their prospects for use in clinical practice examined closely. This clinical perspective is complemented by summaries and critiques of the empirical evidence on each treatment and by commentaries on what questions remain unanswered. The author's clinical and scientific experience converge to produce a uniquely valuable experience on exemplary treatments for children and adolescents.

Weaving practical, hands-on ideas with theory and research about child development, child treatment, and the therapeutic relationship, this book describes an innovative approach to treatment of children and adolescents who won't or can't respond to traditional, conversation-based therapy. For these children, therapists need an entirely new clinical language, one that doesn't depend on words. Within an interpersonal and developmental framework, Straus spells out the deceptively simple goals of no-talk therapy: someone to be close to, and something to be proud of. Through empathy and respect, games, activities, community involvement, a circle of adults, and little pleasures, this approach begins to provide these anxious, sullen, enraged, and confused kids with the self-confidence, self-esteem, and self-awareness to develop a voice of their own.

A guide to treating mental health issues in children and adolescents Diagnosis and Treatment of Children and Adolescents: A Guide for Mental Health Professionals is a resource tailored to the particular needs of current and future counselors, behavioral healthcare clinicians, and other helping professionals working with this vulnerable population. With in-depth content broken into two sections, this book first provides a foundation in the diagnostic process by covering the underlying principles of diagnosis and treatment planning, and then applies this framework to the DSM-5 categories related to children and adolescents. With research continually reshaping our understanding of mental health, it is critical mental health professionals make decisions based on evidence-based pathways that include the specialized research around children and adolescents. The leading experts who contributed to this book share contemporary perspectives on developmental considerations, assessment information, presenting symptoms, comorbidity, levels of severity, prevalence data, and other relevant factors. Structured content of chapters provides a crosswalk between the DSM-5 and this book Updated content based upon the changes, additions, and revisions to the DSM-5 that affect diagnosis, assessment, and treatment Pedagogical features, such as learning objectives, case studies, guided practice exercises, and additional resources, to support effective learning Diagnosis and Treatment of Children and Adolescents: A Guide for Clinical and School Settings is a critical resource for mental health practitioners and graduate students working toward a career in a mental health profession.

This is a pioneering book about the use of ECT in adolescents who are diagnosed with severe, disabling psychiatric disorders or fail conventional treatment. Included are a review of the literature, firsthand experience of the authors and case descriptions making it an invaluable guide to treatment.

Comprehensive introduction to the theory and practice of therapy Child and Adolescent Therapy: Science and Art, Second Edition relies on both psychotherapy research and clinical expertise to create a comprehensive guide to evidence-based practice for providers of child and adolescent therapy. It includes explanations of all major theoretical orientations and the techniques associated with each, with application to the major diagnostic categories. This updated Second Edition includes a new chapter on Mindfulness-Based Cognitive-Behavioral Therapies (Dialectical Behavior Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), incorporation of recent neuroscience research, instruction in Motivational Interviewing, and guidance in using therapeutic diagrams with young clients. The book models the thought process of expert therapists by describing how the science and art of therapy can be combined to provide a strong basis for treatment planning and clinical decision-making. Theoretical concepts, empirically supported treatments, and best practices are translated into concrete, detailed form, with numerous examples of therapist verbalizations and conversations between counselor and client. Child and Adolescent Therapy: Science and Art, Second Edition: Explains the work of therapists from the ground up, beginning with fundamentals and moving on to advanced theory and technique Covers the major theoretical approaches: behavioral, cognitive, mindfulness-based, psychodynamic, constructivist, and family systems Guides therapists in planning effective treatment strategies with balanced consideration of outcome research, cultural factors, and individual client characteristics Connects treatment planning with the diagnostic characteristics of the major child and adolescent disorders For both students and skilled clinicians looking for new ideas and techniques, Child and Adolescent Therapy: Science and Art, Second Edition offers a thorough, holistic examination of how best to serve young therapy clients.