This textbook aims to introduce students to the foundational concepts of the marriage and family therapy field, providing a comprehensive overview of a range of models and their practical application. Designed specifically for distance-learning, Yulia Watters and Darren Adamson bring together a collection of experienced marriage and family therapists to teach the absolute essentials of marriage and family therapy without peripheral or incidental information. Iterative in its presentation, the book introduces important systems concepts, provides a compelling history of family therapy, presents detailed exploration of classical and postmodern approaches to therapy, and covers clinical application and treatment planning. It uniquely follows the course structure of the first institution to receive Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE) accreditation for both master’s and doctoral online programs, giving students the fundamental knowledge they need to help them prepare for their licensing examination and subsequent practice as MFTs. Written for students seeking to be MFT practitioners, this important volume adds a fresh perspective to teaching and application of family therapy.

Family and marital therapies are rapidly becoming highly used methods of treatment of mental disorders and are no longer ancillary methods to individual psychotherapy. The last few decades have brought about an increasing awareness of the fact that, excluding organic etiology, practically all mental disorders are caused, fostered, and/or related to faulty interpersonal relations. As a rule, the .earlier in life one is exposed to noxious factors, the more severe is the damage. Thus, early child-parents' and child-siblings' interactions are highly relevant determinants of mental health and mental disorder. Moreover, parents themselves do not live in a vacuum. Their marital interaction significantly contributes to their own mental health or to its decline, and parent-child relationships are greatly influenced by the nature of intraparental relationships. Parental discord, conflicts, and abandonment affect the child's personality development. Thus, family and marital therapy is more than therapy; it is an important contribution to the prevention of mental disorder. The present volume is comprised of three parts. The first, primarily theoretical, analyzes the fundamental aspects of marital and family therapy. The second part describes the various therapeutic techniques and the last deals with several specific issues. It gives me great pleasure to acknowledge my gratitude to my coeditor, Dr. George Stricker. Without his thorough and devoted efforts, this volume could not have come into being. I am also profoundly indebted to our consulting editors, Dr. James Framo, Dr.

Encyclopedia of Human Services and Diversity is the first encyclopedia to reflect the changes in the mission of human services professionals as they face today’s increasingly diverse service population. Diversity encompasses a broad range of human differences, including differences in ability and disability, age, education level, ethnicity, gender, geographic origin, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic class, and values. Understanding the needs and problems of Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, the deaf, the blind, the LGBT community, and many other groups demands an up-to-date and cutting-edge reference. This three-volume encyclopedia provides human services students, professors, librarians, and practitioners the reference information they need to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse population. Features: 600 signed entries are organized A-to-Z across three volumes. Entries, authored by key figures in the field, conclude with cross references and further readings. A Reader’s Guide groups related articles within broad, thematic areas, such as aging, community mental health, family and child services, substance abuse, etc. A detailed index, the Reader’s Guide, and cross references combine for search-and-browse in the electronic version. A helpful Resource Guide guides students to classic books, journals, and web sites, and a glossary assists them with the terminology of the field. Available in both print and electronic formats, Encyclopedia of Human Services and Diversity is an ideal reference for students, practitioners, faculty and librarians.

Substance Abuse and the Family demonstrates what it means to view addiction through a systems lens by considering biology and genetics, family relationships, and larger systems. Throughout the text, Michael D. Reiter shows how to examine a person’s predilection to become addicted, his or her social environment around substance use, the functionality of his or her family, and various treatment options. Chapters are organized around two sections: Assessment and Treatment. The first section pays attention to how the family system organizes around substance use and abuse. Here family roles, culture, and other issues such as family violence and resilience are covered. Two chapters are also included on the neuroscience and genetics of addiction, with contributions from Jaime L. Tartar and Christina Gobin. There are also chapters on working with partial systems, using genograms, and working in a culturally-sensitive way (with contributions from Dalis Arismendi), with culture-specific consideration paid to African American, Hispanic and Latin American, Asian American, and Native American families. The second half of the book explores what a systems orientation means in practice and goes over self-help groups for individuals and families. An overview of the major family therapy theories is included, which examines intergenerational, experiential, communication approaches, strategic, systemic, and post-modern models. A separate chapter examines issues faced by both youth and adult children of alcoholics. Intended for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as beginning practitioners, this text is one of the most penetrating and in-depth examinations on the topic available. .

Family Therapy, second edition, is a fully updated and essential textbook that provides students and practitioners with foundational concepts, theory, vocabulary, and skills to excel as a family therapist. This book is a primer of how family therapists conceptualize the problems that people bring to therapy, utilize basic therapeutic skills to engage clients in the therapeutic process, and navigate the predominant models of family therapy. The text walks readers through the process of thinking like a family therapist, and each chapter utilizes various learning tools to help the reader further understand and apply the concepts. Chapters explore the history, context, and dominant theories of family therapy, as well as diversity, ethics, empathy, structuring sessions, and assessment. Written in a comprehensive and approachable style, this text provides readers with the foundational skills and tools essential for being a family therapist, and allows students and practitioners to work relationally and systemically with clients. The second edition widens its scope of the family therapy field with updated research and four brand-new chapters. This is an essential text for introductory family therapy courses and a comprehensive resource for postgraduate students and the next generation of family therapists.

A complete guide for helping professionals, with tried-and-true techniques for practicing family counseling therapy Now in its second edition, Working With Families: Guidelines and Techniques is filled with up-to-date, systems-oriented techniques focused on field-tested results. Outlining the dos and don'ts of working with different types of families and the various complications, nuances, and complexities that can occur, this practical guide provides a broad and proven selection of interventions, processes, and guidelines for working interactively, systematically, and compassionately with families. Working With Families, Second Edition covers a range of topics including: Family work in different settings Session-by-session guidelines Therapeutic themes by family type Managing adolescents in family sessions Dealing with fear of family work Family mapping Strategic child assessment Chemical dependence and its impact on families Informed by the author's many years of experience in the field, both as a clinician and as a trainer, Working With Families, Second Edition offers an invaluable systems-oriented, goal-directed, problem-solving approach to family counseling therapy for all mental health professionals.

“Amid these [world] changes is the growing conviction that human beings must evolve a new consciousness that places a high value on being human, that leads toward cooperation, that enables positive conflict resolution, and that recognizes our spiritual foundations. Can we accept as a given that the self of the therapist is an essential factor in the therapeutic process? If this turns out to be true, it will alter our way of teaching therapists as well as treating patients.” (Virginia Satir in The Use of Self in Therapy, The Haworth Press, Inc., 1987 Virginia Satir, an internationally renowned educator and master therapist and a pioneer in the field of family therapy, altered the way therapists are taught and patients are treated. This landmark volume focuses on the important contributions that she made to the therapy profession. Written and edited by therapists who trained and worked closely with her, Virginia Satir: Foundational Ideas reflects her most basic ideas about the healing quality of respect for all people and the emphasis on the personal aspects of treatment rather than the technical. It also addresses the necessity of emotional honesty between the therapist and the patient and illustrates these therapists’impact on therapy as it is practiced today. The legacy left by Dr. Satir includes her profound insight into the behavior of human beings and the guidelines for the application of universal principles in such a way as to enhance human growth and unite individuals. Her impact on therapists around the world is apparent upon reading this triumphant volume. Scholars and practitioners address some of the fundamental tenets of therapy as developed by Dr. Satir and explain how they have integrated these basic foundations into their own practices. The highlights of her professional contributions that are discussed in this exhaustive volume include: the basic patterns of communication that are common to all people and the relationship of communication and self-esteem the triad concept and strategies for teaching people to exist in this basic unit of humankind in a healthy way the parts party and how this process for integrating various aspects of a person can be used with couples as well the model for change process and the ways in which it can be used with individuals, couples, and the world family reconstruction and the value of acting out the past with the therapist as guide Virginia Satir: Foundational Ideas is a sharp, clear focus on the person and work of this great master. It is necessary reading for all professionals around the world who seek to better understand the therapy process and the keys to its success.

Clinically relevant, theoretically sound, and scientifically based, Functional Family Therapy (FFT) contains systematic discussions of topics and theoretical perspectives, as well as illustrative clinical examples that demonstrate the manner in which principles are applied in FFT.

No other available text offers such a hands-on approach to marriage and family therapy theory. At the core of Systemic Family Therapy are comprehensive sections devoted to each developmental phase of the family therapy movement. With clear descriptions and session-by-session case examples, the author explores specific approaches within each of these phases. With this pragmatic tenor, students will gain a clear and in-depth understanding of how family theory concepts relate to practice–as well as ways those concepts interact with each other. Key Features Uses specific examples and session-by-session case studies to illustrate how theoretical construct actually work in practice Outlines the shifts in thinking of the family therapy field–from modern to postmodern Uses rich graphic representations and straightforward tables to illustrate key theoretical concepts Incorporates compelling questions and learning exercises that will lead to dynamic class discussions Intended Audience A refreshing departure from traditional instruction of family therapy theory, this core textbook is an excellent resource for upper-level undergraduate and graduate students of family therapy, counseling, social work, and family studies.

In the past decade, family therapy has evolved from a loosely defined aggregate of approaches to a mature field with codified schools of theoretical systems and concepts. Textbook of Family and Couples Therapy: Clinical Applications is the first book to draw together theories and techniques from these various schools and combine them with specific clinical approaches in a single comprehensive resource. Under the editorial direction of acclaimed expert G. Pirooz Sholevar, Textbook of Family and Couples Therapy presents the current body of theoretical knowledge in the field along with the latest practical applications for working with couples and families. The book is divided into seven major sections: Family Therapy: Theory and Techniques; Family Assessment; Family Therapy With Children and Adolescents; Marital Therapy; Family Therapy With Different Disorders; and Research in Family and Marital Therapy. Most sections begin with overview chapters to lay the groundwork for clinical applications. With contributions from today's leading practitioners, Textbook of Family and Couples Therapy includes unique features such as: Family therapy approaches to specific mental disorders, including depression, psychiatric hospitalization, alcohol and substance abuse, incest, and personality disorders Specific guidance for working with couples, with detailed approaches to problems such as sexual dysfunction, divorce, remarriage, and stepfamilies -- invaluable for practicing in today's society The unique considerations of treating children in a family therapy context with practical applications such as whole-family intervention and a method for parent management training An overview of the evolution and theoretical underpinnings of family therapy which helps readers develop a solid foundation of understanding to support their clinical knowledge The latest information on issues related to gender, culture, and ethnicity and how they affect family therapy important for enhancing awareness and understanding The state of family therapy research today and future research directions with perspectives from leading academics to point the way Blending theoretical training and up-to-date clinical strategies, Textbook of Family and Couples Therapy is a landmark event in the field. It is a must for clinicians who are currently treating couples and families -- and a major resource for training future clinicians in these highly effective therapeutic techniques.