Writing to the practicing clinician, this book offers a step-by-step practical guide to Socio-Emotional Relationship Therapy (SERT) when working with individuals, couples, and families. Most therapists know sociocultural systems influence their clients’ lives, but few know how to connect the dots between what happens in the wider society, interpersonal neurobiology, relational processes, and client well-being. Written by a founder of SERT, Carmen Knudson-Martin draws on knowledge from multiple disciplines to innovatively weave together a practical step-by-step guide that demystifies the connections between micro and macro processes and relational/self-development. Divided into four parts, chapters cover how to conceptualize clinical issues through a socio-emotional lens, the therapist’s role in assessment, goal-setting, clinical decision-making, the “how-to” of each of the three phases of the SERT clinical sequence, and self-of-the-therapist work and clinical research that inform the model. The clear writing style and detailed examples make complex social processes accessible, demonstrating how good practice is—and must be—equitable and socially responsible. This practical guide is essential reading for all mental health professionals, such as seasoned family therapists, counselors, psychologists, social workers, and students in training in these fields.

This path-breaking volume introduces Socio-Emotional Relationship Therapy for clinical work with troubled couples. Practice-focused and engaging, it integrates real-world knowledge of the intersections of gender, culture, power, and identity in relationships with empirical findings on the neurobiology of attraction. Case examples detail the process of therapists in the moment as they develop both their clinical skills and their understanding of the social contexts fueling couples' difficulties. Applications of the method, which can be used with same-sex couples as well as heterosexual ones, are shown in addressing infidelity, tapping into partners' spirituality, and modeling and encouraging mutual respect and support. Among the topics covered: Undoing gendered power in heterosexual couple relationships. Interpersonal neurobiology, couples, and the societal context. How gender discourses hijack couple therapy—and how it can be avoided. How SERT therapists develop interventions that address the larger context. Building a circle of care in same-sex couple relationships. Couple therapy with adult survivors of child abuse: gender, power, and trust. Socio-Emotional Relationship Therapy opens out practical new possibilities for marriage and family therapists, clinical psychologists, social workers, and counselors seeking ideas for more meaningful couples work.

Bringing together the personal and professional narratives of Asian American family therapists, this book offers insight into the Asian American experience through systemic theory and frameworks, individual and community stories, and clinical considerations. The Asian American experience is still a largely invisible and unknown one, especially in the field of marriage and family therapy. With a contextual lens, this book highlights how understanding family migration legacies and individual generational status relative to time, place, and context is critical to doing meaningful work with Asian Americans. Filled with thought-provoking case studies and reflective questions, chapters discuss the impact of stereotyping on mental health; the historical and present ways that Asian American racialization invisibilizes individual and collective experiences; shame associated with bicultural identity, gender, generational trauma, media representations; and more. Each chapter bridges these ideas to clinical practice while concurrently centering the voices and experiences of Asian American therapists. This book is essential reading for marriage and family therapists and other mental health clinicians who want to deepen their understanding of, relationship with, and clinical support for the Asian Americans in their lives, whether friends, colleagues, supervisees, or clients.

Imago Relationship Therapy It's been more than three decades since Harville Hendrix and Helen LaKelly Hunt—the best-selling authors of Getting the Love You Want and Keeping the Love You Find—created Imago Relationship Therapy. Their concept of the "conscious marriage" introduced a new paradigm for understanding the dynamics of couples. Since that time more than two thousand clinicians in twenty-eight countries have adopted and implemented this highly effective form of couples therapy. This groundbreaking book offers an overview of the highly successful Imago Relationship Therapy (IRT) and the relationship of IRT with preceding schools of thought such as psychoanalytic theory, family systems theories, affect theory, and self-psychology. At the heart of IRT is a three-step process involving mirroring (reflecting) the partner's feelings, validating the partner's point of view, and expressing empathy toward the partner's feelings. Imago Relationship Therapy traces IRT's history and explosive growth and outlines the differences and similarities between Imago theory and other models of couples therapy. The book also presents some of the ideas of prominent Imago thinkers, such as the central role of connectivity and the problem of envy in committed relationships. "A uniquely important book for the practitioner, which provides clinical wisdom and a rare look into the heart and soul of Imago Relationship Therapy." —Pat Love, Ed.D., author, The Truth About Love

Socioculturally Attuned Family Therapy addresses the need for socially responsible couple, marriage, and family therapy that infuses diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout theory and clinical practice. The text begins with a discussion of societal systems, diversity, and socially just practice. The authors then integrate principles of societal context, power, and equity into the core concepts of ten major family therapy models, paying close attention to the "how to’s" of change processes through a highly diverse range of case examples. The text concludes with descriptions of integrative, equity-based family therapy guidelines that clinicians can apply to their practice.

Embodied, relational processes designed to add experiential therapy into addiction treatment centers, IOPs, and one-to-one or group therapy settings. Relational trauma can cause a loss of connection with the self and impact our ability to engage comfortably in intimate connection with others. Feeling misread, neglected, or abused by the people we want most to be loved by is a traumatizing experience that is cumulative. When these relational wounds remain unseen and unresolved, they can become the pain pump fueling self-medicating and dysfunctional behaviors that silently pass down through generations. Sociometrics are embodied, research-based processes that educate clients about trauma, grief, and resilience as they offer in-the-moment, experiential relational trauma repair. Created by Dr. Tian Dayton to fit easily into outpatient programs, clinics, and one-to-one settings, sociometrics help to take the guesswork out of incorporating experiential therapy into treatment. They give therapists a clear process that builds momentum for deep change and personal growth. Harnessing the therapeutic power of the group, they teach skills of emotional literacy and self- and co-regulation. The combination of sociometrics and simple role plays allow the body, as well as the mind, to find a voice. They draw on the theory base of psychodrama and sociometry, the first forms of mind/body, experiential therapy created by the father of group therapy, Jacob Levy Moreno.

"[A] comprehensive, critical, empirical, and practical compilation of investigations about how diverse couples are trying to implement change and pursue equality in their relationships." -Katherine R. Allen, PhD Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University "[A] true gift to couple researchÖ.The studies reported in this marvelously disciplined collection hold living implications for couples and their therapists." -Evan Imber-Black Director, Center for Families and Health, Ackerman Institute for the Family While numerous couples strive for equality in their relationships, many are unaware of the insidious ways in which gender and power still affect them-from their career choices to communication patterns, child-rearing, housework, and more. Written for mental health professionals and others interested in contemporary couple relationships, this research-based book shows how couples are able to move beyond the dangers of gendered inequality and the legacy of hidden male power. The book analyzes the relationships of couples from various racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds. The contributors present innovative clinical interventions, and suggest strategies therapists can use to help couples transform their relationships from being gender-based to equality-based. Explores these key issues: The risks of being in a relationship ruled by "gender legacy" behavior The differences between couples who get caught in gender legacy patterns and those who do not Gender-based patterns across the life cycle, including newly formed couples; early marriage; child-rearing; mothering and fathering Gendered power in couples dealing with illness; ethnic and racial differences; immigration and displacement issues

Healing in Action: Adventure-Based Counseling with Therapy Groups is a practical guide for therapists wanting to integrate interactive games and challenges into their work. It provides current research supporting using ABC with trauma survivors and those recovering from addictions, as well as its efficacy with a broader population. Twelve activity-based chapters take the reader through various one-hour sessions of activities based on a particular theme or material used, complete with 50 descriptive photos of groups in action. Therapists will be able to use these activities to help their patients experience in vivo the joy, freedom and playfulness that are the hallmarks of sound mental health. With its combination of sound theoretical material and practical application, this book is a valuable resource for practitioners and graduate students alike.

Originally developed for the treatment of borderline personality disorder, dialectical behavior therapy, or DBT, has rapidly become one of the most popular and most effective treatments for all mental health conditions rooted in out-of-control emotions. However, there are limited resources for psychologists seeking to use DBT skills with individual clients. In the tradition of ACT Made Simple, DBT Made Simple provides clinicians with everything they need to know to start using DBT in the therapy room. The first part of this book briefly covers the theory and research behind DBT and explains how DBT differs from traditional cognitive behavioral therapy approaches. The second part focuses on strategies professionals can use in individual client sessions, while the third section teaches the four skills modules that form the backbone of DBT: core mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. The book includes handouts, case examples, and example therapist-client dialogue—everything clinicians need to equip their clients with these effective and life-changing skills.

Implementing Universal Social-Emotional Programs is a step-by-step guide for educators and school-based mental health professionals seeking to effectively select, employ, and evaluate universal social-emotional programs using implementation science. With one out of five children having diagnosable mental health challenges and many more of our youth developing social-emotional concerns, today’s schools must be able to effectively plan and implement evidence-based programs that promote social-emotional learning and positive academic outcomes. This book accompanies practitioners and graduate students in teaching, school psychology, counseling, social work, education, and administration through each stage of implementation science, common programs and screeners, the purpose and selection process of implementation teams, and schools’ expectations for fidelity, timeline, and budget. Throughout, the authors provide graphic organizers, diagrams, activities, exercises, vignettes, checklists, templates, charts, and other interactive features for active engagement.