Families come in all shapes and sizes, and all have love at their roots; however, by the time a family requests help from a psychotherapist, resentment, fear and disappointment have often become the dominant forces ruling everyday life. Moving away from the medically-focused ‘problem-diagnosis-treatment’ model of psychotherapy, Peter Rober’s thought-provoking new text conceptualises family therapy as a dialogue between living, breathing people; it emphasises the mutuality and relational context that serves as the backdrop of a therapeutic encounter, whereby family members will interact, emotions will be displayed and suppressed, and practitioners will need to navigate carefully, endeavouring not just to listen but to understand the stories being told. Astute and engaging throughout, each chapter provides close analysis of a rich variety of case studies, combined with an examination of key theories and concepts from different schools of thought in family therapy; with a particular focus on dialogical thinking, the book explores the ways in which these theoretical concepts can be applied in everyday practice situations. Written by a leading expert in the field, this insightful new addition to Palgrave’s Basic Texts in Counselling and Psychotherapy series provides an accessible exploration of a complex area of practice. It will prove invaluable reading for those studying family therapy specifically, as well as students taking more general counselling and psychotherapy courses and practitioners looking for a fresh source of guidance.

Original research and examples from artists illustrate how different textile-based art approaches can provide therapeutic outlets for women with a complete variety of life experiences. The psychology of this therapeutic approach is explained as well as explanations of specific techniques and suggestions for practise with a wide range of clients.

In Children in Therapy, Everett Bailey brings together a stellar group of clinicians and researchers to describe the benefits and process of involving families in children? therapy and to discuss ways therapists can effectively integrate individual family members into the overall treatment of children. Divided into three parts, the book presents theoretical perspectives of five different competency-based approaches: solution-oriented brief therapy, narrative therapy, collaborative language systems therapy, internal family systems therapy, and emotionally focused family therapy; addresses common disorders or problems that children present with, for example: anxiety, depression, oppositional behavior, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, sexual abuse, physical abuse, and problems around divorce; and explains five additional applications for working with children and their families, including how to engage families in therapeutic play, how to involve parents and especially fathers in the therapy, and the importance of considering children? resilience and social and emotional development. Children in Therapy takes a comprehensive look at the ways therapists can use the family as a resource and draw on the inherent strengths of children and families in order to help children heal. For students and experienced clinicians who wish to expand their therapeutic approaches with children, this book is an invaluable resource.

This practical book presents cutting-edge approaches to couple and family therapy that use attachment theory as the basis for new clinical understandings. Fresh and provocative insights are provided on the nature of interactions between adult partners and among parents and children; the role of attachment in distressed and satisfying relationships; and the ways attachment-oriented interventions can address individual problems as well as marital conflict and difficult family transitions. With contributions from leading clinicians and researchers, the volume offers both general strategies and specific techniques for helping clients build stronger, more supportive relational bonds.

The definitive therapist manual for Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy (IBCT)—one of the most empirically supported approaches to couple therapy. Andrew Christensen, codeveloper (along with the late Neil Jacobson) of Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy, and Brian Doss provide an essential manual for their evidence-based practice. The authors offer guidance on formulation, assessment, and feedback of couples’ distress from an IBCT perspective. They also detail techniques to achieve acceptance and deliberate change. In this updated edition of the work, readers learn about innovations to the IBCT approach in the 20+ years since the publication of the original edition—including refinements of core therapeutic techniques. Additionally, this edition provides new guidance on working with diverse couples, complex clinical issues, and integrating technology into a course of treatment.

From a Relationship of Ignorance and Conflict to Awareness and Fulfillment In Buddhist psychology, it is said that the root of all pain is ignorance. Nowhere in life is our ignorance more evident and frustrating than when we attempt to relate with someone we love and find ourselves forever walking through relational minefields. We find ourselves consistently being frustrated in our efforts to relate with our partner and become upset with the way they are relating to us. This book is intended to describe what a real relationship of compassionate commitment is between two people and explores: - How to negotiate the inevitable season of struggle between partners - Providing insight into how couples will use the same words and speak different languages - The importance of not taking things personally - Understanding the role that stress plays in our relationship - Learn compassionate communication (similar to Nonviolent Communication) - Practice a mindfulness-based approach to communication The purpose of this book is to help couples gain a sense of what is going on between themselves and to help develop the awareness and skills to get beyond their confusion, frustration, pain and suffering, to a sense of fulfillment as individuals and as relational partners. Information contained in this book is the distillation of over forty-seven years work as a marriage and family therapist.

Designed for MFT students or those just beginning in the field, this text presents a case study and provides examples of how different models of marriage and family therapy, such as brief therapies, integrative models, and strategic therapies, handle the case.

Brief Therapy with Couples is a practical guide to brief therapy for couples & relationship problems, that relates therapy to the cultural, racial, & religious context of relationships, as well as key issues like parenting & same-sex relationships.

Multigenerational Family Therapy is a book about honoring and helping families. Rich with personal reflections and anecdotes from the author’s many years as a family therapist, this volume’s major strength lies in its precise definition of the process and content of the therapy itself. As the family is the major resource system available to an individual, this important book provides therapists with the keys for helping family members help each other and provides a framework for understanding how the family, as a multigenerational system, moves through various stages of the therapeutic process. By emphasizing the importance of family members utilizing the past as a positive force for change and featuring complete transcripts of family therapy sessions, this sensitive book clearly illustrates how therapists can use the positive forces of family for dealing with today’s uncertainties and dilemmas. The step-by-step approach details how family therapists can work with families in a positive, healing manner. Several chapters illustrate the transition from the beginning to middle phases of family therapy to the terminating phase and provide a framework for how therapy evolves over time. Other chapters discuss the special skills required to work with various family constellations, such as couples, parents with children, siblings, adult children with aged parents, and individuals as well as extended family members. Helpful advice on how to deal with special issues and dilemmas of family therapy such as secret-keeping, affairs, co-therapy, crises and emergencies is also included in this comprehensive book. Beginning and advanced family therapy practitioners, students of family theory and therapy, faculty of social work practice, clinical psychology, nursing, family life education, and counseling psychology will find many positive ideas for working with families in this detailed book.

Families come in all shapes and sizes, and all have love at their roots; however, by the time a family requests help from a psychotherapist, resentment, fear and disappointment have often become the dominant forces ruling everyday life. Moving away from the medically-focused 'problem-diagnosis-treatment' model of psychotherapy, Peter Rober's thought-provoking new text conceptualises family therapy as a dialogue between living, breathing people; it emphasises the mutuality and relational context that serves as the backdrop of a therapeutic encounter, whereby family members will interact, emotions will be displayed and suppressed, and practitioners will need to navigate carefully, endeavouring not just to listen but to understand the stories being told. Astute and engaging throughout, each chapter provides close analysis of a rich variety of case studies, combined with an examination of key theories and concepts from different schools of thought in family therapy; with a particular focus on dialogical thinking, the book explores the ways in which these theoretical concepts can be applied in everyday practice situations. Written by a leading expert in the field, this insightful new addition to Palgrave's Basic Texts in Counselling and Psychotherapy series provides an accessible exploration of a complex area of practice. It will prove invaluable reading for those studying family therapy specifically, as well as students taking more general counselling and psychotherapy courses and practitioners looking for a fresh source of guidance.