Dynamic Assessment In Couple Therapy

More and more, therapists are intervening in marital conflicts without waiting to complete the formal assessment process. While most texts begin with theoretical roadmaps for the process of therapy, Dynamic Assessment in Couple Therapy shows therapists how to begin interventions during the process of assessment. By detailing the procedures and techniques for using their innovative Structured Initial Interview (SII), the authors have designed a practical form of intervention to handle both the complexity of the marital journey and the subtle realities of marital roadblocks. As outlined in this innvative book, SII is a creative source of interaction that will stimulate new insights and helpful new directions for therapists and their clients.

This innovative text offers a simple but comprehensive framework for couple assessment that integrates research and information on couples from a wide range of models. Using the 7 Cs as a basis for guiding assessment, chapters move through key areas of couple functioning including communication, conflict resolution, culture, commitment, caring and sex, contract, and character. An additional chapter on children also offers insights into assessment of couples who parent. Offering a broad and accessible framework that can be applied to a variety of theoretical perspectives, the book highlights how the 7 Cs can be used to inform both assessment and treatment of couples. Numerous case examples are interwoven throughout the text to demonstrate how therapists may utilize this approach to work with a diverse client base. Written in an accessible style, Assessment in Couple Therapy is an essential tool for students of marriage and family therapy and beginning therapists, as well as seasoned mental health professionals working with couples in a range of settings.

Showing how to weave assessment into all phases of therapy, this indispensable text and practitioner guide is reader friendly, straightforward, and practical. Specific strategies are provided for evaluating a wide range of clinical issues and concerns with adults, children and adolescents, families, and couples. The authors demonstrate ways to use interviewing and other techniques to understand both individual and relationship functioning, develop sound treatment plans, and monitor progress. Handy mnemonics help beginning family therapists remember what to include in assessments, and numerous case examples illustrate what the assessment principles look like in action with diverse clients. See also the authors' Essential Skills in Family Therapy, Third Edition: From the First Interview to Termination, which addresses all aspects of real-world clinical practice, and Clinician's Guide to Research Methods in Family Therapy.

Published in 1996, Fundamentals of Marital Therapy is a valuable contribution to the field of Family Therapy.

The best review book available for helping students--those interested in family dynamics and aspire to become family therapists--quickly and easily grasp all the basic information expected of those who take licensing exams.

This book on family assessment integrates psychodynamic and systemic perspectives in a unique way. U.S. and European authors draw from both perspectives and integrate their cultural backgrounds. In this book the family is evaluated on three levels: the individuals, the dyads and triads, and the family system. Interwoven with clinical examples, the first part discusses the importance of the initial interview, from the first contact with a family to goal setting and treatment planning. The second part presents the various clinical perspectives that underlie the three-level model. These perspectives include the family's contextual factors such as its stage in the family life cycle, its social world, and related areas such as parenting styles and behavior. Finally, the third part presents some clinical applications focusing on the use of family sculpting procedures as assessment tools. This family assessment book is a true integration of theoretical perspectives and international expertise, edited and written by leading family assessment researchers from the United States and Europe.

Now in its fifth edition, The Practice of Family Therapy comes at a time when traditional approaches to psychotherapy have given way to multidimensional strategies that best serve the needs of diverse groups who are grappling with the many challenges unique to family therapy practice. With expanded coverage of different models, along with new developments in evidence-based and postmodern practices, this integrative textbook bridges the gap between science and systemic/relational approaches, as it guides the reader through each stage of family therapy. Part I lays the groundwork by introducing the first-, second-, and third-generation models of family therapy, teaching the reader to integrate different elements from these models into a systemic structure of practice. Part II explores the practical application of these models, including scripts for specific interventions and rich case examples that highlight how to effectively work with diverse client populations. Students will learn how to make connections between individual symptoms and cutting-edge family practices to respond successfully to cases of substance abuse, trauma, grief, depression, suicide risk, violence, LGBTQ families, and severely mentally ill clients and their families. Also included are study guides for each model and a glossary to review main concepts. Aligned with the Association of Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards’ (AMFTRB) knowledge and content statements, this textbook will be key reading for graduate students who are preparing for the national licensing exam in marriage and family therapy.

A practical, easy-to-use, and comprehensive reference for mental health professionals The Mental Health Desk Reference is the ultimate guide to effective and responsible mental health practice. It provides authoritative, concise, and up-to-date information from more than seventy experts regarding diagnosis, treatment, and ethics of practice. Each entry summarizes key constructs and terminology associated with the topic, major findings from research, and specific recommendations on theory and practice. Important topics covered include: * Adjustment disorders and life stress * Diagnosis and treatment of adults * Diagnosis and treatment of children * Crisis intervention * Diverse populations * Group and family interventions * Practice management * Professional issues * Ethical and legal issues * Professional resources These detailed, readable entries-based on the most extensive and reliable research available-form a comprehensive, straightforward, and quick-reference resource applicable to practitioners across every field in mental health. The Mental Health Desk Reference is the single resource no mental health professional can afford to be without.