Narrative Therapies With Children And Adolescents

Showcasing approaches as creative and playful as young clients themselves, the book presents therapy as a dialogue of discovery. Through transcripts and compelling case examples, contributors illuminate how drama, art, play, and humor can be used effectively to engage with children of different ages, and to honor their idiosyncratic language, knowledge, and perspective.

Narrative Therapies with Children and their Families introduces and develops the principles of narrative approaches to systemic therapeutic work, and shows how they can provide a powerful framework for engaging troubled children and their families. Written by eminent and leading clinicians, known nationally and internationally for their research and theory development in the field of child and family mental health, the book covers a broad range of difficult and sensitive topics, including trauma, abuse and youth offending. It illustrates the wide application of these principles in the context of the particular issues and challenges presented when working with children and families. Since publication of the first edition, the importance of narrative therapy has continued to grow, and this new edition provides an updated and revised overview of the field, along with three new chapters to keep apace with developments in child mental health trauma work. This book remains a key text in the field of systemic narrative training and practice. With clinical examples throughout, this practical book will be welcomed by family and systemic therapists and other professionals in the field of child, adolescent and family mental health.

Kids' Club Letters provides an innovative approach to group psychotherapy for school-aged children who experience a range of social and emotional problems. A narrative therapy approach is adapted, taking the form of letters written by the therapist in the voice of a child who is asking for advice about interpersonal or emotional problems. The child in the letter is asking for guidance from the participants in the group. These letters were devised and written for the purpose of structuring responses in group psychotherapy, allowing the participants to address relevant issues for them individually and at the group level. The children in the groups had previously experienced difficulty discussing these issues spontaneously. Hence the 'Dear Group' letter format was born. The children did not know that the therapist had written the letters.

This book is written for mental health practitioners, therapists, and clinicians, who work with families and their children. It provides ways of working with children that promotes cooperation, collaboration, and respect in family relationships. It also suggests a de-centered position for clinicians in relation to clients.

Narrative Therapies with Children and their Families introduces and develops the principles of narrative approaches to systemic therapeutic work, and shows how they can provide a powerful framework for engaging troubled children and their families. Written by eminent and leading clinicians, known nationally and internationally for their research and theory development in the field of child and family mental health, the book covers a broad range of difficult and sensitive topics, including trauma, abuse and youth offending. It illustrates the wide application of these principles in the context of the particular issues and challenges presented when working with children and families. Since publication of the first edition, the importance of narrative therapy has continued to grow, and this new edition provides an updated and revised overview of the field, along with three new chapters to keep apace with developments in child mental health trauma work. This book remains a key text in the field of systemic narrative training and practice. With clinical examples throughout, this practical book will be welcomed by family and systemic therapists and other professionals in the field of child, adolescent and family mental health.

A comprehensive collection of hundreds of thought-provoking stories and activities for use in the treatment of children confronting difficult situations Storytelling and Other Activities for Children in Therapy provides professionals with the knowledge, insight, and tools to help children (ages 6 to 12) and their families work through their treatment issues using storytelling and other activities. This invaluable guide includes helpful activity sheets that gradually progress through four levels of inquiry, representing readiness for self-disclosure. Imaginative and easy-to-use, the stories and activities in this book are tied to relevant practice issues, including: Illness and disability School issues Anger and behavioral issues Social adjustment and shyness Divorce and parental separation Domestic violence Community violence Trauma and child abuse Substance abuse Death With an accompanying website allowing therapists to personalize and print stories as well as activity sheets to meet their needs and those of their clients, Storytelling and Other Activities for Children in Therapy is an important tool in easing the pain of emotionally hurt children towards a discovery of their inner strengths and resilience for life. These resources can be accessed at www.wiley.com/go/slivinske.

Even the best grounding in the principles of psychotherapy can leave students poorly prepared for actual face-to-face work with clients. This is the only resource dedicated specifically to increasing the confidence and professional competence of graduate students and early career professionals who use cognitive behavioral therapy with children and adolescents. With accessible language, engaging humor, and step-by-step guidance on what to do and when to do it, the author walks students through the entire clinical process from initial consultation with young clients and their caregivers through the conclusion of treatment. With a focus on promoting joy and meaning rather than merely eliminating pain, the book also integrates interventions from positive psychology literature with CBT techniques. The guide is replete with procedural instructions for each step of treatment along with suggested sample language and flexible scripts that can be tailored to the needs of individual clients. Brief rationales for each procedure describe how therapeutic interactions and statements support effective and ethical practices. Evidence-based CBT techniques address issues ranging from mood disorders to conduct and behavioral disorders and include such skills as externalizing the problem, behavioral activation, physiological calming and mindfulness, and happy/coping thoughts. Strategies that engage families in the therapeutic process are included, providing guidance on how to coach parents and other caregivers to participate in certain interventions and create a supportive environment. Pointers for dealing with common challenges such as resistant youth and caregivers include specific steps and sample scripts. Chapters offer ready-to-use forms, templates, worksheets, and client handouts. Key Features: Presents CBT-based techniques specifically for practicum and internship students and other trainee clinicians Fosters the development of confidence and competence in practicing CBT with youth Provides easy-to-read, step-by-step guidance including sample scripts that can be easily adapted Offers proven strategies for engaging families in the therapeutic process Delivers pointers for dealing with common treatment challenges

Introduces a Powerful New Brief Therapy Approach This groundbreaking book is the first to provide a comprehensive model for effectively blending the two main postmodern brief therapy approaches: solution-focused and narrative therapies. It harnesses the power of both models—the strengths-based, problem-solving approach of SFT and the value-honoring and re-descriptive approach of Narrative Therapy--to offer brief, effective help to clients that builds on their strengths and abilities to envision and craft preferred outcomes. Authored by a leading trainer, teacher, and practitioner in the field, the book provides an overview of the history of both models and outlines their differences, similarities, limitations and strengths. It then demonstrates how to blend these two approaches in working with such issues as trauma, addictions, grief, relationship issues, family therapy and mood issues. Each concern is illustrated with a case study from practice with individual adults, adolescents, children, and families. Useful client dialogue and forms are included to help the clinician guide clients in practice. Each chapter concludes with a summary describing and reinforcing the principles of the topic and a personal exercise so the reader can experience the approach first hand. Key Features: Describes how two popular postmodern therapy models are combined to create a powerful new therapeutic approach—the first book to do so Includes case studies reflecting the model’s use with individual adults, children, adolescents, and families Provides supporting dialogue and forms for practitioners Authored by a leading figure in SFT and its application in a variety of setting Presents an overview of the history of both models