Acceptance and Mindfulness Treatments for Children and Adolescents: A Practitioner's Guide [Hardcover]

Laurie Greco PhD (Editor), Steven Hayes PhD (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 2, 2008 | ISBN-10: 1572245417 | ISBN-13: 978-1572245419 | Edition: 1

Though acceptance and mindfulness interventions have proven enormously effective for adults with stress, anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues, they have not been fully documented for use with children and adolescents. And yet they are a natural fit for children's therapy-the focus on acceptance and mindfulness builds children's psychological flexibility, and the values component of these methods helps young people learn to set goals and take action to achieve them.

The chapters in Acceptance and Mindfulness Treatments for Children and Adolescents show how to modify third-wave behavioral and cognitive therapy methods for the treatment of children and adolescents. This book also considers the early evidence for the adaptability and effectiveness of these methods. Edited by two luminaries in the field of third-wave behavior therapy, these essays will be invaluable in helping young patients reap the benefits of acceptance and mindfulness approaches such as acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), and mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR).

• Learn how ACT, DBT, MBCT, and MBSR can be used with young people and their families
• Discover recent third-wave behavior therapy research
• Explore the practice issues that arise when acceptance and mindfulness techniques are used with children and adolescents
• Find out how to put these techniques to work in your own practice

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A timely and impressive compilation of state-of-the-art-approaches for teaching acceptance and mindfulness to younger populations."
—Zindel V. Segal, Ph.D., C.Psych., Morgan Firestone Chair in Psychotherapy and professor of psychiatry and psychology at the University of Toronto and author of Ther Mindful Way Through Depression

"This is an absolutely outstanding book on applications of acceptance and mindfulness treatments to physical and mental health problems of children and adolescents. Impressive in its scope and the quality of the contributors, the book provides a broad, comprehensive, and cutting-edge examination of acceptance and mindfulness treatments with children and adolescents. The material in the book is presented in a clear, comprehensive manner, with excellent references and follow-up sources provided. Especially of interest are the applications of acceptance and mindfulness treatments to specific populations (e.g., children with anxiety, externalizing disorders, chronic pain, etc.), as well as to broad social contexts (e.g., parents, schools, primary care settings). Overall, this unique book provides excellent coverage of key issues and will be an important and valuable resource for today’s child health professionals. This book is a "must read" for professionals in child health and mental heath who wish to understand and use mindfulness treatments in clinical research or practice."
—Annette M. La Greca, PhD, ABPP Cooper Fellow and professor of psychology and Pediatrics at the University of Miami and editor of the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology

"For the reader interested in acceptance and mindfulness in children and adolescents, this book is the definitive work on what is happening now and what is on the horizon."
—Bruce F. Chorpita, PhD, professor of clinical psychology in the Department of Psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles, and author of Modular Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Childhood Anxiety Disorders

"Greco and Hayes’ innovative book on acceptance and mindfulness treatments for children and adolescents is an invaluable new resource for students and faculty. Readers will appreciate the broad coverage and creative applications of acceptance and mindfulness treatments in specialized populations (e.g., anxiety disorders, chronic pain, etc.), and settings (e.g., primary care and schools). This book provides a foundation for practice and research in an important new area."
—Dennis Drotar, PhD, professor of pediatrics and director of the Center for the Promotion of Adherence and Self-Management in the Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center

"This groundbreaking volume is an important step to developing acceptance and mindfulness treatments for children and adolescents. The book highlights the many conceptual and practical challenges in extending this approach from adults to children and families. Chapters present leading-edge coverage of a range of child problems and contexts and include many rich examples of how these approaches can be developed and tested. This book will be of high interest to practitioners and students from a wide range of disciplines who wish to expand their work in new and creative ways. By grounding the development and testing of acceptance and mindfulness treatments in empirical science, there is great potential to improve on current approaches to child and family treatments and more broadly to influence cultural change."
—Eric J. Mash, PhD, professor of psychology at the University of Calgary

From the Publisher

The essays in Acceptance and Mindfulness Treatments for Children and Adolescents--which are edited by two luminaries in the field of third-wave behavior therapy--offer a much-needed adaptation of these revolutionary techniques for young people and their families, providing a wealth of new approaches to therapists, counselors, and other helping professionals.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 312 pages
• Publisher: New Harbinger Publications; 1 edition (July 2, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1572245417
• ISBN-13: 978-1572245419
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 7.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #85,843 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I came to psychology because it was a field that mixed art and science. A college student in California during the 1960s (Loyola Marymount) I was initially interested in experiential, humanistic, human potential, and Eastern traditions, but was also drawn toward behavior therapy by the dialectic of its utopianism (e.g., Walden Two) and its scientific rigor. Fascinated by flooding and implosive therapy, my first undergraduate paper in psychology was on applying exposure to feelings, not just situations. I'm still grinding on that same idea in some ways.

I had a hard time getting into graduate school, and bounced around for a couple years with a new baby, doing remodeling for slum lords, living on a commune, and working as an environmental activist. After a year at San Diego State in a program that admitted all with good test scores, I finally figured out that I had a bad letter from a professor. Correcting that, I was finally admitted several places and went to West Virginia University, where I got my Ph.D. in clinical psychology in 1977.

I wanted a psychology of human functioning that could transform how we live in our homes, offices, and clinics on the basis of science. Behavior analysis seemed closest but I came to believe that it would never be adequate without a better analysis of language and cognition.

After an internship year at Brown University, I took my first job, UNC-Greensboro in 1976. I stayed there for 10 years. A few years after I arrived I developed a panic disorder and after a year or two of sliding backward, I began to apply some of these various influences to my own struggles.

My students and I roughed out ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) in the early 1980's, did a few outcome studies, and then put outcome studies on hold wile we developed the basic science (Relational Frame Theory and work on rule-governed behavior), the philosophy of science (functional contextualism), and the techniques, measures, and processes that would become ACT in it modern form. Most of that work I did at the University of Nevada, where I have been since 1986.

In 1999 the first ACT book appeared, followed by the RFT book in 2001, and the work really began to take off, both empirically and in term of notariety. My first popular book, Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life (2005), projected the work (and me personally) into a higher level of public visibility (Time, O, Salon.com etc).

I spend my days writing, teaching, researching, helping my students, answering emails, hugging my wife, playing with my new baby, and hanging out with my older kids (14, 17, and 36). I spend a lot of time trying to support the ACT and RFT work of others world wide.

Those interested in ACT and RFT should explore www.contextualpsychology.org There you will find list serves for professionals and an open enrollment "ACT for the Public" list serve that is designed to help public members work with these concepts. There is also a list of ACT therapists worldwide.

Personal Honors and such

In 1992 I was listed by APS as the 30th "highest impact" psychologist in the world during 1986-1990

I've been President of Division 25 (Behavior Analysis) of APA, of the American Association of Applied and Preventive Psychology and of the Association for Advancement of Behavior Therapy. I chaired the organizing committee for the APS, was its first Secretary-Treasurer, and first editor of the APS Observer. I received the Hake Award for Exemplary Contributions to Basic Behavioral Research and Its Applications from Division 25 of the APA. In 1999, HHS Secretary Donna Shalala appointed me to the National Advisory Council on Drug Abuse.

What this work is about is creating a scientific psychology more adequate to the challenge of the human condition, and getting it into the hands of others at low cost and with minimal hierarchy. If you care about that work and there is a way I can be of help, let me know.

- S

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars more of a reference book then a protocol, August 7, 2009

By 

P. A. Frank "ribbitriff" (No Va) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Acceptance and Mindfulness Treatments for Children and Adolescents: A Practitioner's Guide (Hardcover)

I enjoy this book's thoughtful approach to mindfulness type theoretical approaches with children and adolescents. It seems to take a meta-analysis approach which really offers great comparisons of treatment modalities. What is the downfall of the book for me is that it offers a lot of information that requires buying more information. The group curriculums are only superficial and their lack of completeness leaves this reader frustrated that to do one of the curriculums I have to purchase more materials or spend more hours searching through more books to create it myself. If I had that kind of time I may not have purchased the book in the first place. Since it was labeled a Practitioner's Guide I thought it would be more detailed and less overview. Still, I am glad for the new information and will use this book as a reference book more then a treatment protocol.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Resource, November 8, 2009

By 

Copacetic (Wisconsin) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Acceptance and Mindfulness Treatments for Children and Adolescents: A Practitioner's Guide (Hardcover)

Excellent resource! Presents a variety of evidence based treatment strategies in a clear, concise manner. I'm an outpatient psychotherapist and consistently refer to different chapters in the book. An invaluable addition to my professional library.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ACT with Adolescents - fabulous book with very good clinical applications., January 6, 2009

By 

Luana Morris "Luana" (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Acceptance and Mindfulness Treatments for Children and Adolescents: A Practitioner's Guide (Hardcover)

This book has some very good explanations of the application of ACT for adolescents - I used it immediately in my work. It covers theory adequately to inform the practice, and has very practical suggestions that help to formulate the case and apply the knowledge clinically.