Essential Skills in Family Therapy, Second Edition: From the First Interview to Termination (The Guilford Family Therapy Series) [Hardcover]

JoEllen Patterson Phd (Author), Lee Williams PhD LMFT (Author), Todd M. Edwards PhD LMFT (Author), Larry Chamow PhD LMFT (Author), Claudia Grauf-Grounds Phd (Author), Douglas H. Sprenkle PhD (Foreword)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 160623305X | ISBN-13: 978-1606233054 | Publication Date: July 21, 2009 | Edition: Second Edition

Readable and concise yet immensely informative, this bestselling text prepares students and new therapists to work confidently and effectively in real-world clinical practice with families. The authors offer wise and compassionate guidance on everything from intake and assessment to treatment planning, the nuts and bolts of specific interventions, the nuances of establishing therapeutic relationships, and how to troubleshoot when treatment gets “stuck.” They help the novice clinician navigate typical dilemmas and concerns, and spell out the basics of therapist self-care. Vivid case examples, sample forms, and quick-reference tables enhance the utility of the text.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This book is every beginning family therapist’s bible. The second edition updates the family therapy knowledge base and presents the essential skills needed for clinical success. It makes complex theory easy to grasp and the related techniques easy to implement. I enthusiastically recommend this excellent text."--Susan H. McDaniel, PhD, The Dr. Laurie Sands Distinguished Professor of Families and Health and Director, Institute for the Family, University of Rochester Medical Center

"As a teacher and supervisor of marriage and family therapy, I consider this my essential text for encouraging and nourishing the developing skills of our graduate students. The text not only normalizes beginning-therapist anxiety, but it is also a vehicle for growth and self-awareness, both in the classroom and in group supervision. Every student of family therapy should read this book as part of their training."--Kristina S. Brown, PhD, LMFT, Marriage and Family Therapy Program, The School of Professional Psychology at Forest Institute

"A perennial favorite, Essential Skills in Family Therapy provides real world skills to students for their first session and beyond. This is one of the few textbooks my students take to their field placements and refer to again and again."--Diane R. Gehart, PhD, Marriage and Family Therapy Program, California State University, Northridge

 

"An indispensable resource for clinicians interested in the basic operations of doing family therapy. The book's integrative framework blends clinical expertise with evidence-based practice and the characteristics, preferences, and context of the family. This second edition offers invaluable practical resources at the end of each chapter. For example, the assessment chapter concludes with useful guides that range from general assessment to the specifics of evaluating suicide risk, substance abuse, and mental status, as well as the parameters for holistic and spiritual assessment. Your students will be forever grateful for this book. This splendid second edition raises the bar on introductory texts for graduate-level courses in family therapy."--Guillermo Bernal, PhD, Director, Institute for Psychological Research, University of Puerto Rico

 

"Essential Skills in Family Therapy is packed full of the information that beginning family therapists want to know once they actually start seeing clients. This impressive second edition has been enhanced even further with updates and the addition of new topics of vital clinical importance. It is an unparalleled 'almanac' of clinical issues for new family therapists, especially those practicing in a context of multidisciplinary collaboration. My recommendation of this book to our trainees now will be even stronger!"--Wayne H. Denton, MD, PhD, Director, Family Studies Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

 

"Patterson et al. provide exactly the kind of hands-on, 'what-to-do' guidance that every beginning family therapist needs. Even better than the original text, the second edition succinctly covers all the most important topics in family therapy practice from a broad perspective that fits well with nearly any theoretical orientation. Nicely organized, the book takes the reader from before the first session through assessment, treatment planning, intervention, and termination. It also provides guidance about such specific topics as couple therapy and working with families in the context of individual difficulties. This is the best available book of its kind for the beginning family therapist, and should be a core text for introductory graduate classes."--Jay Lebow, PhD, The Family Institute at Northwestern University

About the Author

JoEllen Patterson, PhD, is Professor of Marital and Family Therapy at the University of San Diego and Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine and the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego.

 

Lee Williams, PhD, is Professor of Marital and Family Therapy at the University of San Diego and does couple therapy with veterans at the VA San Diego Medical Center.

 

Todd M. Edwards, PhD, is Associate Professor and Director of the Marital and Family Therapy Program at the University of San Diego and Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine at the University of California, San Diego.

 

Larry Chamow, PhD, is Clinical Professor of Marital and Family Therapy at the University of San Diego and is in full-time private practice at the Pacific Family Institute in Carlsbad, California.

 

Claudia Grauf-Grounds, PhD, is Professor and Chair of Marriage and Family Therapy at Seattle Pacific University and a clinical faculty member at the University of Washington School of Medicine.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 286 pages
• Publisher: The Guilford Press; Second Edition edition (July 21, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 160623305X
• ISBN-13: 978-1606233054
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,912 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, September 19, 2010

By 

Ms. P. Emeghara - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Essential Skills in Family Therapy, Second Edition: From the First Interview to Termination (The Guilford Family Therapy Series) (Hardcover)

This is an amazing book for potential therapist or current therapist wanting to brush up on their skills.
I'm a potential therapist still doing my Masters and this book caters to all the anxiety, stress and concerns therapists and clients are experiencing and how to over them
Really Great book. Soooo Glad I have it. it is very useful. Definitely a must have.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!, February 15, 2010

By 

Mandy - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Essential Skills in Family Therapy, Second Edition: From the First Interview to Termination (The Guilford Family Therapy Series) (Hardcover)

Great book for anyone interested in Family Therapy. It gives you the words you need when working with families. Perfect for a beginning therapist. It really gives you the essential skills it promises.

2 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential Book for Beginning Therapists, August 30, 2010

By 

mswest81 - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Essential Skills in Family Therapy, Second Edition: From the First Interview to Termination (The Guilford Family Therapy Series) (Hardcover)

Great book for those just starting out in the therapy business. Easy layout, easy read. Covers information from beginning to end. Would definitely recommend to help ease beginners jitters.