Treating the Tough Adolescent: A Family-Based, Step-by-Step Guide [Hardcover]

Scott P. Sells (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1572304227 | ISBN-13: 978-1572304222 | Publication Date: October 19, 1998 | Edition: 1

This book illuminates the causes of severe adolescent behavioral problems and presents a research-based fifteen-step model for helping families bring about real, lasting change. Incorporating structural and strategic principles, the author's cohesive approach focuses on setting clear rules and consequences; changing the mood and direction of confrontations; neutralizing such problem behaviors as disrespect, truancy, running away, violence, and threats of suicide; and restoring positive, nurturing relationships among family members. Special treatment issues covered include working with single-parent families, outside systems (peers, school, probation officers), divorce and stepfamily problems, and substance misuse. Clearly written, practical, and accessible, the book uses actual case examples to demonstrate each step of the approach.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Using Treating the Tough Adolescent as a text provides my students with a clear, concise understanding of the strategic therapy model and its application. Many students (as well as veteran therapists) are intimidated by the idea of working with out-of-control teens and their families. Dr. Sells's book is written in a straightforward way and offers specific strategies that, when followed, will lead to success."--Peter D. Bradley, PhD, Department of Family Therapy, Texas Woman's University

"This book is a gem. Sells provides front-line clinicians with a step-by-step road map for doing effective family therapy with difficult adolescents. If you wish to know what an advanced structural-strategic family therapy model looks like, read this book." --Matthew D. Selekman, MSW, Response Center, Skokie, IL

"Treating the Tough Adolescent offers a sensible and strategic approach to resolving the family problems of difficult adolescents....This is a valuable book that wedges research-supported ideas into practical guidance for therapists struggling with exasperating adolescents and their families." --from the Foreword by Jay Haley

"Dr. Sells's approach, which is theoretically derived, extensively researched, and carefully refined, is logical, considerate, eminently practical, and easy to follow. His explanations of what to do, why to do it, and how to do it should be accessible and useful to all." --from the Foreword by Neil Schiff

From the Back Cover

This book is a gem. Sells provides front-line clinicians with a step-by-step road map for doing effective family therapy with difficult adolescents. If you wish to know what an advanced structural-strategic family therapy model looks like, read this book (Matthew D. Selekman, MSW, Response Center, Skokie, IL)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Guilford Press; 1 edition (October 19, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1572304227
• ISBN-13: 978-1572304222
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #151,719 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good guide to dealing with tough kids, December 21, 1999

By 

Ed Chapin, M.A. (Vancouver, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Treating the Tough Adolescent: A Family-Based, Step-by-Step Guide (Hardcover)

I found this book very helpful and inovative. It outlines clearly steps that parents and clincians can take in attempting to deal with out of control adolescents. As a family social worker, I have found most of the suggestions that Dr. Sells outlines helpful and professional.

I do however disagree with some of Dr. Sells suggesitons related to parents attempting to deal physicially with adolescents when certain rules or limits are not met. My experiance with youth suggests that whenever you physcially deal with children other than young kids( under say 10 yrs)parents and therapist risk adolescents becoming more violent by parents being physical. It is better to have police deal with destructive and violent youth. I believe it also may send a mixed message to kids that if parents can be physcial with them then they can be physical back.The message they hear may be that force and restaint is a way to effectvely take control of a situation.

I also think that it is impractical and perhaps inapporiate to expect that clincians can be available 24 hrs a day to a parent as suggested by Dr. Sells. I feel that it may place the clinican in an ethical compormise position by taking control away from the parent rather than impowering them. While I understand the need for parental support in times of crisis. I think that the counselor would be better to not deal directly in any physical involement with youth.

There are however, wonderful examples of the importance of developing repoire with the parents and counselor and beleiving that things will get better.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Treating The Tough Adolescent, May 15, 2001

By 

"kairodark" (Spring, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Treating the Tough Adolescent: A Family-Based, Step-by-Step Guide (Hardcover)

Agree overall with Ed Chapin's review. As a parent of a teen with Oppositional Defiant Disorder, who had his toe across the line of Conduct Disorder, I have read many books. This by far the best. It helped me to get control of my son and change our family's path better than the Psychiatrist, Therapist, or Juvenile Probation Department were able to. Only exceptions I take to his approach is in regards to takedowns and time commitment expection of treating therapist. Takedowns potentially very dangerous with the type kids (and parents) the treatment model is geared to. The expectation for a therapist to be available (to the extent described) 24 hours a day 7 days a week is unrealistic. Any therapist that would make the commitment called for by Dr. Sells is a workaholic! Otherwise, the book is very informative, clear and concise. After reading, I had a much stronger grasp of how we got to where we were and the changes necessary. I believe the knowledge gained from the book contributed immensely in sucessfully working with the therapist who helped us.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A practical guide, October 23, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Treating the Tough Adolescent: A Family-Based, Step-by-Step Guide (Hardcover)

Treating the Tough Adolescent offers a sensible and strategic approach to resolving the family problems of difficult adolescents. This is a valuable book that wedges research-supported ideas into practical guidance for therapists struggling with exasperating adolescents and their families.