Integrative Systemic Therapy for Families with Children and Adolescents : A Clinician's Handbook (The Family Institute Series)

This book provides an in-depth introduction to the theory and application of Integrative Systemic Therapy (IST) when working with children and their families, allowing clinicians to enhance their skill set and capacity to work effectively with this population. Written by internationally recognized experts in the field of systemic family therapy, this book describes the development and theoretical underpinnings of IST and essential considerations for working specifically with children and adolescents to develop a strong therapeutic alliance. Readers follow a clinical case involving a multi-problem family through the authors' framework for treatment. Chapters explore how to locate and identify problems, reduce the impact of children-specific problems, and work with constraints pulling from the therapist's arsenal of multisystemic tools. Special attention is given to clinical case formulations and strategies for addressing situations when therapy progress is limited and relational difficulties compound the presenting problems. This book is suitable for a wide range of mental health professionals as well as students of clinical psychology, counselling, and clinical social work who work regularly or intermittently with children, adolescents, and their families.