The Solution Focused Approach with Children and Young People: Current Thinking and Practice brings together leading figures and innovative practitioners from different professions, contexts and countries to provide a unique overview of Solution Focused work with children and young people. Presenting a range of applications in individual, group and community work, it puts the spotlight on diverse fields, exploring how the Solution Focused approach can work in real-world contexts. This book showcases a powerful, engaging approach which helps children and young people find the resources and strengths to manage difficulties and make the most of their lives. It contains interesting case studies, narrative descriptions of original practice, programmes of work developed using Solution Focused principles, and thought-provoking discussions of key elements of practice. With chapters presenting perspectives from coaching, therapy, consultancy and education, and applications including learning assessments, child protection, bereavement, edge of care, and youth offending, the book provides an overview of the current state of practice and provides pointers to potential new developments. The Solution Focused Approach with Children and Young People will help both experienced practitioners and those new to the approach to develop and update their knowledge and skills, as well as introducing them to creative and cutting-edge tools to inspire fresh ideas and thinking. It will be essential reading for Solution Focused practitioners and students, as well as coaches, social workers, school counsellors and mental health professionals working with children and young people.

"Prayer in Counseling ... The Practitioner's Handbook" is a bold apologetic for seeing greater use of prayer with the practice of counseling and psychotherapy in faith-based community, pastoral, and mainstream counseling settings. Using the evidence-based results of the best research studies and client surveys on the efficacy of prayer, the choice to integrate prayer with therapy is philosophically and empirically analyzed from every vantage. Practical examples, key filtering questions, and "tried and true" guidelines help the reader find a balance between the two extremes of avoidance/neglect of prayer as well as excessive/unwise usage. Gathering the best wisdom from the existing literature, the author builds a strong case to view prayer and counseling as unique but complementary avenues for dynamic change in a person's life. In light of potential counseling dilemmas and the need for healthy accountability "Prayer in Counseling" provides a roadmap to navigate the challenging ethical considerations of when and how to integrate prayer into therapy. Scriptural hindrances to effective prayer are identified and then contrasted against biblical principles and practical direction to make prayer a powerful, healing, and successful spiritual intervention in the counseling arena.

Arts Therapies in the Treatment of Depression is a comprehensive compilation of expert knowledge on arts therapies' potential in successfully addressing depression. The book identifies ways of addressing the condition in therapy sessions, shares experience of tools and approaches which seem to work best and guides towards a conscious and confident evidence-based practice. Including contributions from international experts in the field of arts therapies, the book presents some of the most recent, high-profile and methodologically diverse research, whether in the form of clinical trials, surveys or case studies. The three sections of this volume correspond to particular life stages and explore major topics in arts therapies practice and the nature of depression in children, adults and in later life. Individual chapters within the three sections represent all four arts therapies disciplines. The book hopes to improve existing arts therapies practice and research, by encouraging researchers to use creativity in designing meaningful research projects and empowering practitioners to use evidence creatively for the benefit of their clients and the discipline. Arts Therapies in the Treatment of Depression is an essential resource for arts therapies researchers, practitioners and arts therapists in training. It should also be of interest to other health researchers and health professionals, particularly those who work with clients experiencing depression and in multidisciplinary teams.

In Resilience as a Framework for Coaching: A Cognitive Behavioural Perspective, Michael Neenan presents an in-depth understanding of resilience and shows how coaches can help their clients to develop and enhance their own resilience. By focusing on the beliefs, emotions and behaviours that promote or hinder the development of resilience, Neenan provides coaches with plenty of discussion points for inclusion in their sessions. The book, written in an engaging and accessible style, includes a chapter showing the unfolding of a five-session course of resilience coaching with lengthy dialogue excerpts between the coach and the client, accompanied by a commentary on the coach's interventions. Throughout the book there are plenty of case studies and examples of resilience in action. The book ends with a recap on resilience pinpointing some of the key features of a resilient mindset. Written by an established expert in the field of resilience and cognitive behavioural coaching, Resilience as a Framework for Coaching represents an essential resource for those wishing to train in this discipline. The book will appeal to coaches, coaching psychologists, psychotherapists and clinical, health and counselling psychologists with an interest in coaching, human resource professionals, counsellors and trainees in these disciplines.

This edited collection addresses how therapy can engage with issues of race, culture, religion and spirituality. It is a response to the need for practitioners to further their understanding and skills base in developing ways of appropriately responding to the interconnectivity of these evolving issues.

Although philosophy has become a purely academic discipline over the last few centuries, it once played an important role in the politics of many Western nations. Now, the end of the 20th century, philosophy seems to be returning to its original, practical purposes, thanks to the new practice of philosophical counseling, which is now emerging as an alternative to psychoanalysis and other clinical approaches. This volume describes the main theoretical aspects of this practice based on an open-ended dialogue between a philosophical practitioner and a client or a group, and places it in a historical context, while contrasting it with various forms of psychological counseling. To illustrate how philosophy can be beneficial, the author, a practicing philosophical counselor, also presents several case studies from her own practice.

Therapy is an essentially human activity that needs to be understood in terms of the relationships, processes of communication and people involved. This book is designed to support therapists in establishing open and mutual relationships, with clients and colleagues, for shared decision making, effective working partnerships and mutual empowerment. * Issues of the use of counselling skills are looked at specifically focusing on the principles, processes and contexts of therapy. * The book takes a reflective practitioner approach and provides activities designed to help the reader relate the ideas discussed in the book to themselves, their practice as therapists and the particular context of their work. * the book draws on and explores a wide range of personal and formal perspectives, including the clients' viewpoints, to enhance reflection on communication and relationships in practice. This books will be invaluable reading for all therapists looking to improve their professional relationship skills. 'This excellent and readable book is part of the Butterworth-Heinemann Skills for Practice series. This is a book for every general or specialist therapist who has a will to become a more reflective practitioner. It is certainly a must for every department library, and would I hope stimulate interesting discussion and evaluation of practice.' - Physiotherapy, March 1996

The world is changing. The first century of the third millennium has seen exponential growth and advancement in almost all areas, and makes the last century of the second millennium look like a rusty old steam train by comparison. The 'digital revolution' is no longer a revolution. Practically anyone can publicise their outlook, whilst having access to a wealth of information at the click of a button. And this levels out the playing field in an unprecedented and unpredictable way. So how can anyone stand out? How can anyone gain a competitive advantage? How can anyone master more influence? How can anyone lead? The answer lies in coaching: a discipline that enhances performance by generating meaning through the art of relating. In Coaching for Impact, Vassilis Antonas brings together his dual expertise in executive coaching and psychotherapy to present a transformative, evolutionary approach. The book examines methodology, presence and fundamental skills and includes a new, innovative model of leadership. Antonas also uses Jungian concepts to address the coach's internal disposition, supporting their evolution and transformation. Coaching for Impact equips trainee and beginner coaches with an A to Z of executive coaching and engages seasoned practitioners to an uncompromised pursuit of excellence by pushing the boundaries of leadership coaching. It will appeal to executive and leadership coaches at all levels, including those in training.

As the average length of therapy shortens, clinicians need a resource to lead them step-by-step through the goals and process of the opening sessions of brief therapy as well as clear treatment maps for the most common presenting problems. This resource helps clinicians do just that and more, including doing a quick assessment and isolating and addressing the underlying emotional wounds that prevent families and couples from solving problems on their own. Readers will not only learn how to "think brief," they will also discover how to navigate the session process in an interactive and action-oriented way, even with clients who are in high-pressure, crisis situations.

Currently, there is a lack of resources and information regarding how to best understand and support those impacted by incarceration. As the number of people impacted by incarceration rises, it is important that we acknowledge the issues and address the concerns faced by professionals such as social workers and educators that work with families and the most vulnerable populations impacted by incarceration. Counseling Strategies for Children and Families Impacted by Incarceration provides in-depth information and background regarding the growing group of children and families impacted by incarceration. It sets out to bridge the gap between community and school counseling, mental health counseling, social work, and social and cultural issues and can be used for skills development and social justice reasons. Covering topics such as school counseling resources, community engagement, and trauma, it is ideal for researchers, academicians, practitioners, instructors, policymakers, social workers, social justice advocates, counselors, and students.

School-Based Multisystemic Interventions for Mass Trauma presents the theoretical foundations of school-based crisis intervention, which is a systemic approach to helping the school system in an emergency.
The book offers a theory- and research-based framework to address the numerous and varied needs of student, parents, educational staff, school administration, and the mental health professionals themselves. The sections include the following: A systematic review of the theory and findings relevant to mass disasters, their impact on children, and postdisaster stress processing and positive coping; A conceptual basis for schoolwide preventive interventions; and, A comprehensive multisystemic intervention plan involving school children, school personnel, and community agencies. School-Based Multisystemic Interventions for Mass Trauma is a valuable resource for school psychologists, school mental health workers, clinical child psychologists, school counsellors, as well as for educators and school administrators.

Optimizing Learning Outcomes provides answers for the most pressing questions that mental health professionals, teachers, and administrators are facing in today's schools. Chapters provide a wide array of evidence-based resources-including links to video segments-that promote understanding, discussion, and successful modeling. Accessible how-to trainings provide readers with multiple sensory-based practices that improve academic success and promote behavioral regulation. Clinicians and educators will come away from this book with a variety of tools for facilitating brain-based, trauma-sensitive learning for all, realizing improved learning outcomes, improving teacher satisfaction, and reducing disciplinary actions and suspensions.

Does it make sense - can it make sense - for someone who appreciates the explanatory power of modern science to continue believing in a traditional religious account of the ultimate nature and purpose of our universe? This book is intended for those who care about that question and are dissatisfied with the rigid dichotomies that dominate the contemporary debate. The extremists won't be interested - those who assume that science answers all the questions that matter, and those so certain of their religious faith that dialogue with science, philosophy, or other faith traditions seems unnecessary. But far more people today recognize that matters of faith are complex, that doubt is endemic to belief, and that dialogue is indispensable in our day.
In eight probing chapters, the authors of The Predicament of Belief consider the most urgent reasons for doubting that religious claims - in particular, those embedded in the Christian tradition - are likely to be true. They develop a version of Christian faith that preserves the tradition's core insights but also gauges the varying degrees of certainty with which those insights can still be affirmed. Along the way, they address such questions as the ultimate origin of the universe, the existence of innocent suffering, the challenge of religious plurality, and how to understand the extraordinary claim that an ancient teacher rose from the dead. They end with a discussion of what their conclusions imply about the present state and future structure of churches and other communities in which Christian affirmations are made.

On any given night, there are over 643,000 homeless peopleresiding in shelters and on the streets across America. What can we do to help?
"Levy crafts stories of characters who sear the memory: OldMan Ray, the World War II veteran who resents the VA system andregards himself as the de facto night watchman at Port Authority;Ben who claims to be a prophet disowned in his own country, crucifiedby the government and enslaved by poverty finds a bridge tothe mainstream services and a path to housing through the commonlanguage of religious metaphors, including redemption andforgiveness; and Andrew who has been 'mentally murdered' ishelped to understand his own situation and gain disability benefitsthrough the language of trauma; among others.
These stories are deftly interwoven with theory and practice as Levy constructshis developmental model of the engagement and pretreatment process. The outreachworker strives to understand the language and the culture of each homeless individual, builds a bridge to the mainstream services, and helps those providers to understandthe special circumstances of these vulnerable people. Levy bears witness to thecourage of these pilgrims who wander the streets of our cities, and his poignant bookis a testament to the healing power of trusting and enduring relationships."
--Jim O'Connell, MD - President and Street Physician forBoston Health Care for the Homeless Program
The reader will...
Experience moving real life stories that demystify homeless outreach and its centralobjectives and challenges.Learn about effective strategies of outreach & engagement with under-servedpopulations.Understand and be able to utilize the stages of common language construction inyour own practice.Learn about pretreatment principles and their applications with persons experiencinguntreated major mental illness, addiction, and medical issues.Discover new interventions via outreach counseling, advocacy and case managementwith people experiencing long-term or chronic homelessness.Understand how to better integrate policy, programs (e.g. Housing First), and supervisionwith homeless outreach initiatives.
About the Author
Jay S. Levy, LICSW has spent the last 20 years working withindividuals who experience homelessness. He has developed newprograms and provided clinical staff supervision. Jay is one ofthe architects to the Regional Engagement and Assessment forChronically Homeless Housing program (REACH). This wasadopted by the Western Massachusetts Regional Network as aninnovative approach toward reducing chronic homelessness.
Learn more at www.JaySLevy.com
From the New Horizons in Therapy Series at Loving Healing Press www.LovingHealing.com
SOC025000 Social Science: Social Work
PSY010000 Psychology: Psychotherapy - Counseling
POL002000 Political Science: Public Policy - City Planning & Urban Dev.

Introductory texts on psychological testing and evaluation historically are not in short supply. Typically, however, such texts have been relatively superficial in their discussion of clinical material and have focused primarily on the theoretical and psychometric properties of indi vidual tests. More practical, clinically relevant presentations of psychological instruments have been confined to individual volumes with advanced and often very technical information geared to the more sophisticated user. Professors in introductory graduate courses are often forced to adopt several advanced texts to cover the material, at the same time helping students wade through unnecessary technical information in order to provide a basic working knowl edge of each test. Understanding Psychological Assessment is an attempt to address these concerns. It brings together into a single volume a broad sampling of the most respected instruments in the psychologist's armamentarium along with promising new tests of cognitive, vocational, and personality functioning. Additionally, it presents the most updated versions of these tests, all in a practical, clearly written format that covers the development, psychometrics, administra tive considerations, and interpretive hypotheses for each instrument. Clinical case studies allow the reader to apply the interpretive guidelines to real clinical data, thereby reinforcing basic understanding of the instrument and helping to insure that both the student and practi tioner can actually begin to use the test. Understanding Psychological Assessment includes cognitive and personality tests for adults, children, and adolescents, as well as chapters on the theory of psychological measurement and integrated report writing."

'I wish I had had not had to write this book because then my lovely son Reuben would still be alive,' says David Cohen. 'He was adorable, formidably intelligent, a loving son, a loving brother. He died far too young. He had the bad luck to have two grandparents who had addictive personalities. His efforts to resist the lure of drugs failed. And so did I.' The Book of My Son Reuben is a personal account of how psychologist David Cohen coped - and did not cope - with the death of his son, Reuben. Offering a unique perspective on the experience of parental loss, it offers a personal and analytical exploration of sorrow and guilt, and of what research tells us about trauma and grief. Illustrated throughout with David Cohen's personal insight into how he continues to navigate his loss, this honest book provides deeper understanding of loss for parents who have experienced it, as well as those who support them. The book remembers the many parents who have lost children throughout history and chapters weave personal perspectives with the latest research. It examines the experience of sudden deaths, the failures of society in preventing children from dying, the role of social media, how the loss of a child impacts fathers, siblings and relationships, and the usefulness - and not - of bereavement therapies. A tribute to Reuben's life, this sensitive volume is for those who have experienced loss and want to gain better understanding of their experience, as well as psychologists, psychotherapists and counsellors working with families.