Therapy is frequently miscast as requiring an enormous amount of time and financial commitment, but helpful, goal-oriented therapy can produce positive results after only a few sessions. Solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) has been gaining momentum as a powerful therapeutic approach since its inception in the 1980s. By focusing on solutions instead of problems, it asks clients to set concrete goals and to draw upon strengths in their lives that can help bring about the desired change for a preferred future. Addressing both researchers and practitioners, a distinguished cast of international, interdisciplinary contributors review the current state of research on SFBT interventions and illustrate its applications-both proven and promising-with a diverse variety of populations, including domestic violence offenders, troubled and runaway youth, students, adults with substance abuse problems, and clients with schizophrenia. This expansive text also includes a treatment manual, strengths-based and fidelity measures, and detailed descriptions on how to best apply SFBT to underscore the strengths, skills, and resources that clients may unknowingly possess. With its rich assortment of resources, this handbook is the definitive guide to SFBT for scholars and mental health practitioners alike.

Mindfulness for Therapists: Practice for the Heart encourages therapists to embrace mindfulness practice to create presence and depth in their work with clients. Mindfulness helps therapists cultivate compassion, relieve stress, and weather the often emotionally difficult work of providing therapy. In addition, the therapist's own meditation practice is a necessary foundation for teaching mindfulness to clients. Through a variety of exercises and stories from his own clinical experience, McCollum helps therapists understand the usefulness of mindfulness, and develop their own practice.

Mindfulness for Therapists: Practice for the Heart encourages therapists to embrace mindfulness practice to create presence and depth in their work with clients. Mindfulness helps therapists cultivate compassion, relieve stress, and weather the often emotionally difficult work of providing therapy. In addition, the therapist's own meditation practice is a necessary foundation for teaching mindfulness to clients. Through a variety of exercises and stories from his own clinical experience, McCollum helps therapists understand the usefulness of mindfulness, and develop their own practice.

Use goal-oriented techniques for successful family therapy with substance abusers Family therapy is an essential core competency for substance-abuse counselors, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Family Solutions for Substance Abuse: Clinical and Counseling Approaches delivers the information and techniques you need to effectively treat addicts and their families. By understanding and changing the dynamics of the family system, you will be better able to guide your clients to adopt strategies and behaviors that sustain recovery and maintain healthy relationships.Family Solutions for Substance Abuse provides clear models of diagnosis and intervention for families, whether that means couples, teenagers and their parents, or Mom, Dad, and the kids. The theoretical background on family systems will help you understand the context of the client's addiction and the way it affects and is affected by other family members. Numerous case studies and figures bring the expert advice and theory into the practical realm so you can choose the best strategies for helping the shattered family heal.Family Solutions for Substance Abuse will teach you useful therapeutic skills and strategies, including: understanding interdependence joining with different family members negotiating goals and contracts dealing with family violence assessing motivation handling relapses ending treatmentTreating addictions is notoriously difficult for even the most skilled therapist working with the most motivated client. Using the techniques in Family Solutions for Substance Abuse offers you and your clients a better chance at success, because addicts whose families share their treatment are much more likely to stay in counseling and remain clean and sober.

Use goal-oriented techniques for successful family therapy with substance abusers Family therapy is an essential core competency for substance-abuse counselors, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Family Solutions for Substance Abuse: Clinical and Counseling Approaches delivers the information and techniques you need to effectively treat addicts and their families. By understanding and changing the dynamics of the family system, you will be better able to guide your clients to adopt strategies and behaviors that sustain recovery and maintain healthy relationships.Family Solutions for Substance Abuse provides clear models of diagnosis and intervention for families, whether that means couples, teenagers and their parents, or Mom, Dad, and the kids. The theoretical background on family systems will help you understand the context of the client's addiction and the way it affects and is affected by other family members. Numerous case studies and figures bring the expert advice and theory into the practical realm so you can choose the best strategies for helping the shattered family heal.Family Solutions for Substance Abuse will teach you useful therapeutic skills and strategies, including: understanding interdependence joining with different family members negotiating goals and contracts dealing with family violence assessing motivation handling relapses ending treatmentTreating addictions is notoriously difficult for even the most skilled therapist working with the most motivated client. Using the techniques in Family Solutions for Substance Abuse offers you and your clients a better chance at success, because addicts whose families share their treatment are much more likely to stay in counseling and remain clean and sober.

Up to 65% of couples who seek therapy for marital problems have had at least one prior violent episode. Unfortunately, therapists often miss this critical information because they do not effectively assess for it. This book presents a safety-focused approach to assessment and treatment of couples who choose to remain together after one or both partners have been violent. Treatment options for intimate partner violence have evolved alongside the growing awareness and broader definitions of domestic violence. Since 1997 the authors have conducted Domestic Violence Focused Couples Treatment (DVFCT), collected data, and refined their program. The authors outline their assessment and screening process and share case illustrations to demonstrate when conjoint treatment can be a safe and viable option. Readers get an overview of the 18-session course of DVFCT and tips for adapting it for multi-couple groups or for a single couple. The major tenets of solution-focused therapy, such as underscoring even the smallest of successes, are emphasized throughout, as are the following special features: -safety planning -mindfulness techniques for anger awareness and reduction -negotiated time-out procedures -drug and alcohol use modules -psychoeducational tools and materials on violence Therapists will learn how to assess intimate partner violence and help couples eliminate all forms of violence and begin on a positive path toward their vision of a healthy relationship.