The authors describe a view that our short-, medium-, and long- term behavior, interactions, and relationships--whether planned or spontaneous, purposeful or playful--can be understood in terms of goal-directed systems. An understanding of action theory and research methods used in applied settings is provided. It leads to the conclusion that individual processes are joint processes and the joint construction of lives should be monitored to understand ongoing personal and social involvements.

The unique contribution of this book lies in its bringing together and extending of basic features of the theory of goal-directed action systems previously published in a range of scattered research and conceptual articles in the literature. Professionals including clinicians, counselors, social workers, researchers, doctors, nurses, and physical or occupational therapists will find in this book an accessible means to understand, act on, research, and intervene in the behavioral processes they encounter in everyday work.

Engaging in action is at the heart of our most meaningful experiences. And given the fast-paced, goal-driven nature of modern society, engagement in action is also central to how we perceive ourselves. Action has traditionally been viewed as an end product of the counseling process, but now a bold new redefinition makes counseling not only a driver of action, but an action in itself. Counseling and Action couples a timely update on the multiple roles of action in counseling with an action-based framework for enhancing progress between client and professional. Grounded in the core concepts of contextual action theory as well as key aspects of counseling (e.g., identity, intentionality, emotion), the book explicates an approach that is responsive to client complexities and the larger social conditions that frame them. Expert-penned chapters apply theory to practice, illustrating levels of engagement in action as counselor and client negotiate goals and work toward their realization. And an especially useful section offers guidelines for intervening with specific populations and addressing particular issues. Among the topics covered: Designing projects for career construction. Agentic action in context. Counseling intentional addiction recovery grounded in relationships and social meaning. The action of mindfulness in counseling. A contextual action theory perspective on self-efficacy in individual counseling. Counseling processes and procedures through the lens of contextual action theory. With its forceful argument for a quantum leap in both theory and practice, Counseling and Action is transformative reading for professionals, educators, and graduate students in social work, psychotherapy, psychology, and counseling.

The transition to adulthood involves, for most individuals, moving from school to work, establishment of long-term relationships, possibly parenting, and a number of other psychosocial transformations. Now more than ever, there is a concern within popular and research literature about children growing up too soon or too late or failing to realize changes associated with being adult. With this in mind, the book intends to answer a series of timely questions in regard to transition to adulthood and propose a wholly new approach to counseling that enables youth to engage fully in their lives and achieve their best.

Active Transition to Adulthood: A New Approach for Counseling will discuss the authors' work on the transition to adulthood (including early and late adolescence) from an entirely innovative perspective - action theory. Over a period of 10-15 years the authors have collected substantial data on adolescents and youth in transition, and will present an approach to counseling based on these data and cases. The action theory perspective in which the authors have grounded their work addresses the intentional, goal-directed behavior of persons and groups that is expressed through particular actions, longer-term projects, and life-encompassing careers. In this book, both transition to adulthood and counseling will be covered in the language of goal-directed action. In this way both transition and counseling reflect and capture the action, projects, and careers in which families, youth, and clients are engaged and use to construct on-going identity and other narratives."

Engaging in action is at the heart of our most meaningful experiences. And given the fast-paced, goal-driven nature of modern society, engagement in action is also central to how we perceive ourselves. Action has traditionally been viewed as an end product of the counseling process, but now a bold new redefinition makes counseling not only a driver of action, but an action in itself. Counseling and Action couples a timely update on the multiple roles of action in counseling with an action-based framework for enhancing progress between client and professional. Grounded in the core concepts of contextual action theory as well as key aspects of counseling (e.g., identity, intentionality, emotion), the book explicates an approach that is responsive to client complexities and the larger social conditions that frame them. Expert-penned chapters apply theory to practice, illustrating levels of engagement in action as counselor and client negotiate goals and work toward their realization. And an especially useful section offers guidelines for intervening with specific populations and addressing particular issues. Among the topics covered: Designing projects for career construction. Agentic action in context. Counseling intentional addiction recovery grounded in relationships and social meaning. The action of mindfulness in counseling. A contextual action theory perspective on self-efficacy in individual counseling. Counseling processes and procedures through the lens of contextual action theory. With its forceful argument for a quantum leap in both theory and practice, Counseling and Action is transformative reading for professionals, educators, and graduate students in social work, psychotherapy, psychology, and counseling.

A young woman is abandoned by her boyfriend, an older man retires and feels worthless and lonely, a young man learns that his wife is having an extramarital affair. They all see suicide as the only solution. Usually, after a suicide attempt, people are treated in a hospital, where professionals try to work out the underlying psychiatric illness. Ladislav Valach and Annette Reissfelder, however, argue that suicide is not an illness but an action. Since this understanding is based on a high regard for everyday accounts of one's own experiences, the suicidal persons are given the stage in this book. The textbook presents twelve different cases after a suicide attempt. In the analysis of the conversations, attention is paid to the theory of action in everyday life. By presenting the long-term, medium-term and short-term concerns of the patients or the actions in the stories, practitioners gain a detailed insight into the underlying causes of the suicidal act and its treatment.

Eine junge Frau wird von ihrem Freund verlassen, ein alterer Mann wird pensioniert und fuhlt sich wertlos und einsam, ein junger Mann erfahrt, dass seine Frau eine aussereheliche Beziehung pflegt. Sie alle sehen nur noch den Suizid als Loesung. UEblicherweise werden Personen nach einem Suizidversuch in einem Krankenhaus behandelt, wo Fachpersonen versuchen, die zugrunde liegende psychiatrische Erkrankung herauszuarbeiten. Ladislav Valach und Annette Reissfelder argumentieren jedoch, dass Suizid nicht eine Krankheit, sondern eine Handlung ist. Da diesem Verstandnis die Hochschatzung alltaglicher Darstellungen eigener Erlebnisse zugrunde liegt, wird in diesem Buch den suizidalen Personen die Buhne freigegeben. Das Fachbuch stellt zwoelf verschiedene Falle nach einem Suizidversuch vor. Bei der Analyse der Gesprache wird auf die Handlungstheorie des Alltags geachtet. Durch die Darstellung der langfristigen, mittel- und kurzfristigen Anliegen der Patient*innen bzw. den Handlungen in den Geschichten, erhalten Praktizierende einen detaillierten Einblick in die der Suizidhandlung zugrunde liegenden Ursachen und deren Behandlung.

Urs Kalbermatten und Ladislav Valach ubertragen Handlungstheorie erfolgreich auf angewandte Forschung und verschiedene Praxisfelder in Gerontologie, Paarbeziehungen im Alter, Lebensubergange, Beratung, Psychotherapie, Pravention und Rehabilitation. Sie belegen mit ihrer vierzigjahrigen Weiterentwicklung handlungstheoretischerKonzepte und Modelle, wie diese eine bessere Konzeptualisierung von Praxisfeldern, eine wirkungsvolle praktische Tatigkeit und auch eine evidenzbasierte, theoriegestutzte Intervention ermoeglicht.