The problem of the out-of-control teenager demands immediate and effective attention from clinicians. As American town after town enacts curfew laws for minors and more and more teachers send youths for treatment, therapists are faced with an epidemic for which they often feel ill-prepared. In this book of nuts-and-bolts treatment approaches, mental health professionals are shown how to successfully help defiant and conduct-disordered young people who present with an array of symptoms including chronic truancy, drug abuse, dangerous sexual activity, and poor peer relationships. Drawing on individual, cognitive-behavioral, group, and family approaches, the book emphasizes the process of diffusing the resistance to change and facilitating treatment compliance. The focus is on understanding as well as altering the rage, sense of entitlement, lack of self-control, and disregard for the rights of others. In particular, the book covers how to * engage and motivate these youths * teach patients anger management skills * conduct group exercises and role play prosocial behavior * work with empathy-induced guilt to promote change * manage anticipated disruptions * use therapist self-disclosure to enhance the therapeutic process * foster resilience in the "at-risk" population. To date, no single approach has consistently interrupted the pattern of escalating conflicts and the violations of social norms occurring in this difficult-to-treat population. Each of the prevailing schools of thought makes a contribution to the remediation process but falls short of integrating the diverse interventions available. By presenting a variety of interventions targeting the central deficiencies and systemic dysfunction in the lives of these youths, this book provides clinicians with what they need to make a difference in the lives of troubled young people and those around them. A Jason Aronson Book

Men want to be better fathers, and today they're trying harder than ever. They jog behind strollers, leave work early for parent-teacher conferences, and roughhouse with their kids before they've had a chance to change out of their suits.

But many men aren't building the relationships with their sons that they'd hoped for. And sons are finding it hard to confide in fathers who must devote so much of their time to building careers that both keep them from their families and keep their families comfortable. Many fathers admit that they don't have a clue what's going on in their sons' lives, from ball game schedules to online communities to fears and anxieties about school, friends, and relationships. Fathers often walk around burdened with guilt, worried they're just not able to do the right thing, even though they're trying to be equal partners in parenting with their wives.

"There When He Needs You" is the first book to tell the truth about the challenges that fathers of sons face today -- including the intergenerational legacies of self-doubt that they anxiously carry from themselves having had distant, unavailable fathers. A self-treatment program as well as a psychological X-ray of today's father, "There When He Needs You" shows you how to create and strengthen a real, meaningful bond with your son. Through real-life stories of real-life dads who have lost and found their way, you as a father will learn to reorder your priorities, express yourself more openly, connect with your loved ones, and become the role model that your son needs.

Wives will learn how to gently help their husbands do this -- no nagging, threatening, or criticizing -- while becoming their husband's best friend, cheerleader, and coach. Turning the father-son dynamic inside out, "There When He Needs You" helps fathers, sons, and mothers to understand their roles in the family and create relationships that fuel closeness and trust.

"There When He Needs You" will open your eyes, tickle your funny bone, and touch your heart. Ultimately, you'll understand what it really means to be a father to your son and discover new ways to be there for him.