For introduction to family therapy courses

The Essentials of Family Therapy examines the full scope of family therapy - its rich history, classic schools, and latest developments - with an increased emphasis on practical issues. With its focus on contemporary clinical practice, illustrative case studies, and extremely practical presentation, The Essentials of Family Therapy helps readers gain a thorough understanding of why a therapy technique is successful and how they can apply it in their own practice.

The 7th Edition features new case studies with Reflect and Apply Questions to help students think about how to apply therapeutic principles; end-of chapter questions that are designed to help readers think critically about the principles in the chapter and consider how to apply them; and additional content highlighting the essential concepts in each chapter. New material that emphasises recent trends in clinical practice has been added, including: a revised Cognitive-Behavioural chapter that focuses on recent trends (Ch.9); a new section on families with transgender members (Ch. 10); and a new chapter about research (Ch. 14).

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Features

User-friendly features help students learn essential concepts and understand how theory is applied in practice Real-world examples, experiences, and first-hand knowledge are integrated throughout the text. Descriptions of the various models are based on actual experience with those models and their developers as well as on contributions of leading practitioners of those approaches.

Coverage of gender, culture, ethnicity, and ethical issues relating to family therapy are discussed throughout

New to this edition

Essential Points at the beginning of each chapter provide brief summaries of the main ideas in the chapter. Questions to Consider at the start of each chapter introduce important concepts and set students up to think critically about the concepts, techniques, and principles presented.
Key terms are highlighted throughout and are also included in an end-of-book glossary Essential Highlights are summarized at the end of each chapter. A Recommended Reading list is included at the end of each chapter. Review Questions and Reflection Questions at the end of each chapter are designed to help students think critically about the principles in the chapter and apply them to their life. Additional real-world case studies with Reflect and Reply questions help students learn to think about how to apply therapeutic principles. All of the cases presented are drawn from the authors’ own practice or from experts in the field. An enhanced focus on clinical practice that helps readers gain a full understanding of how each theory makes sense of change, and what each theory looks like in practice Current research findings integrated into each chapter A new chapter about research which includes a discussion of why research has failed to influence clinical practice and suggestions Guidelines for productive problem-solving conversations A more concise chapter on Bowen family systems therapy A new section on working with transgender persons A significantly revised cognitive-behavioural chapter with more focus on recent trends in clinical practice