Brief Strategic Family Therapy

Jos amp eacute Szapocznik, PhD, is the co-developer of brief strategic family therapy. He is Professor of Public Health Sciences, Architecture, Psychology, and Educational and Psychological Studies at the University of Miami, and Director of the Center for Family Studies at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. His policy roles include service on the NIH National Advisory Councils for the National Institute on Mental Health, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. He has received more than $ 25 million in NIH funding and has over 280 scholarly publications.  Olga E. Hervis, MSW, LCSW, is the co-developer of brief strategic family therapy and family effectiveness training. She has held academic positions at the University of Miami, Florida International University and Barry University. She is a frequent consultant on scientific studies on family therapy, having served in numerous national grant review committees for the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Justice. Olga's work has been published in books and scholarly articles, and she has won numerous awards, including the 2000 Exemplary Model in Substance Abuse Prevention Award presented to her and JosÉ Szapocznik, by the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention in Washington, DC.

"In this accessible volume, Szapocznik and Hervis offer a distillation of the basic elements of their highly effective and proven approach to family change in challenging situations. The guidelines will be invaluable for trainees and for seasoned clinicians working in the family's home, independent practice, community agencies, clinics, and school counseling or juvenile justice settings. A laudable contribution." - Celia Jaes Falicov, PhD, Past President, American Family Therapy Academy, author of Latino Families in Therapy, and coeditor of Multiculturalism and Diversity in Clinical Supervision: A Competency-Based Approach "Szapocznik and Hervis provide the definitive description of brief strategic family therapy, one of the best evidence-based treatments for adolescent behavioral and emotional problems. Building on the history of the approach as a major locus for treatment innovations such as cultural adaptation and assertive engagement, the expansive coverage of these topics will be very helpful to therapists who practice other forms of therapy. This book should be in every therapist's library." - Jay Lebow, PhD, ABPP, Editor, Family Process, and Clinical Professor and Senior Scholar, The Family Institute at Northwestern, Evanston, IL "This volume is a sparkling meld of structural and strategic family therapy for the 2 st century! Concepts and practices are delineated with clarity for new learners and sophistication for experienced practitioners." - Evan Imber-Black, PhD, Professor and Program Director, Marriage and Family Therapy Masters Degree Program and Senior Faculty, Ackerman Institute for the Family, New York, NY "Brilliant! Forty years of amazing clinical thinking and research, poured into a single volume. The authors bring back our focus on family interaction, on deep and profound conversations, and on resuscitating love. Easy to read, easy to use, easy to teach. Really the heart and soul of family therapy." - Guy Diamond, PhD, Director, Center for Family Intervention Science, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA

• ForewordPrefaceIntroduction1. Basic Concepts of Brief Strategic Family TherapyFamily SystemsStructure: The Script for the Family PlayStrategyContextProcess Versus Content: A Critical DistinctionAdvice to TherapistsKey Takeaways2. Joining: Preparing the TerrainCreating the Therapeutic SystemJoining TechniquesAdvice to TherapistsKey Takeaways3. Diagnosing Family Systems Patterns of InteractionsOrganizationResonanceFamily Developmental StageIdentified PatienthoodConflict ResolutionLife ContextKey Takeaways4. Applied Issues in DiagnosisEncouraging EnactmentDefining Adaptive or Maladaptive PatternsPlanning Treatment on the Basis of DiagnosisInterrelationship Between DimensionsKey Takeaways5. Orchestrating Change: RestructuringBuilding on Joining and DiagnosisWorking in the PresentDeveloping Mastery: Helping the Family Build Competence in Adaptive InteractionsThe Process of RestructuringKey Takeaways. Pitfalls to AvoidContent-Driven TherapyAbout-ismCentralization of the TherapistLecturing and PhilosophizingLosing the Leadership in the Therapeutic SystemDoing for the Family or Playing a Family RoleGetting "Sucked" Into the Family's FrameFailing to Close the DealKey Takeaways7. Engaging Families Into Brief Strategic Family TherapyChallenges for TherapistsDiagnostic Dimensions of EngagementHow to Engage Reluctant FamiliesWorking With Challenging Family Interactional PatternsKey Takeaways8. Applying Brief Strategic Family Therapy to Different CircumstancesWhen the Family's Home Is the Practice SettingFamily CompositionsSpecial CircumstancesKey Takeaways9. Bringing It All Together: The Case of JJJJ's CaseEngaging the FamilyThe First Therapy SessionSession 2Sessions 3 to 5Sessions 6 and 7Session 8Sessions 9 to 12Key TakeawaysConcluding ThoughtsReferencesIndexAbout the Authors