The Adolescent in Family Therapy: Harnessing the Power of Relationships (The Guilford Family Therapy) - Hardcover

"This thoughtful, caring, and practical book demonstrates the maturation of family therapy. Integrative in the truest sense, the book brings together theories and approaches best suited to specific troubled families and teenagers. The author knows and understands his clients, and his case discussions are compelling and wonderfully written. Readers will be rewarded by the book's clarity and focus and will be challenged to emulate Micucci's compassion, persistence, and creativity." - John Sargent, MD, The Menninger Clinic

"This book is particularly strong on issues of adolescent sexuality--both male and female, heterosexual and homosexual. Its subject and sophistication make it unique in the annals of structural family therapy." - Deborah Luepnitz, PhD, author of The Family Interpreted

Much of the writing on therapy with adolescents suggests contradictory approaches. On the one hand, therapists are advised to encourage the teenager's individuality and separation; on the other, they are urged to help parents "pull in the reins" and re-establish a strong sense of authority. This book proposes that what is missing from both of these formulations is a focus on strengthening the quality of family relationships and ensuring that adolescents receive the ongoing parental nurturance they need. Presenting a developmentally grounded approach to treating a wide range of adolescent problems, Joseph Micucci shows how troubled teenagers and their parents can be helped to use family relationships as catalysts for growth and change. Filled with realistic case examples, step-by-step discussions of the process of assessment and therapy, and straightforward clinical advice, the book describes specific family intervention strategies for eating disorders, depression, defiant behavior, underachievement, stress caused by psychotic symptoms, and other frequently encountered conditions. Attention is also given to working with schools and the special challenges of treating multiproblem families.