"This is the resource that beginning family therapists have anxiously awaited. Nowhere else can they find the day-to-day pragmatics of marital and family treatment spelled out so comprehensively. When used in conjunction with a theory-based text, this book helps beginners know what to do in addition to knowing how to think about families. It is written by seasoned clinicians who teach and supervise beginning students and know their fears, blind spots, and mistakes." --Richard C. Schwartz, PhD, Family Institute of Northwestern University

"This is a valuable and welcome text for the beginning family therapist and for students preparing for careers in the field. I was impressed by the wide array of coverage and the clear and practical way in which the material is presented. The authors, all skilled therapists and trainers, combine their knowledge and expertise to provide a guide which I will look forward to using in my classes to help students on their road to becoming artful, empathic, and knowledgeable therapists. As a trainer and supervisor, I am grateful to these four authors." --Marcia Lasswell, MA, University of Southern California

"An unprecedented clinical primer illustrated with myriad helpful suggestions that take into account the inner dilemmas of the therapist. This comprehensive and up-to-date book serves as a detailed manual of operations for clinicians, one that can be referred to again and again--like a wise consultant--when treatment gets 'stuck.' Even more crucially, therapists will learn the basis for thinking and acting with a biopsychosocial and integrative view of effective practice in the context of current changes in health care delivery. Trainers, supervisors, and students of family therapy will wonder how they could teach and learn before the publication of this book." --Celia Jaes Falicov, PhD, Associate Clinical Professor, University of California at San Diego

"An up-to-date and comprehensive 'how-to' manual that specifically addresses the anxieties and knowledge gaps of beginners regarding the 'nuts-and-bolts' of treatment, and that also addresses the administrative and political issues that surround MFT treatment at the turn of the century....As with an actual person who mentored me, this book speaks with clinical wisdom, clarity, gentleness, sensitivity, and flexibility; and I believe it will empower beginning therapists to do their best work." --from the Foreword by Douglas H. Sprenkle, PhD, Purdue University

"Rarely have I found such a wealth of information presented so well in such a small book. The authors have culled from the literature and their practical experience the essential facts and skills of family therapy in such a manner that the beginning therapist will make this a vital part of their professional library, and a work that they will return to time after time in their learning process....In more than 25 years of family therapy literature, this book stands out as one of the most comprehensive practical works to date. It transcends and at the same time includes the most essential factors in the field and can stand alone as a singular resource that covers the pragmatics and heart of family therapy and family therapists." --The American Journal of Family Therapy

"This book has numerous strengths, and I would definitely use it in my own teaching of family therapy trainees....One of my favorite aspects of this book is the application of several models to specific treatment areas thus broadening the trainees' choices as well as competence in distinguishing models. A second area of strength is the attention paid to practical strategies for therapy sessions....One of my trainees picked up my copy of this book where I had left it lying in the training clinic. As she browsed through it, she said, 'it describes me perfectly. I feel so normal. Everyone should read this book before they first see clients.'" --Journal of Family Psychotherapy

"...this book does just what it promises, it covers many essential family therapy skills in a concise, yet insightful, manner....There are many helpful guidelines and charts....Over and over, I was impressed with the many ways the authors kept making suggestions on how to evaluate oneself as a therapist and learn to self-monitor one's work. Their succinct tips on what to be aware of in certain circumstances were right on. Their ability to place this book in the historical context of the development of family therapy gave credence to their vast knowledge....an excellent baseline for inexperienced family therapists to use in developing the range of resources that they need." --AFTA Newsletter

"...a well-written primer, designed as a text for the beginning family therapist. The book does what it sets out to do, and does it very well. The authors deal, carefully and systematically, with the principal issues that novices face....I especially appreciate the style and quality of the writing. It is collegial and never patronizing....I highly recommend Essential Skills in Family Therapy as a primer for the new therapist and the new student. I have seen introductory texts I liked as well, but none I thought to be superior to this one." --Psychiatric Services

"The work of the first session and of the assessment period, in general, is covered in a very thorough and step-by-step fashion, and the authors provide a good deal of concrete suggestions and useful material sure to be appreciated by therapists as they start out. In general, I found the particular strength of this book to be its attention to detail and the authors' efforts to provide specific advice and practical material....beginning therapists are likely to find this book helpful during their transition from school to work. It does quite a good job of detailing the early and final phases of therapy." --Contemporary Psychology APA Review of Books

Designed throughout to meet the developmental needs of the beginning family therapist, this handbook provides readers with the basic skills and tools necessary to become empathic, confident, and successful practitioners in today's rapidly changing field of family therapy. From initial client intake to the nuts-and-bolts of the interview, assessment, diagnosis, goal setting, treatment planning, intervention techniques, troubleshooting, and termination, the book translates current research findings into cogent recommendations for practice. Numerous case examples and sample treatment plans, forms, and questionnaires complement the text.

JoEllen Patterson, PhD, is Director of the COAMFTE-approved Marriage, Family, and Child Counseling Program at the University of San Diego and serves on the Behavioral Science faculty of Sharp HealthCare's Family Practice Residency. Her publications focus primarily on training and integration of mental health services with healthcare delivery systems.

Lee Williams, PhD, is Assistant Professor in the Marriage, Family, and Child Counseling Program at the University of San Diego. A licensed family therapist and an Approved Supervisor of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy, Dr. Williams has published articles on topics including premarital counseling, family therapy training, and supervision.

Claudia Grauf-Grounds, PhD, teaches in the Marriage, Family, and Child Counseling Program at the University of San Diego. She also serves on the Behavioral Science faculty of Sharp HealthCare's Family Practice Residency and is Director of San Diego's New Life Clinics, a multidisciplinary mental health practice.

Larry Chamow, PhD, has been a practicing family therapist for 18 years. He serves on the faculties of the Marital and Family Therapy Program, University of San Diego, and the California School of Professional Psychology. An Approved Supervisor of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy and a member of the American Family Therapy Academy, he conducts his private practice at the Pacific Family Institute in Carlsbad, California.

1. The Beginning Family Therapist: Taking on the Challenge

2. Before the Intitial Interview

3. The Initial Interview

4. Guidelines for Conducting Assessment

5. Developing a Treatment Focus

6. Basic Treatment Skills

7. Working with Families and Children

8. Working with Couples

9. When a Family Member Has a Mental Illness

10. Getting Unstuck in Therapy

11. Termination

12. Family Therapy in the Future: Pertinent Issues for Beginning Clinicians