Essential Skills in Family Therapy: From the First Interview to Termination

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.