Brief Strategic Family Therapy - Paperback

by José Szapocznik (Author), Olga Hervis (Author)

Brief strategic family therapy (BSFT) is an evidence-based intervention for diagnosing and correcting patterns of family
interactions that are linked to distressing experiences and symptoms in children ages 6-18. This clinical guide shows
practitioners how to transform family interactions from conflictive to collaborative, from habitual to proactive, so that the love
trapped behind the anger can flourish, and family members can re-bond in loving and mutually caring relationships

Readers of this book will learn how to engage families that are reluctant to become involved in family therapy, and structure a
12-to 16-week intervention that will effect powerful behavioral change. Therapists help adults learn to collaborate with one another to nurture, guide, and handle misbehavior among children and teens.

Dozens of detailed clinical examples show practitioners how to navigate family complexities, and how to work through the challenging decision points they present.

Author Biography

José 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 $125 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.