Power and Compassion: Working with Difficult Adolescents and Abused Parents (The Guilford Family Therapy Series) - Hardcover

Price, Jerome A.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1572301414 ISBN 13: 9781572301412

Publisher: Guilford Press, 1996

Synopsis

Drawing from structural-strategic family therapy, this pragmatic treatment guide looks at threatening teenagers in a new light. It describes how triangles formed by uncontrolled young people and adult authority figures anxious to appear understanding - including therapists - may service to increase the rebellious power these adolescents yield. Proposing new solutions, Price delineates the levels and types of abusive behavior in teenagers and outlines how to help parents regain control by learning to be both more understanding and more decisive.

About this title

Review

"It is a wonderful treat to read interventions that have worked for a well-known strategic family therapist. The book is written in such a playful manner that it assumes a quality of dyadic instruction in many places....In summary, this book is an excellent, compassionate and very pragmatic treatment guide for family and adolescent therapists working with aggressive adolescents in a family."--"The Canadian Child Psychiatry Review"
"Jerome A. Price offers clinicians the wisdom he has acquired from years of treating and supervising other therapists in the treatment of aggressive adolescents and their families....The strength of this book is how it provides the reader with a theoretical rationale for the model as well as a detailed treatment guide....This book is appropriate for students and clinicians wishing to gain a more thorough understanding of the strategic approach to family therapy....I recommend this book to all therapists who have struggled and/or felt inadequate in their work with behavior-disordered adolescents and their families. This book will arm clinicians with a useful model and strategies to increase their confidence and effectiveness when working with this type of client....This book is an important addition to the libraries of all family therapists working with aggressive adolescents and their families."--"Journal of Family Psychotherapy"
"This is a lively book that offers winning strategies for parents with difficult and violent adolescents. The examples are more than familiar to therapists, who are offered wise guidance in how to guide parents in difficulty."--Jay Haley

"Power and Compassion presents techniques and theory that allow family therapists to be both understanding and determined in their work with aggressive teenagers. Power and Compassion demonstrates Price's ability to assess and treat these extremely difficult situations from a strategic humanist stance. It is refreshing to read a book that deals so openly and directly with issues of power. Family therapists need guts, skill, hope, and great faith in people to confront the emotional and physical abuse of parents by acting out children and teenagers. Price clearly has these qualities."--Donald Efron, Coeditor, Journal of Systemic Therapies

"Power and Compassion is an enormously useful book that blends theory and engaging clinical vignettes with practical down-to-earth ideas. In fact, I read it in one sitting. The book left me with a feeling of optimism about dealing with difficult situations. Presenting what are, at times, controversial ideas, Jerome A. Price shakes up the cobwebs of conventionality to expand our view of what's possible when treating intractable situations with explosive adolescents. Whatever your clinical orientation or level of experience, Power and Compassion will expand your existing clinical armamentarium."--Leonard Rosen, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan; Medical Director of Mental Health Services, Macomb Hospital, Warren, Michigan

"Aggressive adolescents who are coaxed or coerced into therapy by others are among the most frustrating of all clients. Price has drawn on his work with mentors Jay Haley and Cloe Madanes to develop his own creative approach to those who are often more distressed and motivated than the adolescents themselves--the parents. He illustrates the innovative ways of enlisting and empowering the parents while neither depending upon nor closing the door on cooperation from the adolescents. Price has his own clear theoretical rationale for what he does, but his approach will also appeal to therapists operating from other theoretical perspectives who are stymied with a common clinical dilemma that defies their usual sense of competence and expertise. A valuable set of tools for anyone working with adolescents, regardless of whether they view themselves as family therapists."--Jim Coyne, PhD, Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan

From the Author

Power and Compassion can help professionals and parents.
Although directed to therapists, I wrote Power and Compassion to be read by parents as well. Only a few chapters are purely clinical and the case examples are clear and enjoyable to read. After many years of blaming parents for their childrens' misbehavior I felt it was time to address adolescents who are dominating their parents and siblings, running the streets, skipping school, commiting crimes, and being verbally and physically assaultive. As we deal with them compassionately, we must also deal with them powerfully. They need a lot of love and a lot of leadership. This book offers step-by-step methods for helping parents regain control of their children who are severely distressed or running wild. More importantly, these methods are designed for use with young people who don't think they have a problem and don't act as if they want anyone's help.

I hope you find this progressive and unique approach helpful.

About this edition

• Publisher: Guilford Press
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 1572301414
• ISBN 13: 9781572301412
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 196