Children with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders: Systemic Practice

This concise book is for students and therapists who wish to develop competencies in family therapy and systemic practice with children. Using a fictional clinical case, the book describes the contributions of couple and family psychology (CFP) to the understanding and treatment of emotional and behavioral disorders among children ages 2 to 12. CFP competencies are presented and applied to the case of a nine-year-old girl with school refusal and behavior problems. The book describes how a systemic perspective affects clinical decisions from intake to treatment termination. Specific competencies discussed include: scientific knowledge, assessment, evidence-based practice, intervention, individual and cultural diversity, ethical and legal standards, and reflective practice. Readers will come away from this book with a clear sense of how to conceptualize and treat common childhood emotional and behavioral disorders from a systemic perspective.