The chapters of this volume were written for the purpose of surveying the field of intensive family therapy. The book is not a compilation of previously published articles; all of the chapters are original contributions written at the request of the editors. The structure of the volume was determined by the editors' experience with family therapy and their continuous exchange with other workers in the field through symposia, personal discussions, and, in most cases, direct observation of their work.

Families today are assailed on all fronts by the profound changes, such as the decline of real wages and the loss in many industries of job security, that have shaken society over the past forty years and forced the monolithic family structure to take on a multitude of new forms, including the now-common dual-income family and the single-parent family. With families now more dependent on outside institutions for help and support—from the day care center to social services to neighbors and friends—family therapy needs a model of intervention that is capable of dealing with the new role these outside institutions and their representatives play in the life of the family.In this groundbreaking book, H. Charles Fishman takes this next logical step in the evolution of the treatment of families and details how to assess the broader system supporting and affecting the family and how to intervene effectively. Assessment techniques show how to decide which people and institutions (such as siblings, friends, co-workers, employers, social workers, teachers, clergy) need to be incorporated into the treatment. Fishman outlines how and when representatives of these outside institutions should meet with the therapist and the family. Rich case examples extensively illustrate principles of intervention for working within the family's context and for identifying who or what is maintaining the dysfunction of the family system.A concluding section reveals that altruism, a side of human nature too easily forgotten or dismissed, is the driving force behind the cooperative spirit regularly shown by participants in intensive structural therapy. This surprising finding is sure to inspire all who help families deal with the stresses of life today.

"Madanes' lucid, coherent, and practical guide for familytherapists is a welcome addition to the proliferating literature byfamily therapy theorists and practitioners.... The book is concise,well organized and clearly written." --Contemporary Psychology A classic work which uses imaginative techniques to help achievebalance within the family. It gives attention to specific problemssuch as violence, drug abuse, and depression, and seeks the hiddenmeaning in these symptoms, which are clues to the underlying familystructure.

“If you have a troubled marriage, a troubled child, a troubled self, if you’re in therapy or think that there’s no help for your predicament, The Family Crucible will give you insights . . . that are remarkably fresh and helpful.”—New York Times Book Review The classic groundbreaking book on family therapy by acclaimed experts Augustus Y. Napier, Ph.D., and Carl Whitaker, M.D. This extraordinary book presents scenarios of one family’s therapy experience and explains what underlies each encounter. You will discover the general patterns that are common to all families—stress, polarization and escalation, scapegoating, triangulation, blaming, and the diffusion of identity—and you will gain a vivid understanding of the intriguing field of family therapy.

This book has been replaced by Adolescents at Risk: Home-Based Family Therapy and School-Based Intervention, ISBN 978-1-4625-3653-5.

Psychoanalyst-in-training Dr. Jonas Speller still has a lot to learn when he meets college student Victoria Schone, whose troubled relationship with her parents has her teetering on the verge of suicide. As Jonas struggles to make sense of his feelings for Victoria, he helps her become her own person and stand up to her overpowering mother, while she challenges the budding doctor to become more emotionally forthcoming and involved with her. Years later, a crisis in Victoria's life reunites doctor and patient, forcing them to confront poignant truths about themselves, their families, and their powerful feelings for each other. Intensive Therapy: A Novel takes readers deep inside the hearts and minds of analyst and patient as they grapple with the limits of doctor-patient propriety. The novel, Deitz's first, has garnered widespread praise both within the therapy community and the literary world.