Problem Solving in Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy A Skills-Based, Collaborative Approach

This highly accessible book presents clear steps for helping children and adolescents to develop and test out new solutions to specific social, emotional, or behavioral challenges. The author demonstrates how therapists of any orientation can implement problem solving as a stand-alone intervention or in combination with other therapeutic techniques. Extensive clinical examples illustrate what the approach looks like in action with kids of different ages; how it increases their confidence, independence, and resilience; and ways to involve parents. Strategies for overcoming frequently encountered obstacles to problem solving are highlighted throughout.

1. What Is Problem Solving? 2. When and with Whom Can You Use Problem Solving? 3. Step 1: Defining the Problem 4. Step 2: Generating Alternative Solutions 5. Step 3: Evaluating Alternatives and Making a Choice 6. Step 4: Trying a New Solution 7. Step 5: Following Up and Evaluating Outcomes 8. Combining Problem Solving with Other Interventions 9. Problem Solving in Groups 10. Problem Solving with Parents and Families 11. Troubleshooting

Katharina Manassis, MD, FRCPC, is Staff Psychiatrist and Senior Associate Scientist at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, where she founded and continues to work in the Anxiety Disorders Program for children and youth. The Program focuses on the development and scientific evaluation of cognitive-behavioral treatments. Dr. Manassis is also Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto and a member of the Human Development and Applied Psychology Department at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. These appointments allow her to supervise graduate students, residents, and fellows in the treatment and study of childhood anxiety. Dr. Manassis leads several funded research studies to better understand and treat childhood anxiety disorders. She has published over 60 papers in professional journals in this field and is the author of two widely read books for parents, Keys to Parenting Your Anxious Child and Helping Your Teenager Beat Depression, as well as books for child mental health professionals on cognitive-behavioral therapy and problem solving.