Brief Therapy with Intimidating Cases: Changing the Unchangeable Hardcover - 1999 - 1st Edition

Brief therapy has proven to be an effective form of treatment for a variety of common psychological problems including marital conflict, parenting issues, anxiety, moderate depression, and simple phobias. But can short-term therapy be a successful therapeutic technique for clinicians working with clients who present more challenging and complex problems?This hands-on guide by Richard Fisch and Karin Schlanger-pioneers in the field of brief therapy-offers behavioral health care professionals an important resource for applying the proven principles of brief therapy to a range of complex psychological problems that were once thought to be treatable only through long-term therapy or with the use of psychotropic medication. The practical techniques presented in this timely book are based on the authors' more than fifty years combined clinical experience in both private practice and at Palo Alto's acclaimed Mental Research Institute.In easy-to-understand language, Fisch and Schlanger offer the information necessary to sharpen the skills needed to learn a problem-solving, short-term approach to complex therapeutic issues. By using the method of brief therapy outlined in this book, clinicians can learn how to first focus on their clients' primary complaint and understand how and in what context the undesired behavior is performed. Once clinicians learn this powerful therapeutic technique, they can help clients eliminate any problem-maintaining behavior and avoid the trap of 'routine' prescription of medication to clients who present clinically challenging problems.Step-by-step, Brief Therapy with Intimidating Cases shows how to implement a proven model of short-term therapy for treating such difficult psychological problems as severe depression, delusions and paranoia, anorexia, alcoholism, obsessive-compulsive behavior, and borderline personality disorder. The authors also offer a wealth of illustrative examples and include actual transcripts from a wide va