Engaging Children in Family Therapy

A common question at the initial meeting of a family therapist and a new client(s) is often whether or not to include a child or children in the counseling sessions. The inclusion of a child in the family therapy process often changes the dynamic between client and therapist -- and between the clients themselves -- within the context of the counseling sessions. And yet, although this is such a common experience, many counselors and family therapists are not adequately equipped to advise parents on whether to include a child in therapy sessions. Once the child does make an appearance in the counseling session, the therapist is faced with the challenges inherent in caring for a child, in addition to many concerns due to the unique circumstance of the structured therapy. Counseling a child in the context of a family therapy session is a specific skill that has not received the attention that it deserves. This book is intended as a guide for both novice and experienced counselors and family therapists, covering a wide range of topics and offering a large body of information on how to effectively counsel children and their families. It includes recent research on a number of topics including working with children in a family context, the exclusion of children from counseling, and counselor training methods and approaches, the effectiveness of filial play therapy, the effects of divorce on children, and ADHD. Theoretical discussion is given to different family therapy approaches including family play therapy and filial play therapy. Central to the text are interviews with leaders in the field, including Salvador Minuchin, Eliana Gil, Rise VanFleet and Lee Shilts. A chapter devoted to ethical and legal issues in working with children in family counseling provides a much-needed overview of this often overlooked topic. Chapters include discussion of specific skills relevant to child counseling in the family context, case vignettes and examples, practical tips for the counselor, and handouts for parents.

"Bravo to Catherine Sori and her colleagues for proving a rich conceptual and practical multi-modal approach in this volume! Both clinical trainees and seasoned professionals will find this to be an invaluable resource to expand practice knowledge and skills."- Froma Walsh, Ph.D., Professor, University of Chicago, andCo-Director, Chicago Center for Family Health"This is the best book available about how to integrate work with children into family therapy. Sori and her colleagues have given us a book that is filled with useful guidelines for practice and packed with rich clinical examples….it should become an essential part of the library of family therapists, child therapists, and counselors."- Jay Lebow, Ph.D., LCP, ABPP, LMFT, Professor, Northwestern UniversityClinical psychologist and research consultant, The Family Institute "What a book! Catherine Ford Sori has not only been instrumental in bringing children back into Family Therapy and Counseling, in this book she presents relevant issues all counselors working with children and their families should know. The book is not only a helpful, contemporary guide for learning how to work with children and their families, but also serves as a historical document. This book is a must read for novice and advanced therapists and counselors working with children and their families."- Volker Thomas, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Marriage and Family Therapy ProgramDepartment of Child Development and Family Studies, Purdue University

Catherine Ford Sori, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Division of Psychology & Counseling, College of Education at Governors State University in University Park, IL.