Family Therapy with Adolescents in Residential Treatment

Jacob D. Christenson, PhD is an assistant professor and clinical director for the marriage and family therapy program at Mount Mercy University in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He is an editorial board member for Contemporary Family Therapy: An International Journal and the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy and has published in numerous professional journals, among them the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, the American Journal of Family Therapy, Contemporary Family Therapy: An International Journal, and the Journal of Therapeutic Schools and Programs. Prior to coming to Mount Mercy University, he was a full-time Field Therapist at Aspen Achievement Academy for four years, where he worked with adolescents exhibiting presenting problems that ranged from academic failure to chemical dependence. He is a licensed marriage and family therapist and a Clinical Fellow and Approved Supervisor in the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.Ashley N. Merritts, PhD is an assistant professor in the marriage and family therapy program at Mount Mercy University. Dr. Merritts has a PhD in Human Development and Family Studies and a Master of Science degree in the same major from Iowa State University. In her Master degree program Dr. Merritts specialized in couple and family therapy and is now a licensed marriage and family therapist. Dr. Merritts has extensive clinical training and has worked with a wide variety of problems in clinical settings. Dr. Merritts is a Clinical Fellow and Approved Supervisor with the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. She has also served as a board member for the Iowa Association for Marriage and Family Therapy and was recently asked to be an ad hoc reviewer for Contemporary Family Therapy: An International Journal.

• Introduction to Family Therapy with Adolescents in Residential Treatment: Intervention and Research.- I. Family Therapy during Separation.- The Use of Letters to Create Movement in Residential Settings with Adolescents and Their Parents.- A Case Study of Narrative Family Therapy in an Outdoor Treatment Program with a Struggling Adolescent.- Understanding Video Game Mechanics as a Tool in Creating a Sustainable Relationship with Digital Media.- Family Therapy Implications of Electronic Addictions in Residential Treatment.- Our Stories of Collaboration throughout the Therapeutic Wilderness Process.- A Parallel Process: Home Therapy While the Adolescent or Young Adult is in Residential Care.- Intentional Separation of Families: Increasing Differentiation Through Wilderness Therapy.- Walking Off the Mountain: Planning Aftercare Support for Adolescents in Wilderness Therapy and their Families.- Captaining the Ship:  Acting as the Treatment Team Leader.- II. Onsite Family Therapy. Emerging Family Therapy Models Utilized in Residential Settings.- Intervention: The First Step to Recovery from Addiction.- Family Involvement in the Treatment of Adolescent Substance Abuse.- Readiness for Change within the Family and the Identified Patient.- Engaging Families in Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare.- Unpacking the Family Story: Family Techniques in Residential Treatment.- Family Workshops in Residential Treatment.- Expediting Growth: A Call to Measure the Impact of Family Involvement during Wilderness Therapy.- Connecting the Family: Short-term Residential Treatment and Telemental Health.- III. Research and Outcomes.- Investigating Family Therapy with Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods in Adolescent Residential Treatment Programs.- Mixed Methods Research on Clinical Consultation within the REStArT model in Residential Treatment.- Youth with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders: Coping and Psychological Difficulties.- Communication as a Positive Relationship Outcome with Families Participating in a Therapeutic Wilderness Program.- Program Evaluation for Health & Human Service Programs: How to Tell the Right Story Successfully.- Expanding our Understanding of Family Therapy in Residential Treatment.

“The editors of this volume have achieved admirably their purpose of providing foundational information for conducting family therapy in residential treatment settings. Practitioners and teachers of residential family therapy will welcome this book, and readers previously unfamiliar with this treatment modality will appreciate receiving a considerable amount of information about it.” (Irving B. Weiner, PsycCRITIQUES, Vol. 62 (36), September, 2017)“Well written by experts in the field, this book takes a good look at the separation process regarding families and children in residential programs. It also explores how on-site therapy including parents, guardians, and siblings impacts the family dynamic. Researchers and clinicians will benefit from this book.” (Gary B. Kaniuk, Doody’s Book Reviews, June, 2017)