Functional Family Therapy

Thomas L. Sexton, PhD, is a licensed psychologist (ret) and professor emeritus at Indiana University and a renowned expert on family-based treatment interventions. He is one of the developers of Functional Family Therapy. He has authored or co-authored ten books, over thirty book chapters, and fifty articles published in national and international peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Sexton has received numerous awards throughout the years, including the prestigious Family Psychologist of the Year award and the 2023 APA Distinguished Service award for service to Division 43. He is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and a Diplomate in Couple and Family Psychology.Astrid van Dam, MS, obtained her master's in social work from the College of Amsterdam and began her career in child welfare in Amsterdam, working with families and youth. She attained certification as a Functional Family Therapist and shortly after that as an FFT Clinical Site Supervisor. As an employee of the Dutch FFT implementation center, she was the national FFT Consultant, overseeing the FFT implementation in 15 different organizations spread over the Netherlands. Astrid is currently the Chief Clinical Training Officer with FFT Partners.  She brings with her expertise in implementing FFT into the real world to ensure model fidelity and positive clinical outcomes for children, youth, and families.Marta Anderson, LCSW, has a master's in social work from Hunter College. She began her career in child welfare in New York City, working with families to reduce abuse and neglect and preserve family stability. She was trained in Functional Family Therapy and was a member of the first FFT team utilized in the child welfare setting in NYC. She attained certification as an FFT, an FFT Clinical Site Supervisor, and has extensive experience overseeing FFT Programs. Marta is currently the Director of Implementation and Quality Assurance, as well as a Senior Clinical Consultant with FFT Partners.

• Foreword--Terence PattersonPrefaceAcknowledgmentsPart I: The Functional Family Therapy Clinical ModelChapter 1. The Evolution of Functional Family Therapy: Working with Contemporary FamiliesChapter 2. The Lens of Functional Family Therapy: How to Think About Families, the Problems They Face, and the Therapeutic Change ProcessChapter 3. Engagement and Motivation: The Early Phase of TreatmentChapter 4. Helping Change the Way Families Work Together: The Middle Phases of TreatmentChapter 5. Maintaining, Generalizing, and Supporting Long-Lasting Change: The Final Phase of TreatmentChapter 6. The Art of Functional Family Therapy: Practicing With Creativity and PurposePart II: Implementing Functional Family Therapy in the Real WorldChapter 7. Practicing in a Justice Context: Functional Family Therapy, FFT-Adult, and Family Case ManagementChapter 8. Practicing in Child Welfare, Foster Care, and Behavioral Health Care SystemsChapter 9. Translating Functional Family Therapy Into Community-Based SettingsChapter 10. Leveraging Technology to Improve Practice, Training, and ImplementationEpilogue: The Evolution of Functional Family TherapyReferencesIndexAbout the Authors

"In this superb book, Thomas L. Sexton and his coauthors succinctly present the essence of functional family therapy, while also updating this work in the context of these times. They bring a lifetime of experience in delivering this evidence-based treatment in the context of larger systems such as juvenile justice, child welfare, and other community settings. With insights and methods that have great utility beyond the practice of the specific model, this book should be in the library of everyone who works with adolescents and their families or is in training to do so." - Jay Lebow, PhD, Clinical Professor and Senior Scholar, The Family Institute at Northwestern and Northwestern University, Evanston, IL. "Sexton, van Dam, and Anderson portray and promote FFT as the most relevant, accessible, innovative, and inclusive model for all clinicians, from graduate students learning to think and practice systemically, to seasoned clinicians new to family psychology, and those already using the model. This is a must-read for those treating adolescents, young adults, and their families in private practice, child welfare, and community mental health settings!" - John W. Bakaly, PhD, Professor, California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University, Los Angeles. "Functional family therapy (FFT) is the epitome of a scientifically proven family therapy model that has stood the test of time. The demonstrated effectiveness of FFT with a plethora of challenging families makes this book a must-read for anyone committed to conducting evidenced-based treatment. From trainees to seasoned clinicians, learn FFT and you are guaranteed to increase your effectiveness in working with complex families!" - Anthony L. Chambers, PhD, ABPP, Chief Academic Officer and Clinical Professor of Psychology, The Family Institute at Northwestern University, Evanston, IL. "Clinicians and students who want to effectively help families address the challenges of contemporary life will find a treatment road map in Functional Family Therapy. This book provides practical information about the mechanisms and stages of change, with a focus on using real-time client feedback to enhance the therapeutic alliance and inform clinical decision making to achieve desired outcomes. Case examples throughout the book bring the principles and techniques of FFT alive in a way that makes them easy to understand and adopt in clinical practice." - Mark Stanton, PhD, ABPP, Professor of Psychology, Azusa Pacific University, Azusa, CA, and coauthor of Family Therapy: An Overview