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

Manassis, a psychiatrist who works in an anxiety disorders program for children and youth and teaches at the U. of Toronto, Canada, offers a guide for all mental health professionals, including clinical and school psychologists, counselors, social workers, and psychiatrists, that details how they can help children and adolescents with social, emotional, or behavioral challenges using a problem-solving approach in which they collaborate to find new solutions to a dilemma. She describes when and where to use the approach, then its five steps and applications to different age groups--how to define the problem, generate alternative solutions, evaluate alternatives and make a choice, try a new solution, and follow up and evaluate outcomes--and how to combine the approach with other interventions, use it in groups and with parents and families, and troubleshoot obstacles. Annotation c2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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.