RELATIONSHIP-BASED TREATMENT OF CHILDREN AND THEIR PARENTS

Immediate interventions for struggling families, integrating four distinct areas of psychology.

Children and families burdened with attachment disruption, emotional distress, or psychological disorders need effective and immediate assistance. They do not have the time to wait for long-term interventions or developmental changes to improve the parent-child relationship. Here, psychologists Elizabeth A. Sylvester and Kat Scherer provide the most effective approach in such situations: interventions that impact the entire family at relational, emotional, and cognitive-behavioral levels, and that give parents agency to have rapid therapeutic impact on their children's lives and well-being. This addition to the celebrated Norton Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology integrates four distinct areas of psychology: neurobiology, attachment theory, emotion, and relationship-based discipline. This integration produces a clear point of entry for therapists working with struggling families and provides interventions that are logical, doable, and highly effective. Elizabeth A. Sylvester, PhD, is a psychologist and educator working with children, parents, and families. She lives in Austin, Texas. Kat Scherer, PhD, offers adult psychotherapy and professional presentations on attachment, parenting, and mindfulness. She lives in Austin, Texas. Noted neuropsychiatrist Daniel J. Siegel, MD, is clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of CaliforniaLos Angeles School of Medicine, and executive director of the Mindsight Institute in LA. He is founding editor of the Norton Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology.