“Selekman's book has a common-sense approach that is very much reflected in its straightforward title. The 12 chapters are divided into logical sections ranging from discussion of the background to his selected therapies and assessment techniques, through to suggestions for working with complex difficulties and implications for the future....There are plenty of examples of Selekman's way of working, along with an abundance of illustrations and ideas. Each step of his therapeutic process is described in an honest and unpretentious way, and he also aims to create transparency in this respect, including how he manages ethical and cultural issues. The case examples are particularly useful for demonstrating how an intervention could work in practice, including dilemmas and pitfalls, and it was useful and informative to have the background, rationale, and theory set out around them....This is an easily readable book, with straightforward language, which offers numerous suggestions and strategies that can be incorporated into therapy sessions by counsellors, therapists, and psychologists wishing to expand their repertoire of skills and interventions. I found the book refreshingly useful in practical terms, and would recommend it to practitioners as a readily accessible resource they could tap into for ideas to further help children and families to create positive changes and foster loving, caring relationships.”

—Counselling Children and Young People


“Selekman weaves together the best of evidence-based and strengths-based psychology with creative new approaches, providing a fresh and needed resource for those who work with children and their families.”

—Barbara L. Fredrickson, PhD, Kenan Distinguished Professor of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill


“The books that truly captivate me are few and far between, and this one was compelling and immediately useful. Selekman embraces the creative imagination and puts it at the forefront of his work with families. By welcoming and working on an equal footing with clients to chart a course to the changes they want to make, Selekman demonstrates true collaboration and mutual respect. I was particularly struck with his determination to engage children directly, give them a strong voice, and focus consistently on the family’s strengths. This book is fun and informative reading; I highly recommend it!”

—Eliana Gil, PhD, Gil Institute for Trauma Recovery and Education, Fairfax, VA


“Kudos to Matthew Selekman! In clear and practical terms, he spells out the best strategies for successful clinical work with kids and families, drawing from a comprehensive and diverse list of traditional and cutting-edge theories and practices. Get this book. It will help you harness the strengths of both the field and your clients.”

—Scott D. Miller, PhD, Co-Director, Institute for the Study of Therapeutic Change


“Anyone interested in psychotherapeutic approaches for children should find much here that is thought provoking and useful. Selekman builds on his prior work and presents new material that integrates research, theoretical ideas from a variety of psychotherapeutic approaches, stimulating case examples, and applications to new areas, including schools and primary care. This rich resource has much to offer for beginners and experienced clinicians, individual and family therapists, committed brief therapists and skeptics.”

—Thomas C. Todd, PhD, Director, Marriage and Family Therapy Program, Adler School of Professional Psychology