“In this book, authors provide readers with the knowledge and information to develop a beginning set of assessment skills with families and couples….This book is different from many introductory text books on family assessment in that it does not focus specifically on one problem or population; rather it provides a wide range of issues a therapist might encounter in diverse treatment settings….By learning these skills for assessment, a therapist will be ready to engage thoroughly in each part of the intervention and treatment process….This is a well-organized, easy to follow informational guide for new therapists. It provides a solid foundation on which beginning practitioners can rely. Authors provide specific strategies for the evaluation of clinical issues across the lifespan and in a variety of relationships through the use of case studies and interviewing techniques to assist the novice practitioner to begin to understand individual, couple, and family functioning.”

—The Family Journal: Counseling and Therapy for Couples and Families


“In the ever-increasing literature of couple and family therapy, there continues to be a dearth of attention paid to important everyday issues, relevant perspectives, and usable methods of clinical assessment. This book is the best remedy thus far for this state of affairs. Like the authors' related book Essential Skills in Family Therapy, it is highly accessible, readable, and practical. Wisely integrative, it pays well-warranted attention to 'individual' issues without ever losing its systemic-relational core, and will be an especially welcome guide for neophyte family therapists.”

—Alan S. Gurman, PhD, Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry and Director of Family Therapy Training, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health


“Masterfully conceived and brilliantly presented, this book focuses on the necessary and inevitable interdependence of assessment and intervention. The relevance and range of issues and populations covered is impressive. The authors succeed in offering a practical, straightforward reference tool for all couple and family therapists. Too often, clinical books fail to represent the foundational nature of assessment. This book not only understands this relationship, it also delivers, demonstrating how change strategies and methods flow logically and directly from comprehensive systemic assessment. This is a wonderful 'how-to' volume on a fundamental and timeless topic. It is a great companion to the authors' Essential Skills in Family Therapy.”

—Howard A. Liddle, EdD, ABPP, Professor and Director, Center for Treatment Research on Adolescent Drug Abuse, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine


“As the title indicates, this comprehensive book is essential reading for all marital and family therapists.”

—Daniel Le Grange, PhD, Benioff UCSF Professor in Children's Health, Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco; Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, The University of Chicago


“Williams et al. provide beginning family therapists with a comprehensive roadmap for assessing key areas that may contribute to couples' and families' difficulties. Unlike other couple and family therapy texts, this book strongly emphasizes that assessment isn't just a prelude to treatment; rather, the two are vitally interconnected. It helps readers hone their observation and listening skills so they are better able to assess clients accurately and treat them effectively. This book will serve as an excellent text for graduate-level courses.”

—Matthew D. Selekman, MSW, LCSW, Founder and Director, Partners for Collaborative Solutions, Skokie, Illinois


“This well-organized text will serve as a fine resource for students and early career professionals working in the field of couple and family therapy.”

—Frank M. Dattilio, PhD, ABPP, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, and Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine


“I have used this book in teaching beginning therapists and supervisors. The thorough content, logical organization, and readability make it an extremely useful and approachable text. Students have told me they plan to keep this book close at hand throughout their first years of practice.”

—Anne M. Prouty, PhD, LMFT, Marriage and Family Therapy Program, Texas Tech University


“Ideally suited for students and therapists invested in learning more about the research process in order to be optimally effective clinicians. This reader-friendly text, written by leaders in the marital and family therapy field, brings research to life in a way that is engaging, comprehensible, and clinically applicable. By mastering effective strategies for integrating state-of-the-art research into practice, clinicians at all stages of development will find their psychotherapeutic endeavors and outcomes enhanced enormously.”

—Nadine J. Kaslow, PhD, ABPP, Department of Psychiatry, Emory University; past president, American Psychological Association