“Velasquez and colleagues have produced a book that is accessible and practical for clinicians. The intervention approaches in the therapy manual are well supported with accepted theoretical underpinnings….This manual is structured in such a way that it will be useful to both the novice and the experienced group work clinician and even offers a brief refresher on group work….This text would make a useful and user-friendly addition to the library of any clinician working with people who are undertaking to change their substance-related behavior, particularly in a group work center.”

—Drug and Alcohol Review


“I would highly recommend this book to substance abuse counselors of all levels, from beginners to experienced counselors. It provides an understandable way to use the stages of change, which underlies most of the evidence-based practices at the time in the treatment field.”

—Journal of Groups in Addiction and Recovery (on the first edition)


“There is a dizzying array of seemingly correct methods for helping people change, so what is a busy practitioner to do? Velasquez and her colleagues have supplied the answer: do the right thing at the right time. This book provides an orientation to the transtheoretical model from one of its originators and outlines group treatment sessions developed by savvy clinicians. The second edition retains the best-loved features of the first edition while adding new developments from motivational interviewing, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and positive psychology. Each session includes the processes engaged, the tasks to be accomplished, and the markers that help us know if clients are making progress—plus, most important, the step-by-step instructions to get the work done.”

—David B. Rosengren, PhD, President and CEO, Prevention Research Institute, Lexington, Kentucky


“I love this book. The second edition distills the best strategies from motivational interviewing, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and other approaches. It’s exactly what I need: practical strategies, tips, and handouts that make it easy to conduct groups. The progression of session topics—from precontemplation, to contemplation, to action—works really well. I love the inclusion of new activities related to mindfulness, acceptance, and wellness. Hands down, my favorite book for running clinical groups!”

—Scott T. Walters, PhD, Regents Professor, School of Public Health, University of North Texas Health Science Center


“This reader-friendly second edition contains useful, sensible instructions for flexibly facilitating group treatment for people with substance use disorders—I can't say enough good things about it! It is well organized by sessions, and provides excellent clinical resource materials. This book can be used by practitioners in clinical settings; faculty who teach courses in group therapy, addictive behaviors, or evidence-based practice; and researchers who conduct clinical trials. A great resource for psychology students, it brings to life important concepts such as 'readiness to change,' while showing how to apply them in an empirically supported treatment.”

—Bruce S. Liese, PhD, ABPP, Professor of Family Medicine and Psychiatry, and Clinical Director, Cofrin Logan Center for Addiction Research and Treatment, University of Kansas


“This second edition contains the latest research on the stages and processes of change, motivational interviewing, self-control, positive psychology, and mindfulness in relapse prevention, and applies this content in new group sessions. Included are objectives, step-by-step directions, tasks, and handouts that can be used by veteran and new group facilitators alike. Addiction studies, counseling, and social work students will find this text immensely useful for coursework and field internships.”

—Melinda Hohman, PhD, MSW, School of Social Work (Emeritus), San Diego State University


“This second edition shows that even the best, most useful books can be improved. The manual is full of current scientific information, presented in digestible nuggets that inform group leaders about the 'why' and 'how' of effective, theory-based treatment for substance users. The first chapter presents one of the most concise and accessible available overviews of the transtheoretical model, and should be required reading for graduate courses on health behavior change. The rest of the book is equally impressive, with a number of completely new session outlines and handouts. While the content is immediately usable for beginning group leaders, there are enough sophisticated, evidence-based ideas throughout the manual to help even experienced group leaders maximize their productiveness.”

—Karen S. Ingersoll, PhD, Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia