Are you a child welfare worker? Do you encounter many difficult adolescents and their families? Perhaps this is a book you might want to review.

Matthew Selekman in his book Pathways to Change, outlines an approach to treatment that combines brief therapy with narrative approaches. Selekman is realistic and honest in his approach. He states that some difficult adolescents and their families do not respond very well to the basic Solution-Oriented Brief Therapy approach alone and will perhaps require more storytelling time, a pattern intervention or a more complex therapeutic strategy as per Michael White.

Throughout his book, he demonstrates his belief that "..all adolescents and their families have the strengths and resources to change". He provides many case examples with difficult adolescent issues. Actual questions are offered and illustrated. The book provides a step-by-step procedure outlining what to do with the many roadblocks a family / adolescent can create for therapists throughout the interview process (beginning, middle or end). He concludes his book with an outline for a six week parenting group.

Selekman describes how he uses an ecosystemic approach for working with the family. He states, "I found it useful to go out into the community and proactively develop close working relationships with helpers from larger systems and attempt to create bridges from the various helping systems." This seems like a fundamental idea but one that is forgotten to quickly when the caseloads become high and the pace frantic. To develop healthy relationships with different systems can only portray a supportive community for the client.

This is an excellent book. It has many useful case examples that illustrate the skills Selekman describes in his book. The case examples are good with some being very humorous. I am sure this book will become a standard in my practice.