New Book Release: Functional Family Therapy: A Comprehensive, Evidence-Based Treatment for Diverse Communities
FFT Partners is excited to announce the release of our team's latest publication, Functional Family Therapy: A Comprehensive, Evidence-Based Treatment for Diverse Communities by The American Psychological Association released on September 3rd, 2024. This groundbreaking book by Dr. Tom Sexton PhD, Astrid van Dam, and Marta Anderson explores how Functional Family Therapy (FFT) has transformed into a widely recognized evidence-based approach that helps troubled youth and families overcome challenges across diverse communities.
Why Functional Family Therapy?
For decades, psychologists and therapists have sought to understand the core mechanisms of effective therapy: How does therapy work? What does it take to practice it well? Is therapy an art or a science? In today’s world, the most pressing question is how to provide therapy in a way that is accessible, adaptable, and effective for youth and families in need.
Functional Family Therapy bridges the gap between science and real-world practice. It is more than just a clinical model, it is a comprehensive, evidence-based approach that helps families heal, no matter the setting. From child welfare and juvenile justice to behavioral health systems, FFT provides a structured yet flexible framework for supporting struggling families.
A Proven Model for Troubled Youth and Families
With over 40 years of research and implementation, Functional Family Therapy has been proven to work across various service contexts. This book tells the story of FFT’s evolution—from a theoretical model to a widely adopted evidence-based approach that has transformed the lives of countless troubled youth and families worldwide.
"Functional family therapy (FFT) is the epitome of a scientifically proven family therapy model that has stood the test of time. The demonstrated effectiveness of FFT with a plethora of challenging families makes this book a must read for anyone committed to conducting evidence-based treatment. From trainees to seasoned clinicians, learn FFT and you are guaranteed to increase your effectiveness in working with complex families!"
~Anthony L. Chambers, PhD, ABPP, Chief Academic Officer and Clinical Professor of Psychology, The Family Institute at Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
Key Takeaways from the Book:
✔ The systemic framework of FFT and how it maps family dynamics to guide therapy.
✔ Real-world case studies demonstrating FFT’s impact on youth and families.
✔ Strategies for implementing FFT in diverse cultural and service contexts.
✔ The role of technology in enhancing family therapy, from decision-making to ongoing training and quality improvement.
Helping Youth and Families Thrive
Today’s troubled youth and families face increasingly complex challenges. Yet, despite their differences, families share core dynamics that drive their daily functioning. Functional Family Therapy leverages these universal processes while ensuring treatment remains personalized to each family’s unique culture and circumstances. At its core, FFT prioritizes engagement, accountability, and lasting change, making it one of the most effective evidence-based approaches for helping families heal.
The Role of Technology in Functional Family Therapy
The success of Functional Family Therapy is powered by Care4 Software, a clinical decision-making system that integrates data-driven insights into everyday practice. Care4 tracks key metrics such as family functioning, youth behavior, mental health status, and session-by-session progress, ensuring that FFT remains adaptable and evidence-based. By transforming complex data into actionable insights, Care4 enhances therapy outcomes, streamlining training, implementation, and quality improvement. Like FFT, Care4 is rooted in collaboration, ensuring that technology supports and strengthens the therapeutic process for youth and families.
A Must-Read for Mental Health and Family Service Professionals
Whether you are a therapist, researcher, or policymaker, this book provides essential insights into how Functional Family Therapy is shaping the future of family therapy. With a focus on training, implementation, and maintaining fidelity, it is an invaluable resource for anyone working with troubled youth and families.
"In this superb book, Thomas L. Sexton and his coauthors succinctly present the essence of functional family therapy, while also updating this work in the context of these times. They bring a lifetime of experience in delivering this evidence-based treatment in the context of larger systems such as juvenile justice, child welfare, and other community settings. With insights and methods that have great utility beyond the practice of the specific model, this book should be in the library of everyone who works with adolescents and their families or is in training to do so."
~Jay Lebow, PhD, Clinical Professor and Senior Scholar, The Family Institute at Northwestern and Northwestern University, Evanston, IL.
Get your copy today and be part of the movement to bring Functional Family Therapy to more communities in need.
Where to Purchase