Introduction to Family Counseling

“Engaging, Creative, and Practical” 
- Lakitta D. Johnson, Jackson State University  

Introduction to Family Counseling: A Case Study Approach presents basic knowledge about family counseling and applies various theoretical models to a case example looking at one nuclear family, along with its extended family members, that readers follow throughout the text.  Judy Esposito and Abbi Hattem’s multi-generational family is constructed from their experiences as professors and family therapists to exemplify the concepts and theories of family counseling.  Beyond the theories of family counseling, students learn about the family life cycle and various tools for assessing families as well as the history of family counseling.  Ethical issues relevant to family counseling are also included along with transcripts from hypothetical family counseling sessions throughout the book.  In addition, the book focuses on working with diverse families and takes special care to emphasize multicultural issues.