Getting Through to Difficult Kids and Parents

Reviews / Votes

I have used Getting Through to Difficult Kids and Parents for 3 years in a graduate counseling course focusing on children and adolescents. Student feedback has been consistently positive for Taffel's positive approach and practical solutions for working with challenging client families.--John W. Seymour, PhD, LMFT, RPT-S, Department of Counseling and Student Personnel, Minnesota State University, Mankato

This impressive book will be read and reread for the wealth of information it contains. It will be of assistance to any professional who works with children and parents: mental health practitioners, teachers, clergy, coaches. In a very clear, informative manner, the book portrays the challenges and stresses that confront families today, and offers realistic guidelines for ways in which professionals can help parents meet these challenges. Taffel's insight, knowledge, compassion, and caring are evident on every page. He should be applauded for his continued contributions to improving the lives of families.--Robert Brooks, PhD, Harvard Medical School; author of The Self-Esteem Teacher

In Getting Through to Difficult Kids and Parents, Taffel presents practical advice drawn from a wealth of experience. His pragmatic approach provides a number of very effective techniques for connecting with youth and their families. Taffel's recommendations are timely, addressing recent changes and challenges in our society. This book will be very useful to all professionals helping children grow.--James P. Comer, MD, Maurice Falk Professor of Child Psychiatry, Yale Child Study Center

At last, a truly practical book for clinicians working with children and parents. Taffel has written a sensitive and clear handbook that can be used by beginning and experienced therapists alike. He effectively captures the everyday problems confronted by clinicians and suggests direct and innovative ways to address them. In a simple and readable style, the author has translated his years of experience into learnable lessons for helping professionals. This book has helped me see my own clients more clearly. If you work with parents, you should read this book!--Peter L. Sheras, PhD, ABPP, Curry Programs in Clinical and School Psychology, Curry School of Education, University of Virginia

Thorough and accessible. The book provides comprehensive, step-by-step suggestions for gathering information, 'getting through to,' and counseling difficult children and parents. Taffel draws on his rich professional experience to provide numerous examples and anecdotes that clarify his strategies and make them concrete. This is an ideal resource for school professionals and others who work with children and parents.--Marlynn M. Griffin, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychological Foundations, College of Education, Georgia Southern University

This is a clear, direct guide for professionals who deal with challenging children and their families. Taffel provides an approach that emphasizes pragmatic effectiveness over heavy theory. The book moves easily from the personal level of the individual child and family to the societal level, proposing practical interventions on both fronts. All child professionals will appreciate the good sense of Getting Through.--Lawrence H. Diller, MD, author of Running on Ritalin; Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco

Getting Through to Difficult Kids and Parents is a treasure for the new millennium: Ron Taffel is a passionate, systemic thinker who never loses sight of individual differences. His entirely accessible suggestions and compelling case examples offer hope and inspiration to weary professionals and uncertain novices alike. Taffel is empathically attuned to kids, their parents, and to us, persuasively urging all to know ourselves and each other better--and offering a cornucopia of wonderful suggestions for how to do it. This remarkably lucid and thoughtful book brings together the very best of child and family intervention.--Martha B. Straus, PhD, Clinical Associate and Instructor, Dartmouth Medical School; author of No-Talk Therapy for Children and Adolescents
- Perhaps the biggest challenge that Taffel addresses in his book is not only how to talk to kids, but how to get kids to talk back....This would be a great resource for teachers, counselors, psychologists, psychiatrists, nurses, etc., as each of these disciplines focus on connecting with kids. Getting Through would also serve as a fantastic introductory clinical coursebook in graduate training programs. In general, if you are a child professional, regardless of orientation, context, or background, this book will certainly help to develop insight and make working with families more effective and rewarding. --Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 10/1/2004?? The text is chock full of practical ideas for anyone who sees children or adolescents or their parents....I picked up dozens of useful tips and techniques for working with families. This book is a worthwhile read for any family physician who has felt frustration or uncertainty when called on to give guidance to children, teens, or parents. --The Journal of the American Board of Family Practice, 10/1/2004