Book
The Family Therapy Treatment Planner
📖 Overview
The Family Therapy Treatment Planner serves as a practical resource for mental health professionals who work with families. It contains treatment plan components for 40 common family therapy presenting problems and challenges.
The book provides pre-written treatment plans that can be customized to specific client situations, along with progress notes and homework assignments. These plans include behavioral definitions, long-term goals, short-term objectives, and therapeutic interventions that correspond to each family therapy issue.
Each chapter focuses on a distinct presenting problem - from blended family conflicts to domestic violence to substance abuse - with clear organization and cross-references to help clinicians find relevant material. The plans integrate multiple theoretical approaches including cognitive-behavioral, family systems, and solution-focused therapy.
At its core, this work represents a structured approach to family therapy that balances clinical flexibility with evidence-based interventions. The planner acknowledges both the complexity of family dynamics and the need for systematic treatment documentation in modern clinical practice.
👀 Reviews
Therapists and counselors report this book serves as a practical reference for treatment planning, documentation, and insurance requirements. Many note it saves time by providing pre-written treatment goals and interventions that can be customized.
Liked:
- Clear organization by diagnosis/problem
- Ready-to-use objectives and interventions
- Compatible with insurance requirements
- DSM alignments
- Progress notes templates
Disliked:
- Some goals are too generic
- Limited cultural considerations
- Repetitive content across different sections
- Expensive price point
- Paper quality in newer editions
One counselor noted: "The interventions help spark ideas but need significant modification for individual clients."
Ratings:
Amazon: 4.5/5 (789 reviews)
Goodreads: 4.1/5 (156 ratings)
Barnes & Noble: 4.4/5 (42 reviews)
Multiple reviewers mention using it alongside other treatment planners for a more comprehensive approach. Students report it helps them learn proper documentation format.
📚 Similar books
The Complete Adult Psychotherapy Treatment Planner by Arthur E. Jongsma Jr. and David J. Berghuis
This treatment planner contains pre-written treatment plan components for adult behavioral problems with interventions and therapeutic techniques organized by symptom presentation.
Clinical Documentation Sourcebook by Donald E. Wiger The sourcebook provides documentation tools and ready-to-use templates for mental health practitioners to maintain client records and treatment plans.
The Child Psychotherapy Treatment Planner by Arthur E. Jongsma Jr., L. Mark Peterson, and William P. McInnis This planner includes treatment plan components for child behavioral and psychological issues with objectives and interventions matched to specific presenting problems.
Theory and Treatment Planning in Counseling and Psychotherapy by Diane R. Gehart This text connects counseling theories to treatment planning through case conceptualization frameworks and specific therapeutic interventions.
Couples Therapy Treatment Planner by K. Daniel O'Leary, Richard E. Heyman, and Arthur E. Jongsma Jr. The planner presents treatment plan components for relationship issues with interventions organized by common presenting problems in couples therapy.
Clinical Documentation Sourcebook by Donald E. Wiger The sourcebook provides documentation tools and ready-to-use templates for mental health practitioners to maintain client records and treatment plans.
The Child Psychotherapy Treatment Planner by Arthur E. Jongsma Jr., L. Mark Peterson, and William P. McInnis This planner includes treatment plan components for child behavioral and psychological issues with objectives and interventions matched to specific presenting problems.
Theory and Treatment Planning in Counseling and Psychotherapy by Diane R. Gehart This text connects counseling theories to treatment planning through case conceptualization frameworks and specific therapeutic interventions.
Couples Therapy Treatment Planner by K. Daniel O'Leary, Richard E. Heyman, and Arthur E. Jongsma Jr. The planner presents treatment plan components for relationship issues with interventions organized by common presenting problems in couples therapy.
🤔 Interesting facts
🔷 The book is currently in its 3rd edition (2022) and has been a trusted resource for mental health professionals since its first publication in 1998.
🔷 Co-author Frank M. Dattilio is a renowned expert in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and has treated families at Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts General Hospital.
🔷 The planner includes over 1,000 prewritten treatment plan components, saving therapists an average of hours per week in paperwork time.
🔷 Family therapy became widely recognized as a distinct form of psychotherapy in the 1960s through pioneers like Virginia Satir, who emphasized treating the entire family system rather than individual members.
🔷 The treatment plans in the book comply with requirements for managed care and accrediting agencies, including JCAHO and NCQA, making it essential for insurance documentation.