"Resistant, difficult, dysfunctional - these and other labels are often applied to families who have not been well served by traditional mental health, social service, and medical systems. This volume sets forth an alternative approach to thinking about and working with multi-stressed families. Working from the conviction that clients are more than the difficulties in their lives, seasoned practitioner William Madsen invites therapists to move away from trying to identify and correct old problems.

Instead, he outlines a detailed framework for collaborating with family members to envision desired futures and develop new lives. Anyone working with families in crisis, especially in settings where time and resources are scarce, will gain valuable insights and tools from this book."--BOOK JACKET.