Simon, D. J. (2016). Overview of psychological interventions for children and adolescents. In D. J. Simon, School psychology book series. School-centered interventions: Evidence-based strategies for social, emotional, and academic success (pp. 29-46). Washington, DC, US: American Psychological Association.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/14779-003
In Chapter 2, I discuss the general history and focus of psychological interventions for children and adolescents. I highlight the field’s evolution toward evidence-based treatments that emphasize therapeutic techniques and processes, while acknowledging the importance of therapist variables as well. Unique considerations for child therapy include the importance of maintaining a developmental perspective, understanding the implications when youth are involuntary or assigned clients, and responding to the challenge of frequent comorbidity in child and adolescent disorders. The integration of cognitive, behavioral, and systemic intervention approaches is prominently represented within the EBI literature (Kendall, 2012c; Weisz & Kazdin, 2010). This chapter summarizes the implications of this integrative approach and what it means for intervention assumptions, goals, settings, and strategies for child therapy. Multicultural and diversity perspectives are addressed. This chapter sets the stage for the later delineation of a school-centered therapeutic intervention framework and notes the extension of these strategies to universal psychological education, prevention, and early intervention programs emerging in multitiered intervention systems in schools. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)