Clinician's Guide to Research Methods in Family Therapy: Foundations of Evidence-Based Practice

Ideally suited for students and therapists invested in learning more about the research process in order to be optimally effective clinicians. This reader-friendly text, written by leaders in the marital and family therapy field, brings research to life in a way that is engaging, comprehensible, and clinically applicable. By mastering effective strategies for integrating state-of-the-art research into practice, clinicians at all stages of development will find their psychotherapeutic endeavors and outcomes enhanced enormously. --Nadine J. Kaslow, PhD, ABPP, Department of Psychiatry, Emory University; past president, American Psychological Association

Williams, Patterson, and Edwards have created a resource where none existed before--an accessible book about research for practitioners and students working with couples and families. The first part of the book provides a wonderfully succinct primer on research methods; the second part treads previously unexplored territory by offering an entree into evidence-based practice. The volume guides readers to the essential information they need about research: what it is, how to find and appraise it, how best to incorporate evidence-based methods into practice, and how to evaluate clients' progress. This book should become the core research methods text for master's-level programs in marital and family therapy, counseling, and psychology. --Jay L. Lebow, PhD, ABPP, LMFT, Senior Scholar and Clinical Professor, The Family Institute at Northwestern University

This book issues a clarion call to clinicians to become research informed. It fills a crucial gap by showing how to critically read and understand research and how to apply evidence-based approaches in complex, flesh-and-blood clinical cases. The volume contains a treasure trove of resources that will be as valuable to instructors as to their students. This text will revolutionize how research methods are taught in master's-level mental health training programs; doctoral students will love the lists of websites, instruments, and other resources for evidence-based practice. --Douglas H. Sprenkle, PhD, Department of Child Development and Family Studies (Emeritus), Purdue University

This easy-to-read text introduces clinicians to basic concepts of research methodology, such as measurement, surveys, statistics, and designs. It enables readers to read and understand research literature with confidence. I highly recommend it for use with marriage and family therapy students. --Reo Leslie, DMin, LMFT, LPC, Director, The Colorado School for Family Therapy

This book meets my need for an MFT research methods text that addresses both research methods fundamentals and the elements of evidence-based practice (EBP). I want my master's-level students to learn how to locate and evaluate research literature in order to guide their clinical work. The text is accessible, clear, pragmatic, and engaging. It guides readers through the five steps of EBP, providing them with the tools and resources necessary to integrate EBP into their clinical practice. --Mark White, PhD, LMFT, Director, MFT Doctoral Programs, Northcentral University

I recommend this brilliant text for any graduate-level couple and family therapy research methods course. I would have loved having a book like this when I was learning research methods and statistics. My students are constantly saying how readable and straightforward the chapters are. The authors have done an exceptional job of making the content easy to comprehend and assimilate into everyday clinical practice, helping to inspire a generation of clinicians to employ evidence-based intervention strategies. --Christopher K. Belous, PhD, Master of Family Therapy Program, Mercer University