Treating the Disruptive Adolescent
Finding the Real Self Behind Oppositional Defiant Disorders
By (author) Eduardo M. Bustamante
Publication date:
01 February 2000Length of book:
496 pagesPublisher
Jason Aronson, Inc.ISBN-13: 9780765702357
This book offers clinicians an effective method of diagnosing, managing, and treating oppositional, resistant, and disruptive older children and adolescents. Dr. Bustamante understands oppositional states as an expression of the teenager's uncertainty about his own identity and alienation from his true self. Attempts to curb rebellion that rely solely on firm behavioral limits will fail, because they thwart rather than promote development and disregard the real meaning of the disruptive behavior. The author's approach is a sensitive and creative alternative to treating this difficult population, one that offers hope and attainable goals.
This is a much-needed book on a topic of critical importance: treating the destructive and oppositional child and adolescent. If the events of the past few years have taught us anything at all, it is that we need to revisit our conceptions of childhood and adolescence. We need to understand what it is that goes wrong with such children and how we can help them. Dr. Bustamante offers a fresh and comprehensive view of assessment and intervention with this population. His clinical examples are both helpful and enlightening. I strongly recommend this wonderful book.