Visual supports are content provided in a visual manner that help people to navigate and/or make sense of the world around them. The use of visual supports has been identified as an evidence-based practice (EBP), with evidence of its effectiveness when used to address challenging behavior, school readiness outcomes, joint attention outcomes, or…

Parents in the Western world today are often said to feel unsure and inadequate and as a consequence there are a plethora of self-help products on the market as well as parent education programmes. This article explores the kinds of research questions that are raised by this state of affairs. The discussion is mainly based on existing studies of…

Homework, or self-help, is an essential and required part of cognitive behavioral treatment. It offers several opportunities for the therapist to extend and increase therapy contact by having the patient "live" the therapy outside of the consulting room. It can also serve as a measure of the patient's motivation for therapy or for change. Homework…

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) has been reviewed and described as an empirically supported treatment for anxious youth. One component of CBT is the use of out-of-session "Show That I Can" tasks (STIC; i.e., homework tasks). STIC tasks vary in content and are to be completed between sessions. We discuss homework in CBT for Robert, a 13-year-old…

Based upon empirically supported cognitive-behavioral treatment approaches, this paper aims to outline the use of homework to enhance the therapeutic relationship, patient motivation, and skills for managing delusions, hallucinations, and negative symptoms. The nature and timing of homework is outlined for the different phases of treatment.…

A self-administered assertiveness training program trained refusal of unreasonable requests from strangers and close relationships. Comparison with a placebo program indicated the assertiveness program produced superior effectiveness of assertion, content of assertion, verbalization of assertion-related obligations, persistent assertive…

For more than 50 years, adolescent peer group treatment has been both glorified and criticized. Quality control has been a problem for the Positive Peer Culture (PPC) treatment modality throughout its history. The following article includes observations and commentary on the history, strength-based elements, and criticism of PPC.

A high priority area for behavioral community psychologists involves working to strengthen informal support systems within communities. A collaborative effort between a community group and academic based psychologists focusses on a community problem--dog litter in an urban area. An original demonstration project was used to influence the political…

Discusses problem of how to address relationship between alcohol abuse and criminal offending. Suggests that Alcohol Education Courses (AECs) offer workable alternative to custodial sentencing. AECs offer various techniques that target abusive alcohol consumption level of the population, the problem of offending, or both. Asserts that evaluation…

This book brings together 24 contributions (from 13 European countries) about the role of self-help in the overall pattern of health care, dealing with both the practical and the theoretical: (1) "A Reorientation of Health Care?" (Ilona Kickbusch and Stephen Hatch); (2) "Self-help Groups in Primary Health Care" (David…

This description of a weight reduction program, based on generalizations derived from eight years of work with overweight persons, discusses the clients' rationalization of overeating behaviors. In this behavior modification program, the client is required to permanently give up one high calorie food and to write down all foods eaten before actual…

Obesity is one of the most prevalent health concerns currently facing industrialized nations. Psychological, social and emotional problems result from excess weight, and those who fail in their weight-loss efforts become extremely depressed. The obsession to be thin, particularly in the United States, is a boon to weight-control programs, both…

This book is packed with practical advice drawn from the author's extensive and successful experience as an English teacher, examiner and teacher trainer. It is accessible and very readable, and may be dipped into for innovative lesson ideas or read from cover to cover as a short, enjoyable course which combines exciting teaching principles in…

An eating disorder prevention program was completed with middle school, high school, and college females. Some successful outcomes included: (1) facilitating an acknowledgement of pressures to attain a model skeletal look; (2) changing attitudes about standards of beauty; and (3) altering the participants' current and future intentional use of…

This guide is designed for teachers of the "Body Revolution" weight control program. The program may be used either in conjunction with a school program or as an activity for adults in community education programs. The emphasis of the program is on weight loss. Activities are outlined that focus on behavior change, nutrition, and physical fitness.…