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Thomas
L. Sexton Ph.D. and |
Special
Guest Presentation Evidence-based practice (EBP) has been grossly misinterpreted as a justification for not only forcing certain approaches but also making funding contingent upon their use. In this presentation, the “evidence” regarding EBP will be exposed to be lacking and a shift to practice-based evidence suggested—a simple, straightforward way that clinicians of any theoretical preference can elicit clients’ “real time” feedback to not only improve outcomes but also to give clients the voice they deserve. You’ll leave with a new perspective of EBP that includes the importance of the relationship, honors client preferences, and incorporates the monitoring of outcomes. Evidence-based practices represent the most recent trend in the long-standing goal to identify the “best” methods to help diverse clientele who are seeking clinical treatment. The hope is to identify and create psychological treatments that have a high likelihood of producing the changes sought by those who seek services when practiced competently with appropriate clients. The evidence-based practices’ movement is controversial that has become one of central debates and controversies in Marriage and Family Therapy. Questions have been raised as to whether these methods are model specific or just common factors used by all good therapists. This conversation and discussion is intended to shed light on the issues, controversies, and implications for the changing profession of Marriage and Family Therapy. (*CD of workshop available for purchase, see page 16 for details.) Thomas L. Sexton, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology at Indiana University where he is on the faculty of the nationally accredited doctoral program in Counseling Psychology. In addition, he directs the Center for Adolescent and Family Studies (CAPS), a national research center for the study and dissemination of research-based practices for the treatment of at-risk adolescents and their families. He is one of the model developers of Functional Family Therapy. In that role, he has presented workshops on Functional Family Therapy and consulted with various systems of care attempting to integrate evidence-based practices both nationally and internationally. He is co-author of the FFT Clinical Manual (Sexton & Alexander 2004), author of all of the most recent theoretical chapters on FFT, and the designer of the FFT Clinical Services System. His interest in Family Psychology and psychotherapy research has resulted in over 40 journal articles, 25 book chapters, and 4 books. Barry Duncan, Psy.D., is a therapist, trainer, and researcher with over 17,000 hours of face-to-face experience with clients, and is the Co-Director of the Institute for the Study of Therapeutic Change. He is author or co-author of 14 books, including The Heroic Client (Jossey-Bass, 2004), the self-help book, What’s Right With You (HCI, 2005), Brief Intervention for School Problems (Guilford, 2007), and the forthcoming, The Heart and Soul of Change, 2nd Ed. (APA, 2008). |
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