Greco, L.A., and Hayes, S.C. (2008). Acceptance and Mindfulness Treatments for Children and Adolescents. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications.

Acceptance and mindfulness based treatments are identified within the field of third-generation behaviour therapies. These approaches seek to move beyond traditional behavioural and cognitive concepts to acknowledge contextual aspects. Acceptance and Mindfulness Treatments for Children and Adolescents is presented as a manual for practitioners offering guidance and consideration. With focus on the area of children and adolescents, the text presents a number of chapters covering the basics of acceptance and mindfulness treatment through to specialist areas. Many of the contributors are key figures within the field of acceptance and mindfulness.

The book is divided into three parts. In part one; various writers explore general issues in regard to assessment and treatment. Perspective is offered debating the relevance of acceptance and mindfulness treatments generally and to children and adolescents. Part two considers purpose as it relates to specific populations — anxiety and children, paediatric chronic pain, adolescents with borderline features, stress reduction for school aged children, childhood externalising disorders and body image in adolescents. Each chapter within part two provides a solid grounding of the basic approach with examples of technique and clinical application. In part three of the book discussion covers acceptance and mindfulness in new contexts and settings such as parenting, primary care and schools. The focus is on developing strategies that can be applied to a broader context thus developing programs that foster change at a larger scale.

Whilst the text offers a solid overview of the approach and its application to the specified client group, it is this reviewers opinion that it should be seen as an introduction only and not as a practice manual. The editors contend that the material offered is meant to be a collection of works in progress and they welcome comment and discussion. It certainly presents the material in a format that is easy to read and understand, and would be a good starting point for those interested in the basic functions of acceptance and mindfulness.

Review by Anda Davies

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