This book is a companion manual to the author’s best-selling, What Works When with Children and Adolescents. This second volume provides additional creative counseling strategies, expanded coverage of developmental applications, and over 80 entirely new interventions. The book addresses both internalizing and externalizing disorders, such as anxiety, depression, stress, grief, low frustration tolerance, anger, bullying, and acting out. It also covers self-defeating behaviors such as self-injury, eating disorders, substance abuse, and suicidal behavior. The interventions teach behavioral and emotional self-control by helping young people understand the connection between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Activities include games, imagery, art and music activities, bibliotherapy, experiential activities, behavioral rehearsal, and more. An accompanying CD provides reproducible forms, worksheets, and student handouts.

The counseling strategies are designed to motivate young clients to participate in their own therapy and learn coping skills that they can use throughout their lifetime for dealing realistically with situational and developmental problems. The counseling approach is based on the principles of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)—a short-term, problem-solving approach that is particularly useful in school settings. The counseling strategies presented are designed to help young people not just feel better, but to help them get better.