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“[Malekoff] grounds…important theoretical content in vivid case examples from his and his colleagues’ work. In doing so, he brings group theory and practice alive for the reader….Group Work with Adolescents: Principles and Practice (3rd Edition) is well written, organized, and highly accessible. Students and educators will appreciate the balance of theory and case illustrations. Group practitioners will appreciate Mr. Malekoff’s reflective narrative that is informed by close to forty years of groupwork practice with young people. The casual reader will also enjoy the book as the author clearly brings his heart and mind to his writing in order to create thoughtful and engaging scholarship.”

—Groupwork


“It has become a modern classic without peer in the clinical literature. Malekoff's text is resolutely patient-focused and strengths-based, asserting the value of activity, the arts, public advocacy, and project-based interventions with a process focus. He extends the group frame, encouraging the reader to think outside traditional therapy spaces and provides clinical vignettes to illustrate the value of members having experiences in the community that enlarge their sense of themselves. This focus on playful and expansive interventions was a breath of fresh air 10 years ago, and is now squarely in line with the mental health field's increasing appreciation of the curative benefits of holistic, brain- and body-focused clinical practices….Throughout the book there are a plethora of clear guiding principles, models for practice, and practical resources that readers can use or adapt….This third edition strikes a balance between keeping material that is core to the previous editions while also expanding into important areas…. Readers who own previous editions of Malekoff's book will find enough new material to make purchasing the third edition worthwhile. Readers who are new to GroupWork with Adolescents will discover it to be an indispensable resource to add to their bookshelves, one they will return to time and again as they navigate the sometimes treacherous, sometimes thrilling terrain of adolescent groups.”

—Social Work With Groups


“A standard text for teaching about group therapy with adolescents....There are many clinical examples. The book is extremely well written and fun to read.”

—American Society for Adolescent Psychiatry Newsletter (on the second edition)


“The reader is introduced to a broad range of concepts and strategies for effectively engaging adolescents in group therapy across a variety of settings. Through illustrative examples, vignettes, narrations, and literary and poetic quotations, Malekoff skillfully brings to life the critical issues and methodology of successful group practice....[This] is a comprehensive resource for clinicians at all levels of experience. This text can serve as an excellent refresher for 'seasoned' professionals, as well as a teaching tool for the novice clinician.”

—Residential Treatment for Children and Youth (on the first edition)


“Malekoff shows a deep understanding of the issues and concerns of adolescents and expresses this to the reader in a humorous, warm, sensitive, and delightful manner....This book shows the skillful use of the group work method….It would be excellent material for use in the classroom.”

—Social Work (on the first edition)


“This book is useful for beginning and advanced practitioners alike....It conveys enough of the 'how-tos' to introduce clinicians to the field. On the other hand, it is refreshing for the mature clinician seeking new inspiration when working with the adolescent population. It is eclectic in its orientation, dynamic in its approach, and very humanitarian in its orientation to the adolescent population that is described.”

—International Journal of Group Psychotherapy (on the first edition)


“A gift for any who want to form groups with adolescents and develop a problem-solving atmospherethrough the use of talk and activitiesto deal with such issues as sexuality, substance use and abuse, violence, and prejudice....Group Work with Adolescents has to be considered as among the small number of great social work texts.”

—Families in Society (on the first edition)


“Malekoff's command of social group work practice shows at every turn in his presentation of skills in use. Each intervention is well rationalized....Practice examples are plentiful and well chosen to fit, exactly, with the practice approach being espoused....What makes this book so important, so timely, and so appropriate is that Malekoff is able to translate his immense proficiency at social group work with adolescents into a text that is readable, sound, and authentic.”

—Journal of Teaching in Social Work (on the first edition)


“With honesty, enthusiasm, and genuine concern for his clients, Malekoff shares years of experience and expertise. His very detailed book is truly a teaching tool....For the clinician who wishes to learn the secrets of successful process-oriented group therapy...this book will immerse one in the real world of treating high-risk adolescents....For the clinician who seriously plans to work with adolescents in a group setting...this book is a must.”

—Journal of Clinical Child Psychology (on the first edition)


“This book is written in a lively style with many examples and quotations....This is a readable and practical book which can be helpful to all those who work with adolescents in groups.”

—Journal of Child and Adolescent Group Therapy (on the first edition)


“Thoughtful, thorough, sensitive, and compelling....This reviewer experiences Andrew Malekoff as an excellent writer, whose ability to capture and describe the various rhythms, cycles, stages, themes, and dynamics of the group experience is truly awesome....I wholeheartedly recommend this wonderful and inspiring book to anyone who works with adolescents in groups.”

—Child and Adolescent Social Work (on the first edition)


“Practitioners who do group work with troubled adolescents will find Andrew Malekoff's book an excellent introduction to this sometimes intimidating population, particularly for the inexperienced...Malekoff offers wisdom that is most often not taught in academia but can only come with experience.”

—Journal of Child and Family Studies (on the first edition)


“This book is a leading resource for anyone working with adolescents in groups. Providing comprehensive coverage of important clinical issues, with illustrative practice examples drawn from the author's in-depth experience, the book is really helpful for students preparing to practice in this area.”

—Ronald W. Toseland, MSW, PhD, School of Social Welfare, University at Albany, State University of New York


“Readable, engaging, and thoroughly grounded in theory and experience, this clear, practical text is presented in a straightforward yet thought-provoking manner. Group Work with Adolescents is one of those rare texts that students will enjoy reading! The third edition contains important contemporary content on adolescent brain development, the use of newer group work interventions such as mindfulness and animal-assisted therapy, and the important role of social media in the life of today's adolescent.”

—Shirley R. Simon, MSW, LCSW, School of Social Work, Loyola University Chicago


“A very welcome addition to the literature. Malekoff identifies the assets and challenges that young people experience in contemporary society and offers group work as a current and apt approach to address them. Groups are justly presented as safe spaces for adolescents to celebrate cultural diversity in all its forms—in terms of sexual orientation, ability status, gender, and race and ethnicity—and to become engaged in their own healing and the transformation of their environments. The third edition comes alive through up-to-date research findings, discussions of alternative group modalities, and new case studies. The content is fresh and highly relevant for practitioners and students.”

—Flavio F. Marsiglia, PhD, Distinguished Foundation Professor of Cultural Diversity and Health, School of Social Work, Arizona State University


“Writing with eloquence, artistry and heart, Malekoff takes the mystique out of group work. This is the best book I have read about how to engage and build trusting relationships with adolescents. The third edition masterfully describes how to integrate mindfulness into group work, among other new topics. It is perfect for new practitioners and will rekindle the creativity of those with extensive experience. Malekoff brings practice to life in this book.”

—Ariel Allena Botta, MSW, LICSW, Director of Group Psychotherapy, Department of Psychiatry, Boston Children's Hospital


“I currently use Group Work with Adolescents in my undergraduate as well as graduate-level classes that address planning strategies, growth and development, and programming when working with youth. Malekoff does a wonderful job of synthesizing the goals of youth workers with the uniqueness of adolescent life. He has developed ideas and concepts that students who have graduated from our program use in their daily work.”

—Christopher Kowalski, EdD, Division of Leisure, Youth, and Human Services, University of Northern Iowa


“Malekoff speaks directly to the adolescent group worker who is willing to push back against the assumption that life is simple and teenagers are complicated. He recounts the truth about what it is like to give yourself over to a group of teenagers, ingeniously describing the combination of dynamic energy (chaos and mess), interpersonal banter, and creativity (poetry, music, dancing) that actually takes place when you leave your ego at the door. Page after page, Andy walks the walk and keeps it real. Each chapter provides a combination of inspiration, understanding, and creative possibilities—just what adolescent group workers need.”

—Katrina Skewes McFerran, PhD, Head of Music Therapy, University of Melbourne, Australia

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Table of Contents

I. The Adolescent in Context

1. Adolescent Development, Risk, and Opportunity

2. Essentials for Group Work with Adolescents: Staying in the Mess

II. Guidelines for Group Building

3. Strengths-Based Group Work with Adolescents

4. Planning in Group Work: Where We Begin

5. Good Beginnings in Group Work: Socializing Adolescents into the Group Culture

6. What’s Going On in There?: Forming Alliances with Parents Whose Adolescent Children Join Groups

7. School-Based Group Work with Adolescents: A View from the Inside Out

8. Problem Solving in Group Work

9. The Purposeful Use of Activities in Group Work: Innovative, Expressive, and Mindful Approaches

10. The Ending Transition in Group Work

III. Contemporary and Age-Old Themes in Group Work: Guidelines, Applications, and Practice Illustrations

11. Addressing Racial and Ethnic Diversity through Group Work

12. Violence and Youth: Dimensions and Interventions in Group Work

13. Group Work in the Aftermath of Traumatic Events

14. Adolescent Sexuality and Group Work

15. Group Work as a Counterforce to Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse

IV. Special Challenges for Group Workers

16. The Struggle to Fit In

17. On Becoming a Reflective Group Worker

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About the Author

Andrew Malekoff, MSW, LCSW, CASAC, is Executive Director and CEO of the North Shore Child and Family Guidance Center in Roslyn Heights, New York, where he has worked since 1977. Mr. Malekoff is Editor in Chief of Social Work with Groups: A Journal of Community and Clinical Practice, has taught as an adjunct professor at the Adelphi and New York University Schools of Social Work, and serves as a board member for the International Association for Social Work with Groups. He was named Social Work Community Practitioner of the Year by the New York State Social Work Education Association. Widely published, Mr. Malekoff has presented his work and facilitated workshops across the United States and Canada.

• Author's website

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Audience

Social workers and other professionals working with adolescents, including clinical and school psychologists, counselors, and child and adolescent psychiatrists.

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Course Use

Serves as a text in such courses as Adolescent Psychotherapy, Group Work, and Social Work Practice with Adolescents.

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Previous editions published by Guilford:

Second Edition, © 2004
ISBN: 9781593854669

First Edition, © 1997
ISBN: 9781572304659

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New to this edition:

• Thoroughly revised chapters on group work essentials, school-based practice, and trauma.
• Additional topics: social media and cyberbullying, expressive and animal-assisted therapies, mindfulness, adolescent brain development, and more.
• Updated practice principles, information, and references.
• Numerous new practice illustrations.