Regulation-Focused Psychotherapy for Children (RFP-C) with Disruptive Behaviors

The newest edition of Regulation-Focused Psychotherapy for Children offers a clear, compassionate framework for understanding children’s disruptive behavior as meaningful emotional communication.

With more than a decade of empirical research on Regulation-Focused Psychotherapy for Children, this updated manual presents a comprehensive, manualized approach to RFP-C, a short-term psychodynamic treatment designed for children with chronic irritability, disruptive behaviors, and emotional dysregulation. It outlines the theoretical foundations of RFP-C, including affect regulation, defenses, and the Triangle of Conflict, and demonstrates how these concepts guide assessment, case formulation, and intervention. Detailed chapters walk readers through the structure of treatment, therapist stance, and moment-to-moment clinical decision-making, with particular attention to working collaboratively with parents. The manual integrates research findings with richly illustrated clinical examples, including transcripts and case vignettes, to show how therapists help children identify avoided feelings, understand anxiety, and relinquish maladaptive defensive patterns.

Written for clinicians, educators, and interested readers alike, the manual translates complex psychodynamic ideas into practical, hopeful guidance for helping children and families. It is particularly useful for clinicians seeking an evidence-informed yet depth-oriented approach to externalizing behavior.