This classic text helps professionals and students understand and address cultural and racial issues in therapy with African American clients. Leading family therapist Nancy Boyd-Franklin explores the problems and challenges facing African American communities at different socioeconomic levels, expands major therapeutic concepts and models to be more relevant to the experiences of African American families and individuals, and outlines an empowerment-based, multisystemic approach to helping clients mobilize cultural and personal resources for change.New to This Edition: >Discussions of important topics for African American communities today, including Afrocentricity, Rites-of-Passage programs, educational disparities, particularly as they affect boys, racial profiling, violence, substance abuse, and HIV/AIDS.>Chapters on gender socialization and relationships, public policy issues affecting families, and divorce, remarriage, and stepparenting in the extended family context.>Expanded coverage of racial identity issues in African American families and spiritual resources in therapy.>Brief sections on Caribbean and biracial children and families.