The “Psychology in Practice” series aims to support ongoing training initiatives for professional psychologists through a set of accessible books explaining qualified approaches to professional practice. A psychologist needs to master an extensive array of theoretical and practical skills, and the contexts in which a psychologist uses them vary widely as well: health and well-being interventions, workplace and organizational consulting, guidance activities in schools, sports psychology, legal advice (ranging from expert opinions to family mediation). This series, conceived primarily for psychologists, is also helpful for anybody who works in a context requiring psychological knowledge and skills: teachers, managers, physicians and healthcare assistants, personnel management operators. Its books provide practical, yet scientifically validated tools for addressing challenges that typically arise in psychologists’ activities. The texts are brief, focus on important topics and provide a wealth of examples, models and procedures; they allow readers to find substantial, functional answers for their professional practice.

Managing an interview with a school-age subject is of one the most important activities for a mental health professional and an essential competency for initiatives and interventions in educational contexts (for example, activation of a guidance service in a school). This book provides a set of tools for effective consulting concerning a variety of issues that arise in the period stretching from primary schooling to adolescence. The authors address the main sources of anxiety that a professional may encounter during an interview: aggression management, eating disorders, grief management, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Clinical case studies are used as examples to identify procedures and management approaches for tackling problems that may arise during consulting activities, as well as strategies for identifying the main sources of distress for children and adolescents.

Carla Candelori, a psychologist and psychotherapist, teaches Dynamic Psychology, as well as Psychological Interviewing and Diagnosis Models and Techniques, at the Gabriele d’Annunzio University in Chieti.

Carmen Trumello, a psychologist and psychotherapist, is a member of the Italian Association for Childhood, Adolescence and Family Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy.