When Students Cannot or Will Not Change Their Behavior: Using Brief Strategic Intervention in the School

The authors describe an application of the Mental Research Institute (MRI) brief therapy model for working with schoolchildren who either do not want to change or feel they cannot change their problematic behavior. This short-term, problem-focused approach centers on changing the cycles of interaction surrounding a student's problem, in which school staff and/or family members may be engaged. Assumptions undergirding this approach are described along with specific working procedures.