Using what works to help children manage stress and anxiety: An appeal for pragmatism

In this article I discuss what I think is a major obstacle to doing what works in clinical practice. Namely, many times prior, foundational assumptions get in the way of our choosing and using the most effective treatment methods. I thus offer a way to think about things—a pragmatic perspective—that challenges this notion of foundational assumptions. I discuss the two main characteristics of a pragmatic perspective: its problem solving and contextualistic orientation. I also show how the articles contained in this issue of In Session can be viewed within this pragmatic perspective. My conclusion is that a pragmatic perspective provides a useful framework for incorporating procedures that work in one's clinical practice. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.