Review of The use of self in therapy.

Reviews the book, The use of self in therapy, edited by Michele Baldwin and Virginia Satir (1987). This book was also published as a special issue of the Journal of Psychotherapy and the Family, and it represents a departure from the usual content on dysfunctions and interventions in family treatment. Indeed, the book is not meant to be confined to family therapists alone, although the book's editors are themselves distinguished in this field. While there certainly is some recognition of the analytic aspects of the self, the book is not intended to cover the technicalities or subtleties of psychoanalysis and should not be judged as such. Perhaps the title should have clarified its limited focus, yet as announced by the journal editors, the scholars and therapists bring a "historical, philosophical, clinical, and research perspective." The book was proposed not as "a finished piece" but to invite an "on-going dialogue," enhancing the practice of therapy, and enriching "the lives of the therapists and clients." Throughout the volume it seems apparent that the authors were selected to present the self not only as a vehicle for therapy but also as a creative being whose growth is very much a part of a genuine therapeutic process. Of the ten papers written by contributors, two papers are overviews, four are devoted to the therapists' use of self, one expands on a training program highlighting the integration of the self, two are research papers, and one is a unique revealing paper on the metaphor of a wounded healer. One can conclude that Baldwin and Satir have selected contributors who share their feelings that an effective therapist must feel safe and be congruent, and must believe in the sacredness of the human being. If you include yourself as one who could have been invited to contribute to this book you will certainly enjoy reading it. However, if openness, sharing, the patient as partner, and so on sound like suspicious words, the book will be interesting and even stimulating, but hardly adequate to cover the self in therapy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Critical interventions in psychotherapy, from impasse to turning point.

Reviews the book, Critical interventions in psychotherapy, from impasse to turning point by Haim Omer (see record 1994-98362-000). In his opening sentence the author postulates that, "Prolonged impasse is probably the toughest and most ubiquitous ordeal of psychotherapy." This relatively short volume is directed at the development of a technique, which the author calls "Critical Intervention(s)" for the resolution of such impasses. It also, very directly, makes a case for the psychotheapeutic pluralism rampant on the contemporary psychotherapeutic scene. The first seven of the eight chapters are devoted to the philosophy and then the actual technique of the critical intervention. There are case histories to make each point, and the histories consist of dialogues between patient(s) and therapist as well as dialogue between therapist, the consultant, and a group of colleagues who are part of the consultation statement developed out of this consultation. The therapist, then, is to present this statement to the patient(s). While the apparent focus of this book is the critical intervention, it is also clearly a platform for the author's views and feelings about both the pluralistic approach to psychotherapy and the "older" single frame of reference psychotherapies. While this book will have some interest for the solo practicing clinician, the utilization of the technique would be, at best, quite difficult given the necessity of calling together a consultant and group. For those with a single theory orientation to treatment the book will be of no value (other than as an interesting idea) since the technique depends upon pluralism. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Family-of-origin therapy: An intergenerational approach.

Reviews the book, Family-of-origin therapy: An intergenerational approach by James L. Framo (see record 1992-97188-000). This book is a summation of the author's intergenerational approach to psychotherapy which has evolved in his 35 years of clinical practice. For his theoretical base he draws on Fairbairn's object relations theory, combined with Dicks' application of this theory to marital relationships. Framo further integrates this approach with the basic precepts of Bowen's multigenerational theory, particularly Bowen's emphasis on bypassing transferential issues by encouraging patients to connect with members of their family-of-origin. The innovative and unique aspect of Framo's psychotherapeutic approach is his use of one or two family-of-origin sessions. In the course of psychotherapy with adult clients, whether seen individually, as a couple, or in a couples group, he encourages them to bring in the members of their family-of-origin for two, two-hour sessions. The purpose is for the patient to develop the capacity and the courage to talk directly to all familial significant others about unresolved issues between them, rather than spending months or years talking to their therapist about these issues, or in analyzing the patient's transferential projections onto the therapist. Framo's thesis is that the family-of-origin consultation can have great power in producing positive change and flexibility in the individual and in the marital and family systems. He states that the intergenerational encounter can "create an opportunity for forgiveness for alleged wrongs, for mutual misunderstandings, compromise, acceptance and resolution." In this book the author clearly delineates his conceptual basis as well as providing explicit guidelines regarding the conduct of the family-of-origin sessions. The book is an important addition to the proliferating family therapy literature and a significant step toward integrating object relations and family systems theories and practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Client gender as a process variable in marriage and family therapy: Are women clients interrupted more than men clients?

Influenced by language and therapeutic discourse as well as the feminist critique of marriage and family therapy, the authors conducted research to evaluate conversational power in marriage and family therapy. Research on interruptions has received the most empirical attention, so the authors examined videotaped therapy sessions to see if women clients were interrupted more than men clients. This strategy integrated scholarship on gender and conversation into research on marriage and family therapy process. Multivariate analysis of variance was used to examine the different treatment of women and men clients; gender of therapist was used as a control variable. Results indicated that marriage and family doctoral students interrupted women clients three times more than men clients. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Therapist.

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 23(4) of Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training (see record 2007-12251-001). There was a comment in this book review that requires clarification. The reviewers stated, "The code of ethics of the American Psychological Association explicitly disallows only 'unwanted' therapist-patient sexual contact" (p. 487). However, the reviewers failed to take note of Principle 6(a) which reads, "Sexual intimacies with clients are unethical" (p. 29). The two phrases "physical contacts of a sexual nature" (from Principle 7) and "sexual intimacies" (from Principle 6) suggest a difference in behavior, which may be misleading and confusing to a reader of the code. The reviewers may have pointed out an ambiguity in the code which should be corrected by the APA Ethics committee.] Reviews the book, Therapist by Ellen Plasil (1985). The problem of therapist-patient sex has always plagued the mental health professions. In recent years the issue has been the topic of increasing numbers of mental health field panels, seminars and papers, producing innumerable calls for professional, and sometimes legal, sanctions against offenders. Author Ellen Plasil's revelations of sexual involvement with her therapist will shock few, since periodic stories about such behavior seem to come out in the popular press with increasing regularity. The value of Ms. Plasil's autobiographical tale, however, is that it educates the reader as to how the process of mystification works to mold that relationship; that is, the reader learns from her incredibly detailed accounting of her thoughts how patients can be persuaded to become unquestioning "true believers." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Working it out: Using exercise in psychotherapy.

Reviews the book, Working it out: Using exercise in psychotherapy by Kate F. Hays (see record 1999-02984-000). In this book, Hays presents a thoughtful, albeit at times controversial, advocacy for integration of physical exercise into the practice of psychotherapy in an explicit way. Although many mental health practitioners recognize the healing value of physical exercise and even encourage their patients to pursue physical activity, as part of their treatment, Dr. Hays takes this approach to an entirely different level. She argues persuasively that physical exercise, promoted by the therapist in the context of a cognitive-behavioral treatment model, represents for many who seek the services of a psychotherapist a treatment of first choice. She supports her views on this matter by skillfully weaving throughout the book a comprehensive and scholarly review of relevant clinical empirical literature, along with case studies from her own clinical practice. The case studies are a particularly appealing part of this book because they clearly and instructively give the reader an impression of what transpires between Dr. Hays and her clients or patients. One senses that above all she is a warm, empathic, and sensitive clinician who skillfully applies a blend of cognitive-behavioral interventions, enhanced by individually tailored regimens of physical exercise. As stated in the introduction, the author intends "…to inspire mental health professionals to bring to their work a clearer understanding of, interest in, and enthusiasm for exercise in the process of recovery from mental and emotional problems." Dr. Hays identifies practicing psychotherapists as the primary intended audience for her book, but it seems more likely to appeal to students in training for this craft. The more seasoned veterans among us are less likely to be inspired by Dr. Hays's enthusiasm for jogging with our patients, and her proposals for doing this certainly raises many serious concerns and potentially hazardous issues regarding the nature of the relationship between therapist and client. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The technique of psychotherapy.

Review the book "The technique of psychotherapy," by Lewis R. Wolberg (see record 1954-08774-000). This is not the case with The Technique of Psychotherapy. It provides one of the most remarkably comprehensive discussions of specifically what to do in psychotherapy that is currently available. The range and specificity of the topics covered is truly astounding. The topics covered deal with almost every conceivable question that the beginning therapist might ask an expert. This book is remarkable not only in the comprehensiveness of its coverage of specific aspects of therapy but also in the flexibility and freedom of dogmatism of the writer. Wolberg's position appears to be best described as eclectic-psychoanalytic. Wolberg has something good to find in all varieties of psychotherapy. Insight therapy, catharsis, re-education, environmental manipulation, support, reassurance, hypnosis, dream interpretation, free association, and persuasion all have their place for different kinds of therapy and for different kinds of cases. It will be useful in teaching psychotherapy and as a reference for those who practice psychotherapy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Therapist: Erratum.

Reports an error in "Review of Therapist" by Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg (Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 1986[Fal], Vol 23[3], 487-488). There was a comment in this book review that requires clarification. The reviewers stated, "The code of ethics of the American Psychological Association explicitly disallows only 'unwanted' therapist-patient sexual contact" (p. 487). However, the reviewers failed to take note of Principle 6(a) which reads, "Sexual intimacies with clients are unethical" (p. 29). The two phrases "physical contacts of a sexual nature" (from Principle 7) and "sexual intimacies" (from Principle 6) suggest a difference in behavior, which may be misleading and confusing to a reader of the code. The reviewers may have pointed out an ambiguity in the code which should be corrected by the APA Ethics committee. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2007-12243-001.) Reviews the book, Therapist by Ellen Plasil (1985). The problem of therapist-patient sex has always plagued the mental health professions. In recent years the issue has been the topic of increasing numbers of mental health field panels, seminars and papers, producing innumerable calls for professional, and sometimes legal, sanctions against offenders. Author Ellen Plasil's revelations of sexual involvement with her therapist will shock few, since periodic stories about such behavior seem to come out in the popular press with increasing regularity. The value of Ms. Plasil's autobiographical tale, however, is that it educates the reader as to how the process of mystification works to mold that relationship; that is, the reader learns from her incredibly detailed accounting of her thoughts how patients can be persuaded to become unquestioning "true believers." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Therapeutic experiencing: The process of change.

Reviews the book, Therapeutic experiencing: The process of change by Alvin R. Mahrer (1986). In one sense, Mahrer makes the reviewer's task easy by summarizing in his introduction such key points as the purpose of his book, its scope, and its intended readership. Mahrer has two stated purposes: one is "to show how to do experiential therapy" and the other is "to build upon the various members of the experiential family and to propose a single theory of experiential psychotherapy complete with its own methods of bringing about therapeutic change." There are three conditions, however, which must be met in order to enable the reader to do experiential therapy. The first is that the reader is familiar with and sympathetic to existential-humanistic thinking. It is to all such therapists, as well as to their patients, that this book is addressed. The other two conditions that must be fulfilled in order to undertake experiential therapy are that the reader understands how to start each experiential therapy session and knows how to listen experientially. These latter two conditions are the subject of an earlier book by Mahrer, Experiential Psychotherapy: Basic Practices, which is thus basic reading for anyone intending to apply the method described in the current volume, as these two conditions together comprise the essential first of five steps that constitute each experiential psychotherapy session. The current volume picks up the method only at step two, "carrying forward of potentials for experiencing," and covers the remaining steps as well: "experiencing the relationship with deeper potentials, experiential being of the deeper potentials, and being/ behavioral change." In Therapeutic Experiencing , Mahrer stipulates that the patient should have a minimum of three hundred sessions, distributed over a 3-year period, and return for therapeutic work every two years or so for about 10 to 15 sessions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Beyond Counseling and Therapy.

Reviews the book, Beyond Counseling and Therapy by Robert R. Carkhuff and Bernard G. Berenson (1967). The authors of this book present a model for counseling and therapy in which both the client and counselor are assessed on the same core dimensions. The core dimensions include empathy, respect for the feelings of others, genuineness in the sense of employing honest responses constructively, and concreteness to facilitate accurate understanding. This is a book which should be read by all those engaged in, or training for, the helping professions if for no other reason than that it forces the reader to question his effect on the client irrespective of orientation or technique. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The competent child.

Reviews the book, The competent child by Joseph M. Strayhorn (see record 1988-97840-000). The Competent Child is an outline of Strayhorn's approach to psychotherapy. The value of this text rests in its ability to present a clear and practical guide to therapy with children, while respecting the individuality of the therapist and client. In developing his approach to psychotherapy, Strayhorn was guided by two concepts: 1) all psychotherapy can be subsumed under a competence-based approach and 2) psychotherapy is essentially a learning-based intervention which involves the acquisition of skills. The first five chapters of the book provide the background for understanding the skills X method approach and instruct the reader as to how to assess a child's skills. The next three chapters are devoted to the application of the approach to children, adolescents and parents. In chapter nine Strayhorn discusses the difficulties one can have in producing positive results in therapy and attempts to deal with some of the difficulties one might run in to. The final two chapters propose ways of expanding the competence approach into preventive mental health and raise research questions. The book can be recommended to seasoned child practitioners looking to expand their repertoire of skills and to novices seeking to go beyond theory to practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing: Basic principles, protocols, and procedures.

Reviews the book, Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing: Bask principles, protocols, and procedures by Francine Shapiro (1995). This text is a carefully crafted, almost 400 page book on the theory, mechanisms and workings of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). Francine Shapiro espouses much of what is important in psychotherapy and puts aside much of what has been controversial as she describes EMDR. Simply put, this work is the best representation of the procedure to date. For the clinician who uses this procedure, this book is a must. It outlines its necessary ingredients, standard problems, newer uses, typical mistakes, and changes (over its six year oddessy). Several strengths are noteworthy, including EMDR's painstaking assessment of the client, client safety factors, client preparation, as well as the importance of identifying the moving goalpost of "best" targets, needed cognitions, emotions, and sensations. Importantly too, the focus of EMDR is targets and not disorders. Implied but important to underscore, EMDR applies an essential rubric of psychotherapy, the nondirective unfolding of the client according to a least restrictive principle of intervention (by the therapist). EMDR seems to have this down well. If movement is present, the therapist remains truly nondirective, and uses simple rules; if not, a more active "therapeutic intervention" is called for. A procedure that can perform these tasks and do this in a user-friendly manner is not easy to find. This book highlights this unfolding dynamic. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of A new psychotherapy for traditional men.

Reviews the book, A new psychotherapy for traditional men by Gary R. Brooks (see record 1998-06013-000). Gary Brooks spent 6 years writing this book in which he presents a therapeutic model for working with "traditional men." The text's quality—reflected in its organization, structure, and content—demonstrates the success of this very thorough labor. The therapy discussed is a gender-aware model, oriented and very empathetic to the needs and special perspective of contemporary males. Brooks makes the reader aware of the dilemma facing traditional man. Brooks's compassionate and sensitive presentation makes the pain and distress of the traditional man very real and palpable for the reader. The men for whom the model is targeted are those individuals who are closely attached to the traditional definition of manhood; they are emotionally stoic, prefer action to reflection, are shame-bound by any sense of incompetence or hint of failure, and do not ask for help. Brooks is very complete, comprehensive, and convinced about his gender-sensitive therapy for traditional men. His comprehensive intervention is intriguing. The compassionate and compelling manner in which he presents his total model is provocative. It challenges readers to consider or at least reexamine many of their concepts and attitudes regarding men, the process of therapy, and their behaviors as therapists. Brooks's many clinical insights should prove useful to therapists of all experiential levels. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Integrating individual and family therapy.

Reviews the book, Integrating individual and family therapy by Larry Feldman (see record 1992-97185-000). In this book, Larry Feldman takes the position that integration of individual and family therapy concepts and treatment is not only possible but is therapeutically preferable and more effective than individual or family therapy alone. The author maintains the importance of understanding both the intrapsychic and interpersonal variables that stimulate and reinforce the problems of the individual client. This book makes an important contribution in an area in which knowledge, experience, research and case studies are sparse but needed. His case studies were too brief to provide the detailed knowledge a clinician needs in order to learn his model. Although he presents no real data or rates of success or failure of the integration of these approaches, he has made a good beginning in outlining an important treatment approach and raising the questions needed to further develop such a model. Feldman's ideas are stimulating and will add information to the debate about the separation or the integration of individual and family therapy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Negotiating consent in psychotherapy.

Reviews the book, Negotiating consent in psychotherapy by Patrick O'Neill (see record 1999-08089-000). This book examines the importance of negotiating consent in psychotherapy, the extent to which it occurs between client and therapist during therapy, and its impact on the therapeutic process. The author achieves this through the use of qualitative research methods, conducting in-depth interviews with clients and therapists alike. O'Neill also incorporates the concept of narrative construction to frame the therapeutic process. According to the reviewer, this book is straightforward and refreshingly free from psychological jargon so it can be read by both professionals and the general public. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Supportive therapy for borderline patients—A psychodynamic approach.

Reviews the book, Supportive therapy for borderline patients—A psychodynamic approach by Lawrence H. Rockland (see record 1992-97952-000). In this book, the author addresses the supportive psychotherapy of clients with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). While there is an abundant literature on expressive and psychoanalytic treatments for the borderline client there is very little on supportive approaches in the psychotherapy literature. Rockland offers a guide to the therapist who, after careful assessment and treatment planning, decides that a primarily supportive psychotherapy is most appropriate for his/her client, either initially or throughout the treatment. Using a practical, how-to format, Rockland applies the principles of Psychodynamically Oriented Supportive Therapy (POST)—an approach that he formulated (Rockland, 1989)—to clients with BPD. This text will assist clinicians in conceptualizing interventions that are often already part of their "supportive" repertoire but are applied in an unorganized and unsystematic fashion. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The first session in brief therapy.

Reviews the book, The first session in brief therapy edited by Simon H. Budman, Michael F. Hoyt, and Steven Friedman (see record 1992-98543-000). This book provides an overview of the models of brief psychotherapeutic intervention. A major focus is how brief therapists structure and manage their initial contact with the patient. The editors intend this volume to be a casebook in which the reader can learn what therapists actually do in their clinical practice and offers the reader opportunities to further develop and sharpen his/her thinking regarding brief therapy. According to the reviewer, this book provides a fine survey of the current diversity of approaches to brief therapy. Taken as a whole, the book stimulates considerable thought on the most efficacious use of time in psychotherapy and will appeal to a wide audience including graduate students. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Solution-oriented therapy for chronic and severe mental illness.

Reviews the book, Solution-oriented therapy for chronic and severe mental illness by Tim Rowan and Bill O'Hanlon (see record 2001-01051-000). This book presents clever and compelling interventions that are very informed, caring, egalitarian, and anchored in what we now know that clients with severe mental illness (SMI) want. The first eight chapters are extraordinarily good. They cover hopeful approaches for demoralized patients, methods of challenging beliefs such as the impossibility of change, ideas that blame, and ideas that disempower or invalidate clients or families. The last four chapters, however, lacked innovation, were too short and too basic, and simply did not have much to say. The cases the authors presented suggested that the clients they were working with were high functioning people with SMI. The authors do not appear to address the patients with neurocognitive deficits, lower IQs, poor verbal skills, and deficits in basic life skills. Also, the reference list is very brief and ignores most of the work that has appeared in the last 10 years or so. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)