Review of College psychotherapy.

Reviews the book, College psychotherapy edited by Paul A. Grayson and Kate Cauley (see record 1989-97599-000). According to the reviewer, this was an enjoyable and informative book, easily read with helpful suggestions for working with the college population. It is devoid of the pretentious theorizing or condescending didacticism found in many "how-to" books in psychology. Doctors Grayson and Cauley are primarily interested in addressing the needs of those who practice counseling or psychotherapy with college students. Their treatment approach is described as "discriminating eclecticism." They point out that the college population is too heterogeneous to fit a standard treatment orientation. IThis book is highly recommended to all who work with college population, not just those who are in university settings. This is also an excellent sourcebook for graduate students who want to fortify their therapeutic skills and those who supervise these students. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Clinical interaction and the analysis of meaning: A new psychoanalytic theory.

Reviews the book, Clinical interaction and the analysis of meaning: A new psychoanalytic theory by T. Dorpat and M. Miller (see record 1992-98407-000). This text views psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic psychotherapy from the perspective of the newly proposed concept of "Meaning Analysis." The authors purport to advance psychoanalytic theory and technique by taking a fresh perspective on two important aspects of analytic encounter: the interaction between the analyst and analysand (therapist and patient) and how interactions in this relationship affect transference and countertransference. This book also examines the analysis of meaning and how treatment can assist in the understanding and reconstruction of client beliefs. The authors present a reanalysis of Freud's theory and the goal of the book is to elucidate the "flaws" in his work. The reviewer believes that many readers will be intrigued by the criticisms of Freud and the blending of more recent research into analytic models. This book is recommended for both analytically oriented therapists and interested readers who want to learn more about analytic treatment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Family therapy concepts and methods.

Reviews the book, Family therapy concepts and methods by Michael P. Nichols (1984). The wealth of information presented in this book about the field of psychotherapy is one of its major strengths. Eight separate schools of therapy are described, including their historic roots. Substantial reading lists are included with each chapter. The presentations include a developmental perspective and normal functioning by which the contrast of disordered behavior may be highlighted. Major figures, main concepts, and methods are presented in a well-written, easy-to-follow format. This text lends itself most usefully to the integration of individual psychodynamic psychotherapy as it contributes to an understanding of systems practice. The presentation of psychoanalytic developmental theory is the best and most useful I have seen. It is well suited to teaching clinicians. The total impression is that the book offers a presentation of psychotherapy as integrated into systemic practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Beyond the therapeutic relationship: Behavioral, biological, and cognitive foundations of psychotherapy.

Reviews the book, Beyond the therapeutic relationship: Behavioral, biological, and cognitive foundations of psychotherapy by Frederic J. Leger (see record 1997-36714-000). Leger has tackled the very large task of presenting an integrative, eclectic theory of psychotherapy which specifies the behavioural, biological, and cognitive processes that underlie psychotherapeutic change. In doing so, he follows in the tradition of other integrationists who have strived to outline frameworks that can encompass the diversity of explanatory emphases and practices in the dozens of present-day psychological therapies. In part, Leger's goal in proposing a "higher-order theory" is to lessen the "confusion which threatens to overwhelm the field" and to hasten a "convergence of scientific opinion." Leger supports his higher-order theory by drawing from a massive amount of literature in areas as seemingly diverse as nonverbal interaction, cognitive science, physiology, neurology, and discursive psychology, as well as from his own clinical experience. And it is the scope of his knowledge and his attempt to focus the reader's attention on the importance of the often ignored influence of therapists' nonverbal behaviours and the frequently taken-for-granted effects of maximal client self-disclosure that are the most impressive features of the book. However, the reviewer feels that the book may not have much impact, first because there have been several previous attempts by other writers to propose models of eclectic psychotherapy or to develop frameworks for integrating diverse forms of psychotherapy, and second because the style in which it is written quickly becomes rather tiresome. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Self and others: Object relations theory in practice.

Reviews the book, Self and others: Object relations theory in practice by N. Gregory Hamilton (see record 1988-97224-000). Hamilton's book, Self and Others, is useful because it attempts to render much of the complexity of understanding object relational approaches more negotiable. Without question, the book is addressed to the beginner or relative beginner (i.e., the person who wishes to get an introduction to object relations). However, because of its elementary focus, the book can be especially valuable for clinicians, residents, and related mental health trainees who are in the process of learning about object relations theory. Too often it seems introductory books on object relations either assume a knowledge the reader does not possess or become so overly mired in discussing the intricacies of theoretical controversy (e.g., Kohut versus Kernberg) that they leave the beginning student of psychoanalysis in a state of bewilderment. Such is not the case with Self and Others. Hamilton's book, while not being without its limitations, does have some interesting features to offer for beginning instruction in object relations theory. The book attempts to show how object relations theory can be applied in practice. Some interesting and instructive definitions, case examples, and discussion are provided, and they all can prove of value to the interested student of object relations theory. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Psychotherapy in a new key: A guide to time-limited psychotherapy.

Reviews the book, Psychotherapy in a new key: A guide to time-limited psychotherapy by Hans H. Strupp and Jeffrey L. Binder. This is a well-written and carefully-reasoned book that could easily become a minor classic, a benchmark in the development of short-term psychotherapy. For the myriad pyschotherapists who have been practicing short-term therapy, based on dynamic principles, for many years, the book is not likely to be either radical or new. It is rather more likely to provide sound, reasoned arguments for doing what many therapists have intuitively sensed works best: constant focus on the here-and-now interaction between patient and therapist, avoidance of historical reconstructions, and the disciplined use of psychodynamic principles translated into everyday language for improvements of the patient's understanding of current problems in living. This is a great service in and of itself. But the book is likely to find its largest audience and use among several other groups, namely, trainers of psychotherapists, clinicians who wish to develop their skills in short-term approaches, clinic directors who wish to establish short-term therapy programs, and other investigators. Psychotherapy in a new key, quite simply, is a book that no serious student of short-term dynamic therapy can afford to miss. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Psychobiographic approach to psychotherapy: A study of the power structure of psychotherapy.

Reviews the book, Psychobiographic approach to psychotherapy: A study of the power structure of psychotherapy by Herzel Yerushalmi (see record 1998-07924-000). The author of this book critically examines history, philosophy, theory, and current practice of mainstream psychotherapy, with an eye toward exposing a power differential that he thinks disaffirms and can even revictimize those who seek help. Yerushalmi's psychobiographic approach is based on the premise that the client is the only one in possession of unique knowledge of the individual reality. The reviewer states that readers of this book who seek to learn specific techniques to apply to psychotherapy are likely to be disappointed. In addition, the material is often abstract and philosophical and its intended audience is clearly the practicing clinician. He recommends this book for therapists who seek to improve their effectiveness as helpers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The psychotherapist's own psychotherapy: Patient and clinician perspectives.

Reviews the book, The psychotherapist's own psychotherapy: Patient and clinician perspectives by Jesse D. Geller, John C. Norcross, and David E. Orlinsky (2005). The editors of this book have two aims: 1) "to synthesize and explicate the accumulated knowledge on psychotherapy with psychotherapists," and 2) "to provide clinically tested and empirically grounded assistance to psychotherapists treating fellow therapists, as well as to those clinicians who seek personal treatment themselves." The editors seem to be walking a fine line between asserting their own integrative conclusions and setting the conditions for readers to arrive at conclusions on their own. The tendency is toward the latter. With this propensity in mind, readers might approach the book as a truly encyclopedic collection- best approached in piecemeal (nonintegrative) fashion, focusing on fascinating morsels that can stand alone. In contrast, for those readers who are drawn toward integration, the book may elicit contrasting experiences of deep familiarity and understanding, and disorienting befuddlement about what was just read. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Models of brief psychodynamic therapy.

Reviews the book, Models of brief psychodynamic therapy by Stanley B. Messer and C. Seth Warren. This book is suitable for supplementary reading in a graduate psychotherapy course, and is intended for graduate students in the field of clinical and counseling psychology. It is also intended as a concise reference work on brief psychodynamic therapies for clinicians who are or wish to practice in the newer mode of limited goals and limited sessions. The authors consider drive theory based psychotherapy treatment, as well as integrative and eclectic models of brief psychodynamic therapy. In consideration of each of the various approaches, Messer and Warren have primarily concerned themselves with four issues as a focal point of their analysis: (a) the theory of pathology involved; (b) the development of a clinical focus; (c) patient selection considerations, including indications and contraindications; and (d) typical techniques associated with the treatment involved. This text is an excellent addition to the literature, primarily for adjunct reading in graduate courses on psychotherapy. It also affords the opportunity for psychodynamically oriented clinicians to address a need for an overview and grounding in brief treatment models. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Handbook of homework assignments in psychotherapy: Research, practice, and prevention.

Reviews the book, Handbook of homework assignments in psychotherapy: Research, practice, and prevention edited by Nikolaos Kazantzis and Luciano L'Abate (see record 2006-11928-000). Reading this book title quickly one might think that this is a book of practical homework ideas, worksheets, and resources for clinicians. Reading it again more carefully, one discerns that it is more than that. What the editors have planned for the reader is a complete discussion of how therapy and personal change is supported by between-session activities in which the client engages. The book operationally defines "homework" in various kinds of therapy, the role that it plays in the change process, and presents research related to those important between-session tasks. Given this breadth, it is not surprising that the book is aimed at practitioners and researchers with all ranges of experience. The book is organised into four parts to help the reader with this diverse material. Part 1 reviews the concept and implementation of homework across nine well-known modalities (behavioural, client-centered, cognitive, emotion-focussed, interpersonal, psychodynamic, acceptance and commitment, brief strategic family, and personal construct therapies). Parts 2 and 3 of the book focus more on specific populations and disorders, including older adults, couples, and families. The final section of the book contains three "future" oriented chapters in distinct areas: research, practise, and prevention. Readers looking for an "academic" perspective on homework, a comparison of different approaches to between-session work, and inspiration in working with different populations will find a great deal here. The book may be less useful as quick reference on homework ideas for a client who is coming in to a session later today. It really does represent a "first to market" work that will be foundational for others interested in the theory and practise of psychotherapy homework, and certainly makes a very unique contribution. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of A perilous calling: The hazards of psychotherapy practice.

Reviews the book, A perilous calling: The hazards of psychotherapy practice by Michael B. Sussman (1994). In this book, the author presents chapters by therapists from various disciplines (e.g., psychology, social work, psychiatry) that examine the "hazards" that lay hidden in the practice of psychotherapy. The author contends that doing psychotherapy "poses significant dangers to clinicians" (p. 1). He believes that there are forces both internal and external to the therapist that may take their toll on the therapist's well-being. Sussman makes the point that while other overtly dangerous professions (e.g., firefighter) warn prospective candidates of the perils of their field, novice psychotherapists are not prepared for what awaits them. Psychotherapists, then, enter the profession unprepared for, if not blind to, possibilities that not only make them less effective in their work, but might actually harm themselves and their families. Sussman sees a real human cost to not preparing clinicians to be aware of, and deal with, these hazards. The book is divided into six parts that range from the therapist's personal development to renewal. Along the way the reader encounters professional, ethical and legal issues, clinical dilemmas, the emotional impact of the work, and the ailments of the therapist. Within each particular area are rather personal, and at times idiosyncratic, chapters from a variety of psychotherapists. There are chapters that deal with AIDS, the Holocaust, body shame, and being a female therapist. Most of the chapters have a distinctly clinical orientation, while a few come across as philosophical discourses. There is one chapter by an expert witness in the Margaret Bean-Bayog case who warns of the dangers of the press on one's career. The wide scope of the chapter topics, at times, gives the book a disjointed feel and the sense that it is trying to tackle too many issues at once. Overall, this book provides a new slant on what is involved in the practice of psychotherapy. It raises some important questions about the field and how we prepare for its impact on our lives, for the practice of psychotherapy surely does affect the practitioner. Sussman and some of the chapter authors make a good case for increasing communication about potential hazards and developing strategies and training methods that will minimize their effects. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Attachment in psychotherapy.

Reviews the book, Attachment in psychotherapy by David J. Wallin (see record 2007-05421-000). This intellectual and clinical tour-de-force is what we have been waiting for: a book that is on the one hand a coherent, creative, thoughtful, and remarkably integrated view of contemporary psychoanalysis, with attachment, and attachment processes, at its core, and on the other a reflection on our daily, complex, work with patients. The book has three broad aims: first, to ground the reader in attachment theory and research, second, to broaden the reach of attachment theory by building bridges to other aspects of contemporary psychoanalytic theory and science, and third to apply this broader, deeply psychoanalytic, clinical attachment theory to understanding the dynamics of an individual patient and the dynamics of clinical work. This book should be essential reading for anyone interested in contemporary psychoanalysis. Few writers have the ability to write so directly and clearly about complex science and theory; his scholarship and reach are extraordinary. This book is also a book for therapists at all levels of experience. Throughout every section of the book, Wallin writes about his work with patients, about the therapeutic process, about the therapeutic situation, and about the therapeutic relationship, in all its complexity. In the end, he creates a truly contemporary vision of human development, affect regulation, and relational processes, grounded in the body and in the brain, and in the fundamental relationships that make us who we are, as therapists, as patients, and as human beings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Treatment Planning in Psychotherapy: Taking the Guesswork Out of Clinical Care.

Reviews the book by Woody et al (see record 2002-06426-000, which outlines a step-by-step simple method by which clinicians can plan and evaluate the course and outcome of therapy. The authors outline their rationale for their "Planning and Assessment in Clinical Care (PACC)" system. Differences in clinical practice between university and health care settings can be quite surprising and possibly overwhelming, especially for the new clinician. The book has a number of strong points that will likely aid not only the individual therapist interested in planning and evaluating the course and outcome of their therapy with clients and patients, but also should help to increase the research productivity of psychologists working in a variety of service settings. Benefits that clients and patients are likely to receive as a result of therapy that is complemented by thorough, yet simple, planning and evaluation strategy. The book is comprised of 7 easy-to-read chapters with a valuable appendix containing a number of well-validated assessment measures. The reviewer believes the book to be well-suited for graduate students as an introductory textbook for a course in psychotherapy planning and evaluation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Personality styles and brief psychotherapy.

Reviews the book, Personality styles and brief psychotherapy by Mardi Horowitz, Charles Marmar, Janice Krupnick, Nancy Wilner, Nancy Kaltreider, and Robert Wallerstein (1984). This book by Horowitz and his colleagues falls in the category of psychodynamic psychotherapy, and in fact lies very close to the heart of traditional, but updated, forms of psychoanalytic psychotherapy. Clinicians who have attempted to master ego-analytic psychotherapy will recognize key concepts in this book that are germane to traditional therapy. These include: stressful events that precipitate psychopathology in specific personality types; the concept of wish, defense, and the dynamic compromise behavior/attitude; patterns of defensive organization and cognitive style typical of personality types; therapeutic tactics related to those personality patterns; and the triad of insight-transference relationship, current relationships, and parental relationships. Horowitz's book has value for a number of overlapping purposes. It should be included in a course on short-term therapy, it is an up-to-date and sophisticated review of personality theory, it is important in the empirical refining of psychodynamic technique, short- or long-term, and it is essential for an understanding of how psychotherapy research is indeed beginning to have a significant impact on psychotherapy theory and technique. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Play in child development and psychotherapy: Toward empirically supported practice.

Reviews the book, Play in child development and psychotherapy: Toward empirically supported practice by Sandra Russ (see record 2003-88219-000). Clinical child psychologists have used play as a vehicle for psychotherapy for over 75 years. However, current demands of managed care systems emphasize the need for time limited and empirically supported treatments. Although play techniques are commonly incorporated by psychologists of various theoretical orientations, Sandra Russ points out in this book the disparity between the theoretical role of play in psychotherapy and the actual evidence supporting these techniques. The first four chapters of the book provide literature reviews of the history, theory, and research on pretend play, considering both normative and clinical populations. The next three chapters focus more specifically on the current developments in understanding play from research and practice perspectives. Finally, Russ considers future objectives for researchers and practitioners who seek to expand and enhance the utility of play techniques in child psychotherapy. Russ's book clearly provides a basis for understanding the current state of the child play therapy field while strongly emphasizing the need for additional research. This book may be useful for practitioners who strive to provide empirically supported treatments because it provides theoretical and available research perspectives. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Relational theory and the practice of psychotherapy.

Reviews the book, Relational theory and the practice of psychotherapy by P. L. Wachtel (see record 2008-01938-000). Having produced important texts involving the integration of a psychoanalytic perspective with cognitive–behavioral and family systems perspectives, in the current book he turns his attention to seemingly divergent lines of thought within psychoanalysis itself. Psychoanalysis—that variegated, continually branching and diversifying body of theory and practice that started with Sigmund Freud but which has moved so far beyond its origins so as to be almost unrecognizable in some respects—is certainly Wachtel’s primary home. In this book, Wachtel sets out to try and get the house in greater order, both for psychoanalytic inhabitants themselves and for visitors from other theoretical homes. The collection of psychoanalytic perspectives that have gradually taken context into account as being equally important to those factors that are internal are referred to as relational. And it is to these perspectives, which sometimes diverge in significant ways from each other and also from “one-person,” internally focused perspectives, that Wachtel devotes his attention in this book. With Relational theory and the practice of psychotherapy, Paul Wachtel has written an important book, one that will be particularly stimulating and useful to graduate-level-and-above students of psychotherapy. It will also be accessible, thought provoking and clarifying to open-minded psychotherapy practitioners of all stripes, particularly those who do not identify themselves as relational, psychoanalytic, or even psychodynamic. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Running therapy: Special characteristics and therapeutic issues of concern.

Describes the use of running therapy in the case of a 32 yr old female incest survivor to delineate specific, predictable, and salient characteristics and issues that may inhere to this type of therapy. The need to address client variables and therapist attributes is discussed. Significant interpersonal issues include changes in the therapeutic bound, competition, and body awareness. Characteristics of running therapy include changes in thinking patterns, the use of symbolism and metaphor, and nonverbal communication. The positive effects of aerobic exercise in the context of psychotherapy may lead to a more profound and beneficial experience of psychotherapy. Further understanding of this form of therapy is useful both to those interested in the relationship between exercise and mental health and those studying varieties of psychotherapeutic experience. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Professional psychology in transition.

Reviews the book, Professional psychology in transition by Herbert D?rkin and Associates (see record 1986-97926-000). This edited volume is a must for at least two groups of psychologists in Canada: (1) those interested in expanding and strengthening their share of the psychological services market; and (2) those interested in the development of psychology as a profession. The book contains three sections. The first, entitled "Trends in the Profession," documents the nature, scope, and influence of psychology's 45,000 licensed psychologists in the US. Sections 2 and 3 move us closer to the Canadian experience. Section 2 focuses on training and practice issues, and should be read by all those who train professional psychologists. Section 3 deals with economics and competition and presents us with some intriguing glimpses of our future. The book is highly recommended. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Empathy reconsidered: New directions in psychotherapy.

Reviews the book, Empathy reconsidered: New directions in psychotherapy by Arthur C. Bohart and Leslie S. Greenberg (see record 1997-08439-000). What, exactly, do we mean by empathy? And what role does it play in how psychotherapy works? These are the questions that Arthur Bohart and Leslie Greenberg address in their edited book, Empathy reconsidered. While definitive answers are not arrived at, the considerations have resulted in a book that ought to be required reading for anyone who wants to understand or practice psychotherapy. This is a book that should be read by graduate students in clinical or counselling psychology, psychotherapy researchers, and psychotherapists. It is not an easy read; it is definitely not a "how-to" manual. Rather, it is challenging and thought-provoking. The dedicated reader, however, will be rewarded. Ultimately, the greatest reward that this book offers is the view that maybe psychotherapy is the distillation of an essential human process which is facilitative of human growth; that maybe all forms of psychotherapy are effective as a result of empathic processes; that maybe what we should be directing our energies toward is ensuring that we are empathically engaging our clients, not whether we are implementing irrelevant varieties of therapeutic techniques. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Interpersonal Reconstructive Therapy: Promoting Change in Nonresponders.

Reviews the book, Interpersonal Reconstructive Therapy: Promoting Change in Nonresponders by Lorna Smith Benjamin (see record 2003-02042-000). Lorna Smith Benjamin offers a refreshing and unique treatment approach with this book, for a group of patients who are defined less by a specific diagnosis than by their failure to respond to one or more treatment trials. A master clinician, Benjamin has spent most of her career researching and treating the interpersonal processes of patients with personality disorders and other interpersonal problems. Benjamin is especially impressive when describing the causality of the proposed model and the treatment. Reviews of empirical research are interwoven throughout the middle chapters and are linked smartly to critical treatment issues (e.g., attachment theory, insight, empathy, the therapeutic alliance). Benjamin's own research tool, the Structural Analysis of Social Behavior (SASB), is referred to throughout, but mostly discussed in a single chapter. Those knowledgeable in SASB will immediately recognize it in most of the treatment concepts. Yet those who are not familiar with SASB will have no problem mastering this book, even if they entirely skip the SASB chapter and references. It's hard to imagine many clinicians not advancing their own thinking and practices about working with their most difficult patients by reading this book. Benjamin has advanced the understanding of working with difficult patients to a new level. Regardless of whether this book proves to be superior in clinical trials, Benjamin's unique contribution to thinking about therapy is already a classic. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)