Review of Cocaine: A clinician's handbook.

Reviews the book, Cocaine: A clinician's handbook edited by Arnold M. Washton and Mark S. Gold (see record 1987-98183-000). Washton and Gold point out that the goal of this text is to provide "clinicians with information that is directly relevant to the treatment of cocaine abusers." I feel they accomplished their goal, by concentrating on various aspects of theory, research, and treatment of cocaine abuse. The book is divided into three major sections: Basic and Biomedical Issues, Treatment Approaches, and Special Topics. Overall, this text examines a range of topics. This book can be extremely valuable to physicians, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, counselors in the drug and alcohol fields, and students. The book is comprehensive in what it covers and well organized. Even experienced professionals in this field will be hard pressed to find flaws with this resource. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Facilitating treatment adherence: A practitioner's guidebook.

Reviews the book, Facilitating treatment adherence: A practitioner's guidebook by Donald Meichenbaum and Dennis C. Turk (see record 1987-98489-000). Any health care practitioner is likely to approach a book on how to increase adherence with interest; it is a topic that touches all professionals involved in clincial practice. As a clinical psychologist, I looked to this book to assist with issues facing me daily with clients--how to get them to do what both they and I agree would be beneficial to them and their overall well being. Meichenbaum and Turk promise a "how-to" guidebook and, generally, have adhered to this undertaking well. The authors begin with a section on the nature of the problem of adherence, including a discussion and definition of treatment adherence (as opposed to compliance, which suggests less of an active role by the client), its incidence and assessment. The second chapter in Part I examines the many possible factors that affect adherence. Part II turns to procedures that could be used to enhance adherence. Section III provides an integration of the procedures and discussion anticipating what may go wrong in applying the procedures. The last chapter is partly written with tongue in cheek--applying what they have stated about clients to health care providers and why they will not adhere to the recommendations made in the book. This book is thorough, practical, and timely, and it balances coverage of the relevant research with application to practices and discussion of clinical concerns. Given such a common problem, this book is long overdue, and in fact, much more research effort and clinical training should be placed in this area. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The unconscious reconsidered.

Reviews the book, The unconscious reconsidered edited by Kenneth S. Bowers and Donald Meichenbaum (1986). A discussion of the unconscious from the clinical perspective is joined by discussions from cognitive, psychobiological, and behavioural perspectives in this book. The major contribution of the book is to provide intelligent discussions of the unconscious. The chapters are informative, and include points that are controversial enough to spur useful further discussion of the roles played by the unconscious. Discussion of the unconscious is a pleasurable pursuit, and is likely to make an important contribution to psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Stress reduction and prevention.

Reviews the book, Stress reduction and prevention edited by Donald Meichenbaum and Matt E. Jaremko (1983). In this edited volume, Meichenbaum and Jaremko extend the heuristic value of the stress management paradigm by having a number of researchers present their observations and programmes under the stress inoculation training umbrella. The organizational tactic is a success, as the book contains a wealth of theoretical and practical information dealing with stress management and prevention. The book is divided into three sections. The goal of the first section is to have the contributors survey the literature on stress and coping and to demonstrate the practical implications of their research. The second section of the book deals exclusively with the stress inoculation training paradigm. The third and final section represents the heart of the book. The reader is led through a number of interesting and novel applications of stress inoculation training. The editors are to be commended for this book--it is definitely worth purchasing (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 Treating Attachment Pathology.

Reviews the book, Treating Attachment Pathology by Jon Mills (see record 2005-04683-000). Many books written on attachment pathology focus on the assessment and treatment of children, and provide very little information on attachment difficulties found in adults and adolescents. This book addresses this neglected area by exploring attachment disorders and psychopathology in adults. As such, Mills' work is a welcome addition to the literature. It goes beyond simply linking adult psychopathology to early attachment difficulties. Mills' work provides a theoretical framework for understanding attachment from a psychodynamic/psychoanalytic perspective and then uses this theoretical framework to discuss the aetiology and treatment of adult disorders. Mills aims to make Treating Attachment Pathology accessible to the expert and novice alike. He does this by extensively reviewing the literature for the expert and by making the literature accessible to the novice by providing case examples. Mills himself, however, acknowledges that at times the literature and language is "dense and esoteric." To counteract this Mills makes extensive use of case examples and thereby makes complex and theoretically dense concepts accessible. This is one of the real strengths of Mills' book and it is done with great skill. Although Mills is working from a psychoanalytic/psychodynamic perspective, this book offers much to clinicians from all perspectives. Mills' frank discussion of his own mistakes, and his invitations to critique his therapeutic decisions and techniques, provide a fresh and welcome addition to the literature. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The Core Program: A cognitive behavioural guide to depression.

Reviews the book, The Core Program: A cognitive behavioural guide to depression by Randy J. Paterson, Lynn E. Alden, and William J. Koch (Narrated by Randy J. Paterson). Depression is one of the most common mental health concerns, and efforts to alleviate its burden are truly commendable. Emerging from the Changeways Clinic in Vancouver, this book is one of such recent efforts. This program, developed by Paterson and his colleagues, is delivered in both audio and text formats, with the audio portion narrated by Paterson. The program guides the reader to listen to the audio segment then read through its complementary section in the manual, but it emphasises the importance of working through the examples and completion of the provided worksheets. Overall, the Core Program is a well-developed manual for the treatment of depression. It uses the knowledge derived from cutting-edge research in the field of cognitive science, as well as sound evidence-based practise methods, to provide a valuable tool in the fight against depression. It is replete with pertinent examples and homework assignments, and clearly reflects the authors’ collective expertise in the field of clinical psychology. This program is recommended for use by depressed and/or anxious clients during the course of formal therapy and under the supervision of a licensed practitioner. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Memory, war and trauma.

Reviews the book, Memory, war and trauma by Nigel C. Hunt (see record 2010-17048-000). Hunt’s book presents a very different perspective on how memory, war, and trauma interface, drawing upon a variety of sources not frequently accessed by psychologists. He promotes an interdisciplinary approach to studying memory and war; however, rather than drawing upon the usual fields, such as biology or sociology, Dr. Hunt suggests that a careful examination of history and literature are also integral to developing a complete understanding of memory and war. This book is not designed for individuals unfamiliar with the field of trauma and war. Memory, war and trauma highlights the limitations of current empirical approaches to studying war trauma and presents a narrative methodology that he argues will better capture the unique individual experience of trauma. Hunt rightly demonstrates weaknesses of current methods, and suggests that the narrative method may be the solution to some of the problems with current methods. Though his argument is likely that the narrative method should supplement rather than replace current experimental method, one is left feeling that he believes current methods are wholly inadequate and his method is better. Despite this central weakness, this book will be a benefit to psychologists who study and treat individuals touched by war because it will encourage them to think beyond traditional approaches to research and treatment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Canadian mental health law and policy.

Reviews the book, Canadian Mental Health Law and Policy by John E. Gray, Margaret A. Shone, and Peter F. Liddle (2000). The authors of this book have produced a multidisciplinary text that succinctly summarizes the main points of Canadian mental health laws and the variability across provinces and territories in these laws and in their typical interpretation and application. This book offers a concise guide to the laws dealing with key issues such as involuntary hospital admission, authorization of psychiatric treatment, and treatment refusal. Although not always an easy read for those unfamiliar with legal terms and writing, the book is geared to a wide audience that includes legal and policy specialists, mental health professionals, and advocates for the mentally ill. These authors are to be congratulated for their efforts to disseminate and explain information on Canadian mental health law and to promote a more humane and scientifically grounded set of legal standards and interpretations that are pertinent to the disposition and treatment of Canadian citizens with severe mental disorders. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The trauma response: Treatment for emotional injury.

Reviews the book, The trauma response: Treatment for emotional injury by Diana S. Everstine and Louis Everstine (see record 1993-97113-000). The major premise of this book is that PTSD, as defined in the DSM-III-R, should be reconceptualized and recognized as "trauma response." This shift in focus emphasizes normalcy and a nonpathological recovery process as opposed to adherence to a disease model of psychological affliction in which a "disorder" is diagnosed and treated. The stated purpose of this book is to help clinicians identify, measure, and treat emotional trauma. This book is comprehensive and divided into four parts, covering topics such as the phenomenon of trauma, treatment for adult trauma, hidden trauma, trauma in the work place and trauma and the law. According to the reviewer, the book as a whole reflects valuable learning that has accrued from the authors' clinical experiences in working with victims of trauma. A diverse readership would benefit from this addition to the clinical literature. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Cognitive-behavioral therapies for trauma (2nd Edition).

Reviews the book, Cognitive-behavioral therapies for trauma (2nd edition) by Victoria M. Follette and Josef I. Ruzek (see record 2006-02767-000). This humbly titled text actually provides exhaustive coverage of several important trauma-related areas. As suggested by the book cover, this second edition seems to go beyond updated references and leading-edge changes. The book does indeed appear to be a radical revision without departing from the core intent, which was to provide a one-stop shop for practitioners working with trauma survivors. Functioning more as a compendium than a standard text, this book acts as a single resource for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In appropriate fashion, a historical review serves to contextualize the subsequent sections and associated chapters. The majority of the book is then divided into three sections: Assessment, Interventions, and Specialized Populations and Delivery Considerations. The final chapter serves as direction for the future of applied cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) in several diverse settings. Overall, the text is a comprehensive desk reference for many practitioners treating PTSD. As noted in this review, some chapters are presented in a manner that is accessible to a broad readership, whereas others are geared more towards the experienced practitioner. Notwithstanding, the sound empirical foundations provided for the assessments, interventions, and tangential issues related to PTSD make this volume a valuable compendium resource for clinicians. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Effective Correctional Treatment.

Reviews the book, Effective Correctional Treatment by Robert R. Ross and Paul Gendreau (Eds.) (1980). This collection of both reprinted and original chapters was developed in response to the sometimes heated debate in the criminal justice field over the effectiveness of a variety of interventions with both pretrial and sentenced persons. This debate was intensified with the publication of a book by Robert Martinson and his colleagues which summarized their review of a large number of corrections treatment programs. What has changed since the Martinson review? Are treatment programs more effective and/or better evaluated? The Ross and Gendreau book nicely addresses both these questions. Apart from an overemphasis on juvenile programs, this is a highly valuable collection of papers. It clearly could serve as an excellent undergraduate text in a number of criminology, psychology, or social work courses and also as a sourcebook for criminal justice workers who are interested in creating new programs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Health psychology in global perspective.

Reviews the book, Health psychology in global perspective by Frances E. Aboud (see record 1998-07478-000). Initially, the reviewer was unsure of what to expect from this book, and yet in completing it he feel humbled by the perspective it provided on international and cross-cultural health issues. The reading of this book has served to expand his definition of health psychology to include global and cross-cultural concerns. The organization of the book is logical and easy to follow. The first two chapters provide an introduction to the rest of the text. Each of the remaining seven chapters is dedicated to a specific health concern. Aboud's hope is that the reader will come to appreciate that solutions are not as simple as they might appear in the global health community and that enthusiasm must be tempered with "caution and realistic expectations." We must be careful not to stereotype other people and their problem, and recognize that health and well-being are expressed in different but entirely acceptable ways in different cultures. Courses in health psychology will benefit from the inclusion of this book. It incorporates case studies, case vignettes, and student activities along with the text in a manner that students will find challenging. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Treatment and prevention of alcohol problems: A resource manual.

Reviews the book, Treatment and prevention of alcohol problems: A resource manual edited by W. Miles Cox (see record 1987-97300-000). A resource manual on alcohol problems that captures the state of the art in therapeutic and preventive techniques and in their underlying theoretical bases and empirical foundations is an extremely ambitious but much needed effort. This is precisely what Miles Cox has set out to do in the present volume. The volume consists of four sections: initiating treatment with chapters on beginning treatment, assessment, and medical aspects; specific treatment techniques, with chapters on behavioral treatment, building self-control, imagery and logotherapy, self-help groups, and craving for alcohol; associated problems and special populations with chapters on marital and family therapy, sexual problems, and culture-specific treatment; and early intervention and prevention including chapters on cognitive approaches to secondary prevention and prevention of alcohol problems. On the whole, the book lives up to its intentions. Although there are some gaps which prevent this book from being truly comprehensive, this volume will serve as a useful text in graduate courses for social workers, counselors, and psychologists. What is commendable about this book is that Cox has made a largely successful attempt, by pulling together many diverse literatures, to bridge the gulf that exists between service providers and research communities on the proper ways of helping people who are troubled by, or threaten to be troubled by, alcohol. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Adolescents and their families: Coping with ADHD.

Reviews the book, ADHD in adolescents: Diagnosis and treatment by A. L. Robin (see record 1998-06642-000). This is an extremely well-written text that applies research to practice. The book consists of 14 chapters divided into three sections. Section I consists of two chapters that present definitions and diagnostic criteria of ADHD and review the theories and research related to this disorder. Section II focuses on evaluation and diagnosis with four chapters covering various assessment methods and suggestions for integrating data. Section III consists of eight chapters on treatment. This wonderfully crafted text illustrates the variety of difficulties that adolescents with ADHD encounter through the presentation of case studies and personal accounts of experiences by the only ones who truly know what it's like to live with this disorder--the adolescents themselves. Although Robin makes a point of stating that this book is intentionally written for the clinician, this text is an excellent resource for school psychology practitioners and trainers, school counselors, and others who work with this population of students. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Clinician's guide to PTSD: A cognitive-behavioural approach.

Reviews the book, Clinician's guide to PTSD: A cognitive-behavioural approach by Steven Taylor (2007). In this book, Steven Taylor takes on the lofty challenge of summarizing the research on Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as it relates to assessment and treatment. The book is divided into two sections: conceptual and empirical foundations, and treatment methods and protocols. As the title suggests, the book is based on a cognitive-behavioural model and as such is directed at individuals who have some knowledge of and experience with using this treatment modality. However, practitioners of all theoretical orientations will benefit from reading this book. Clinician's guide to PTSD is an excellent resource with respect to reviewing the research on predisposing factors, risk factors and, assessment tools. The chapter on case formulation is excellent, and the section on the application of cognitive behaviour therapy to PTSD is very useful and pragmatic. Furthermore, this is a very well-written book and is thankfully devoid of jargon. If you treat people who have been traumatized, then this book is essential reading. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)