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 Humor and psyche: Psychoanalytic perspectives.

Review of book: James W. Barron. Humor and psyche: Psychoanalytic perspectives. Hillsdale, NJ: Analytic Press, 1999, xi + 232 pp.. Reviewed by Jeffrey Berman. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Pathological forms of narcissism and perceived stress during the transition to the university: The mediating role of humor styles.

The way individuals use humor is likely to be influenced by how they feel about themselves. The goal of the present studies was to examine the association between the pathological forms of narcissism (grandiose and vulnerable narcissism) and humor styles in Jewish Israeli undergraduate samples as they made the adjustment to being university students. Study 1 (N = 187) found that grandiose narcissism was positively associated with adaptive humor, whereas vulnerable narcissism was negatively associated with adaptive humor and positively associated with maladaptive humor. Study 2 (N = 251) found that humor styles mediated the associations between the pathological forms of narcissism and perceived stress. There was no evidence of any moderating effect of humor styles on the relationship between the pathological forms of narcissism and perceived stress. These findings are discussed in terms of the role that humor may play in explaining the association between the pathological forms of narcissism and perceived stress. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The psychology of humor: An integrative approach.

Reviews the book, The psychology of humor: An integrative approach by Rod A. Martin (see record 2006-21361-000). This book is not a particularly funny read--though it has its moments--but it is a very well-written, well-organized, comprehensive reference guide to the psychology of humor. The Introductory chapter provides a nice overview of the rest of the book. Here Martin defines what is meant by the broad term humor, discusses the many forms and functions of humor, and provides a concise, informative history of thinking about humor. Martin then includes two chapters that address five theoretical approaches: psychoanalytic, superiority/disparagement, arousal, incongruity, and reversal theory. The second part of the book is organized into different psychological subtopics, which makes it very easy to navigate. This part includes sections on the cognitive, social, psychobiological, personality, and developmental approaches to the study of humor. The book concludes with chapters on the link between humor and both mental and physical health, and presents research on the application of humor in psychotherapy, education, and the workplace. (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 Making contact: Uses of language in psychotherapy.

Reviews the book, Making contact: Uses of language in psychotherapy by Leston Havens (see record 1986-97288-000). Drawing on ideas from psychoanalytic, existential, and interpersonal theories, the author has provided a thought-provoking and practical book about how to reach, affect, and influence the distant or absent patient through language. This book is not only thought-provoking and practical but also a pleasure to read; Havens possesses a graceful literary style that is vivid, witty, and filled with fresh metaphors. Havens avoids traditional terminology for describing the more disturbed patient in favor of a personal and less objectifying way of speaking. Havens has provided a framework for conceptualizing how language can be used in a disciplined and powerful way to locate the lost selves of our patients. By calling attention to how we speak, he reminds us that language, used empathically and authentically, is the most powerful tool we have to bridge the often wide chasm between us and our patients. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The compleat therapist.

Reviews the book, The compleat therapist by Jeffrey A. Kottler (see record 1990-98953-000) . The Compleat Therapist begins with an assessment of the state of the art of psychotherapy, concluding with the observation first articulated by Goldfried in his landmark 1982 book, Converging Themes in Psychotherapy: The number of therapies has expanded exponentially over recent years, and paradigm strain mandates attempt to find commonalities and integrations. The book then proceeds to summarize research findings and the writer's personal observations regarding variables common to most therapies and to most effective therapists. The Compleat Therapist homogonizes therapy, and in so-doing points out the risks of the integrative psychotherapy movement. By putting all therapies into one blender and whirling them into one concoction, the unique techniques and insights of each tend to get lost. The result can be, and in this case is, a loss of data. The significant contributions of each type of therapy are submerged in the hunt for common elements. This book's conclusion seems to be that anything works, and why is a mystery. As a professional discipline we need to set our sights higher than that. An approach to integration that looks only at common factors is like looking at antibiotics, aspirin, and cortisone, all of which make people feel better, to find their commonality. Yes, they are all medicines, but that data does not facilitate treatment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Short-term dynamic psychotherapy: Evaluation and techniques.

Reviews the book, Short-term dynamic psychotherapy: Evaluation and techniques (2nd edition) by Peter E. Sifneos (1988). The book focuses specifically, if not exclusively, on short-term anxiety-provoking psychotherapy (STAPP). This mode of treatment is restricted to patients whose psychopathology results from an oedipal conflict, who have had meaningful relationships with another during early childhood, who have the capacity to relate flexibly and expressively with the psychotherapist, who have above-average intelligence and psychological sophistication, and who are motivated for change and not simply symptom relief. The book is organized into three sections: four chapters concern the psychiatric evaluation, seven relatively brief chapters review and illustrate techniques for doing STAPP, and two chapters focus on the results of treatment. In general, this is not a volume for the beginning reader of short-term treatment. It does not overview the entire field but details only one specific type of treatment, which is appropriate for only a limited group of patients. Additionally, the reader will need some understanding of dynamic theory in order to appreciate fully the book's sophistication. These points aside, the book affords the reader an opportunity to see one type of short-term treatment in detail with realistic and sound case material presented in a comprehensible and informative manner. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Counseling and Therapy Skills.

Reviews the book, Counseling and Therapy Skills by David G. Martin (1983). The stated goal of this book is "to communicate more than an academic understanding of the principles of therapy: to give the reader skills that can actually be applied in the counseling setting" (p. vii). The first six chapters focus on the concept of empathy, listening skills, facilitative responding, confrontation, giving control to the client, and relationship issues. The second part book consists primarily of illustrations of therapy by five therapists (including the author). This material is followed by four chapters on the special topics of behavioural interventions, assessment, ethical issues, and how to conduct initial and final interviews. The author concludes with a theoretical section of four chapters in which he briefly discusses contributions by some of the "schools" of therapy, and then addresses the relationship between anxiety and distress, some theoretical principles underlying therapy, and the research evidence on the effectiveness of empathic responding. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The bright-side and the dark-side of CEO personality: Examining core self-evaluations, narcissism, transformational leadership, and strategic influence.

This article reports on an examination of the relationships between chief executive officer (CEO) personality, transformational and transactional leadership, and multiple strategic outcomes in a sample of 75 CEOs of Major League Baseball organizations over a 100-year period. CEO bright-side personality characteristics (core self-evaluations) were positively related to transformational leadership, whereas dark-side personality characteristics (narcissism) of CEOs were negatively related to contingent reward leadership. In turn, CEO transformational and contingent reward leadership were related to 4 different strategic outcomes, including manager turnover, team winning percentage, fan attendance, and an independent rating of influence. CEO transformational leadership was positively related to ratings of influence, team winning percentage, and fan attendance, whereas contingent reward leadership was negatively related to manager turnover and ratings of influence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Ego defenses: Theory and measurement.

Reviews the book, Ego defenses: Theory and measurement by H. R. Conte and R. Plutchik (see record 1994-98641-000). This book comprehensively examines one of the most influential concepts in psychotherapy and counseling, that of defenses and their role in the therapeutic process. It is very well-written and exhaustive in the sense that covers a wide range of issues related to defenses from conceptual and theoretical to issues of clinical application and measurement. Stemming out of a psychoanalytic/psychodynamic perspective the authors revisit the area of defenses and provide an all encompassing presentation of the major issues surrounding the importance, function and usefulness of defenses in psychotherapy and counseling. The book is divided in two parts. The first examines theoretical and conceptual issues surrounding ego defenses and provides several theories and models for comprehending ego defenses. The second concentrates on the methods used to measure, evaluate and objectify ego defenses. The editors' effort to include a wide spectrum of authors who present different conceptualizations, theoretical approaches, and a variety of measurement methodologies is successful and should be commended. The only reservation the reviewer holds about this book is related to the fact that the concept of ego defenses is closely related to insight oriented therapies and approaches and to a constructivist epistemology of human nature. As such, it would prove useless to these clinicians who adhere to behavioral or existential epistemological perspectives to explain and comprehend human nature. All in all, this book is a necessary addition to all those—academics, clinicians and researchers—who in one way or another deal with emotions, human functioning, and psychotherapeutic change. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Boundaries in psychotherapy: Ethical and clinical explorations.

Reviews the book, Boundaries in psychotherapy: Ethical and clinical explorations by Ofer Zur (see record 2007-00030-000). In this book, Dr. Zur outlines a number of the salient boundary issues in psychotherapy. As such, this book provides a valuable resource for practising mental health professionals regardless of theoretical orientation. Specifically, this book aims to shed light on the definition and use of psychotherapeutic boundaries by providing a context-based and comprehensive discussion of diverse boundary issues. The book is divided into four parts, and each of the first three parts is made up of four chapters. Part 1, "Boundaries in Context," addresses an assortment of topics concerning boundaries in psychotherapy. Part 2 focuses on issues that affect the therapeutic frame. Part 3 addresses boundary issues that exist within the therapeutic encounter. In Part 4, appropriately titled "Final Thoughts," the author provides a cogent epilogue that highlights the complex and multifaceted nature of professional boundaries and stresses the importance of conducting risk- benefit analyses and other diligent risk management studies when contemplating crossing boundaries in psychotherapy. With regard to the author's stated objectives for writing this book, he accomplishes his goal of shedding light on the definition and use of psychotherapeutic boundaries. Overall, the author's simple and clear writing style makes this an extremely easy book to read. Other strengths include the succinct definition of terms and inclusion of practical tips and suggestions to help the reader navigate the complexities that entrench boundary issues in psychotherapy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The Kohut seminars on self psychology and psychotherapy with adolescents and young adults.

Reviews the book, The Kohut seminars on self psychology and psychotherapy with adolescents and young adults by Miriam Elson (1985). This book is an editing of psychotherapy supervisory seminars offered in 1969-1970 by Heinz Kohut for psychiatrists, social workers, and psychiatric residents at the University of Chicago Student Mental Health Center. Patients focused on are late adolescents and young adults. Editor Miriam Elson's aim is to provide an understanding of Kohut's theories regarding narcissism and how this theoretical understanding was used by Kohut in treatment of pathological forms of narcissism. The book is divided into two sections, one describing Kohut's theory and the other Kohut's supervision of cases presented in the seminars. Concepts emphasized in Kohut's theoretical perspective--empathy, self-object function, developmental lines of narcissism and object love, self-esteem, understanding, the omnipotent/grandiose self, the idealizing transference and transmuting internalization--are developed and then applied in the casework. Effort is strongly made to relate theory to practice; through the editor's work this is accomplished. This is a readable, helpful book that can be used in psychotherapeutic work with late adolescents and young adults and, possibly, in other settings as well. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The Mind in Therapy: Cognitive Science for Practice.

Reviews the book, The Mind in Therapy: Cognitive Science for Practice by Katherine D. Arbuthnott, Dennis W. Arbuthnott and Valerie A. Thompson (see record 2005-13477-000). In this text, the authors apply the conceptual underpinnings of cognitive science, and its empirical findings, to particular practical issues. In 16 chapters, the authors review different areas of cognitive research and emphasize findings relevant to the theoretical and applied aspects of psychotherapy. Each chapter begins with general definitions of key terms and explains how various cognitive constructs, and the research literature surrounding them, are important to psychotherapy. Many chapters also include case illustrations to translate these concepts into application. The goal of the book--to increase clinicians' understanding of the cognitive processes and mechanisms involved in therapy and to encourage practitioners to integrate this knowledge within the treatments that they provide--is certainly achieved. Practitioners who read this text will be more cognizant of the cognitive processes that influence treatment and may be more deliberate in their use of cognitive mechanisms in therapy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The technique of psychotherapy.

Reviews the book, The technique of psychotherapy by Lewis R. Wolberg (1954). Noting the dearth of concrete specific writings on psychotherapeutic technique "amidst the lush literature on psychiatry," the author made it his purpose to write a book which would delineate a "sound therapeutic structure irrespective of the specific 'kind' of psychotherapy done and without reference to the individual 'style' of the therapist." The writer compares briefly education, social casework, and counseling of normal people with psychotherapy and finds considerable overlapping in goals and means. He also finds that some of the undercurrent processes in "spontaneous cure" are similar to those in psychotherapy. After these preliminary considerations Wolberg attempts to classify the existing varieties of psychotherapy into three types: (a) supportive therapies; (b) insight therapies with re-educative goals; (c) insight therapies with reconstructive goals. The reviewer reports that while the presentation of the chief tenets of the various present-day therapies is too brief to teach a novice, it is so lively and stimulating that it certainly will whet his appetite and induce him to go to the original sources. The criticism of each "approach" is confined to a few objections presented, not as the author's own beliefs, but as opinions voiced by unspecified critics. This is a very important book to be read and enjoyed by all psychologists, practitioners, and theoreticians alike. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Combating destructive thought processes: Voice therapy and separation theory.

Reviews the book, Combating destructive thought processes: Voice therapy and separation theory by Robert W. Firestone (see record 1997-97377-000). This book presents a persuasive and highly integrative approach, not only to the practice of psychotherapy, but also to the human dilemma. The author combines psychodynamic and cognitive models, and makes an innovative advancement by adding an existential framework. the book comprises 18 chapters, divided into five sections covering topics such as the roots of psychopathology; voice therapy in comparison to psychoanalysis and cognitive therapy; the application of voice therapy; the nature of guilt and addiction; death anxiety; and broader social concerns. The reviewer found the organization of this book somewhat problematic, both in terms of the sequence of chapters and the topics covered. He also found that many generalizations were stated as fact and many issues deserved further elaboration. However, he contends that readers may find that the information presented in this book will clarify complex psychotherapeutic issues. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Creativity, mental illness and crime.

Reviews the book, Creativity, mental illness and crime by R. Eisenman (see record 2007-11163-000). By combining published research findings, data from official sources such as the United States Department of Justice National Crime Victimization Study, a certain amount of data from his own research, and the knowledge of many years experience, the author reflects upon issues such as drug and sex education in schools, school-sanctioned violence against children, the desirability of the death penalty, and mistreatment of the mentally ill in a prison treatment program, to give a few examples. Unfortunately, however, such topics are not linked by a genuine unified theme or a systematic attack on the issues mentioned in the title, and the book is really a set of loosely linked statements on issues broadly connected with socially disapproved behavior, and treatment of criminals and those who, more generally, do not "fit in". The secret to profiting from reading it is not to treat it as another standard academic book. The author draws attention to often neglected issues in a very direct way, getting straight to the heart of the matter, and adopting a clear position. In doing so, he risks censure for adopting politically incorrect positions such as emphasizing the viciousness and lack of remorse of many young offenders, pointing out that those students who report greatest availability of drugs in their school receive the least drug education, or even concluding that the death penalty is something that society needs. What the author has to say is short and to the point, unequivocal, clearly stated in highly readable English, and often thought provoking. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Five therapists and one client.

Reviews the book, Five therapists and one client by Raymond J. Corsini (see record 1993-97589-000). To address the question of how the course of therapy would differ depending on the therapist's basic orientation, Corsini created a fictitious client with relatively minor but persistent problems. Therapists from five major systems of psychotherapy were chosen to write very specifically about how they would treat this client. The five systems include Adlerian, person-centered, rationale-emotive, behavioral, and eclectic. The book is divided into six chapters with one chapter for each of the five systems and an introductory chapter in which the problems of the client are given. This is an informative book for professionals, students, and those who are simply interested in the process of psychotherapy and human growth. The book provides very practical, basic information about the therapeutic process from five different perspectives as well as deeper theoretical insight into these respective approaches. Even the sophisticated reader will find much of value in Corsini's book. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Forms of feeling: The heart of psychotherapy.

Reviews the book, Forms of feeling: The heart of psychotherapy by Robert F. Hobson. Robert Hobson calls this book his autobiography as a therapist. As such it provides interesting glimpses into some of his more meaningful sessions with clients, illuminating his approach to therapy and enabling the reader to see a master therapist at work. Hobson also presents a new method of therapy, which he calls the conversational model. On this level, his book is considerably less satisfying. Hobson succinctly outlines the general principles of the conversational model and basic skills required of the therapist, but in so doing offers essentially little new information, however valid the points may be. According to Hobson, the conversational model is designed for clients whose problems arise from disturbances in their significant relationships, and those problems are best solved not by talking about them but by being in a relationship such as therapy that provides "a special kind of friendship." Hobson puts great stress on the use of metaphorical language in therapy and learning how to use the language of art as well as of science. He relies heavily on literary quotations, prefacing each section with one or two, and liberally interspersing many more within the pages of text. The net result is not so much illuminating as it is wearisome, and the general tone is slightly pretentious and, when Hobson addresses his "dear Reader" directly, somewhat condescending. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)