Review of The homosexualities and the therapeutic process.

Reviews the book, The homosexualities and the therapeutic process by Charles W. Socarides and Vamik Volkan (see record 1992-97015-000). Socarides, one of the editors of this book, remains the most persistent and productive purveyor of the "homosexuality as pathology" school of psychoanalysis, having published voluminously on the subject for the last four decades. He is joined by Vamik Volkan, who has published more about topics other than homosexuality, including numerous papers on transsexualism, as co-editor for this volume of 14 chapters, 12 about men, 1 about a lesbian, and 1 about a female-to-male transsexual. This book, described as a companion to The homosexualities: Reality, fantasy, and the arts (Socarides & Volkan, 1991), is intended to explore "techniques for the psychoanalytic treatment of homosexuals" (p. 1). Most of the authors explicitly acknowledge their adherence to a theoretical position locating the origins of homosexuality in preoedipal conflicts, a theory that Socarides has repeatedly articulated. The editors state that many of their contributors provide clinical evidence to support this view, but in fact most of them start from this assumption, and weave clinical data together in such a way that it can only lead back to the first principle. The angry tone of some of the authors in this book reminded Stein that the risk of abuse by therapists of patients solely because of their sexual orientation is not something of the past. The most fundamental problem with this book lies, of course, in the explicit adherence by most of the authors to the belief that homosexuality in whatever form it appears in their patients and regardless of its specific mode of expression, arises invariably from conflict and pathology. According to the reviewer, The homosexualities and the therapeutic process is of historical interest as a vestige of psychiatric and psychoanalytic doctrines that were used to create and to perpetuate those psychological myths and stereotypes about homosexuality and the lives of gay men and lesbians that reinforced the homophobic attitudes of the larger society. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Countertransference issues in the assessment and treatment of trauma recovery with victims of violent crime.

This article examines countertransference in the assessment and treatment of recovery from traumatic incidents of adulthood, with specific focus on victims of violent crime. It reviews Freud's impediment theory, with particular attention to implications concerning empathic strain and vicarious traumatization. It introduces Wilson and Lindy's Type I Countertransference (avoidance), Type II Countertransference (overidentification), and their respective manifestations. It then proposes a Type III Countertransference (communicative) that applies a more totalistic perspective that utilizes concepts of splitting, projection, projective identification, and intersubjectivity. It differentiates between countertransference orientations to trauma that are content-based or processed-based as well as those that may be figure or ground. Finally, it presents some common countertransference reactions and roles that become enacted and therefore have treatment implications, examines the interaction between therapeutic and real relationships as contributors to those scenarios, and presents case examples. (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 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 Neuropsychological assessment and the school-aged child: Issues and procedures.

Reviews the book, Neuropsychological assessment and the school-aged child: Issues and procedures edited by G. W. Hynd and J. E. Obrzut (1981). The editors of this book have attempted to examine the issues related to the assessment of children with possible neuropyschological disorders. Each chapter is presented with the assumption that a neuropsychological perspective is germane to our understanding of children's cognitive functions. The compilation of knowledge and skills are presented in a clear and comprehensible language for individuals with very little familiarity with the subject. Each of the four major sections of the book addresses a particular topic. Section I presents a neuropsychological perspective of children's learning problems. Section II contains three chapters that examine general issues in child neuropsychology. Section III of the book focuses on neuropsychological assessment approaches useful in developing remediational strategies for children's learning disorders. The final section of this book addresses the neuropsychological implications within the educational setting. The editors have done a commendable job in integrating the diverse nature of human cognitive functioning and in focusing in on the neuropsychological aspects of school age children's learning. Their choice of contributors and the topics covered will certainly make this book a valued asset in the school psychologist's library. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The Writing Cure: How Expressive Writing Promotes Health and Emotional Well-Being.

The reviewer notes that this book (S. J. Lepore and J. M. Smyth [Eds.], 2002; see record 2002-01516-000) consists of 14 chapters exploring the therapeutic implications of expressive writing. The book succeeds in its efforts to present and evaluate current research on the health benefits of writing. The contributors chart new directions for future research and suggest the clinical and therapeutic applications of writing. One common theme running throughout the book is that writing facilitates cognitive integration. Another theme is that writing leads to self-mastery. The Writing Cure is a groundbreaking book, but the reviewer wishes that the editors had widened their focus to include research in the humanities, particularly literary studies and rhetoric and composition. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Clinical hypnosis with children.

Reviews the book, Clinical hypnosis with children by William C. Wester II and Donald J. O'Grady (see record 1991-97780-000). This edited volume by Wester and O'Grady contributes to the field by gathering a well-known group of experts to summarize briefly the application of hypnosis for various types of childhood problems. The book's goals include coverage of the variety of uses of hypnosis and hypnotherapy with children. In addition, the editors want to provide various and sometimes divergent views of hypnotherapy with children. To this end, the editors generally accomplish their goals. The range of topics covered is quite broad, and the contributors include both psychologists and physicians who use hypnosis in their clinical practices. As with many edited books the content and quality varies, but I found the book to be of generally high quality. The writing styles are diverse, yet most of the chapters are clear, concise, and highly readable. While there is no single theoretical position for the chapters, the theoretical orientation of the book is broadly psychodynamic, empirical, and cognitive. The underlying perspective on hypnosis is from a more traditional and empirical view, rather than the Ericksonian perspective. This book is written for professional psychotherapists, e.g., psychologists, social workers, psychiatrists, with basic to intermediate knowledge of hypnosis. A person with background in working with adults would find this book a good introduction to working with children. Overall, the editors have done a nice job of assembling a coherent group of papers that provides the reader with an overview of the application of hypnosis with children. I recommend this book to psychotherapists interested in working with children, and it makes a useful contribution to the growing literature on hypnotherapy with children. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Issues in the professional development of psychotherapists: Countertransference and vicarious traumatization in the new trauma therapist.

Describes countertransference responses that are common to work with survivors of chronic childhood trauma. The phenomenon of vicarious traumatization (i.e., the impact on the therapist's psyche of empathic engagement with trauma survivors) is also examined. Both aspects of trauma therapy are framed in light of their particular impact on new trauma therapists. New trauma therapists often experience rescue fantasies and intense preoccupation with childhood trauma patients. They may also experience a voyeuristic countertransference response. Organizational and personal factors that can ameliorate these negative correlates of trauma work are described. By proactively addressing these issues, organizations, training programs, supervisors, and therapists can promote the personal and professional development of new clinicians. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Coasting in the countertransference: Conflicts of self interest between analyst and patient.

Reviews the book, Coasting in the countertransference: Conflicts of self interest between analyst and patient by Irwin Hirsch (see record 2008-02945-000). The term countertransference now often incorporates all the conscious as well as unconscious reactions a therapist has toward their patient, and as such has become a primary source of data about the patient’s intrapsychic and interpersonal experience. In his remarkable book Coasting in the Countertransference, Irwin Hirsch returns us to the earlier more problematic notion of countertransference, only Hirsch’s focus is no longer on the internal drives and resistances of the therapist. For Hirsch, the economic and social circumstances under which psychotherapists practice have a dire—and mostly unacknowledged—impact on clinical processes. This is an absolutely necessary book that forces us to reexamine some of the painful social conundrums of the current state of dynamic psychotherapy as well many of the contemporary technical innovations which we are most smugly pleased with. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The power of countertransference: Innovations in analytic technique.

Reviews the book, The power of countertransference: Innovations in analytic technique by Karen J. Maroda (see record 1994-98465-000). This is a remarkable and provocative book. On first examination, I thought it was going to be another diatribe against psychoanalytic theory and practice. In the introduction and first chapter, which Maroda entitles: "The Myth of Authority," she points out all of the flaws that she sees in the typical attitude of psychoanalytically oriented analysts. She criticizes the so-called "neutrality" of the analytic position, the authoritarian position of the analyst and the excess emphasis of interpretation as the most critical aspect of the "cure" in psychoanalysis. The rest of the book, however, focuses on countertransference techniques; that is, how to accomplish the countertransference. Maroda's clinical vignettes and technical discussions are detailed and useful. Although one might take issue with some specific clinical points, her discussion is well formulated and her case well argued. This is a rather brief and, at first blush, simple book. It is, however, an important statement of a position on countertransference that is both ground breaking, and a careful exposition. It is one that needs serious attention by both students and advanced clinicians. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Culturally responsive counseling with Asian American men.

Reviews the book, Culturally responsive counseling with Asian American men by William M. Liu, Derek Kenji Iwamoto, and Mark H. Chae (see record 2010-05136-000). Once in awhile, a book fills a gap in the literature like a critical missing piece to a puzzle. Culturally Responsive Counseling with Asian American Men is just that book, as there is scant literature that focuses on the mental health needs of Asian American men as a distinct group. The 346-page book contains 16 chapters, and the editors, Drs. Liu, Iwamato, and Chae, have thoughtfully brought together 24 contributors whose collective contributions cover both a breadth and depth of mental health concerns that impact Asian American men in the United States. Drawing from their expertise as clinicians, educators, researchers, and students, the authors cover a wide range of topics, such as acculturation, gendered racism, intergenerational masculinity strain, fatherhood, alcoholism, suicide, domestic violence and sexual aggression, sexual orientation, interracial and interethnic relationships, and the use of the Internet as a source of coping and healing. Culturally Responsive Counseling with Asian American Men is a unique book that can enhance the assessment, conceptualization, and intervention skills of all clinicians who work with Asian American men due to its strong clinical focus and integration of rich case studies throughout. Educators may consider this book as they seek to enrich and provide nuance to complex topics such as acculturation, racial identity, and intergenerational conflict. Finally, graduate students will find that this book is an excellent bridge between science and practice. It brings to life the theories and research learned in the classroom, and, at the same time, it enhances our knowledge, awareness, and skills for working with the Asian American male clients. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 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 Clinical management of memory problems.

Reviews the book, Clinical management of memory problems by Barbara A. Wilson and Nick Moffat (1984). This short and serviceable volume amalgamates a series of papers presented at the University of Nottingham, England, in 1982. Its editors have brought together contributors from both academic and clinical settings in an attempt to bridge current theoretical models of human memory with practical approaches to memory assessment and its remediation. This book offers sound guidelines for anyone working with clients who present with memory deficits secondary to cortical dysfunction. Its brevity, easy reading style, and practical approach make it a useful reference for students and clinicians alike. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Social learning and systems approaches to marriage and the family.

Reviews the book, Social learning and systems approaches to marriage and the family by R. Dev. Peters and R. J. McMahon (see record 1988-97132-000). The volume aims specifically to address a variety of issues and to highlight areas where an integration of social learning and systems models seems to be occurring. In terms of variety, the editors have succeeded in their goal, with chapters on most of the key issues in the family field such as maternal depression, spouse abuse, divorce, sexual dysfunction, marital conflict and helping families deal with handicapped children. Most of the contributors are able to discuss theory and research pertaining to a particular family problem in an integrated and informative way and to relate these aspects to clinical intervention. This book is essentially a well written, easy to read volume which addresses a variety of family processes and problems and integrates theory, research and clinical practice. This broad scope should ensure that it will appeal to a wide audience in the helping professions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Jerome Bruner: Language, culture, self.

Reviews the book, Jerome Bruner: Language, culture, self by David Bakhurst and Stuart G. Shanker (2001). The subject of this fine collection of essays is Jerome Bruner’s contribution to our contemporary understanding of the mind. As the editors note, although Bruner has typically “concerned himself with concrete and practical issues, such as education and, most recently, the law, he has always been an intensely theoretical thinker, a man fascinated by ideas” (p. 1). It is for that reason that the editors and contributors to this volume have chosen to focus exclusively on Bruner’s work as a “philosophical psychologist and philosopher of psychology” (p. 1). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Countertransference in psychotherapy with children and adolescents.

Reviews the book, Countertransference in psychotherapy with children and adolescents edited by Jerrold R. Brandell (see record 1992-97833-000). Books on child analytic work are rare, and books on countertransference in child treatment are basically nonexistent, despite the proliferation of writing on countertransference in work with adults. Thus, Jerrold Brandell's edited volume is a welcome and long-overdue addition to the literature. Although the book is not strictly about analysis, it is analytically informed. Brandell's stated goal is to advance the principle that "countertransference is a ubiquitous factor in child and adolescent treatment, and that its recognition, understanding, and management are essential to effective psychotherapy." This is indeed a worthy if not essential undertaking, and the collection of articles in Brandell's book advances this goal. Brandell prefaced the chapters with his own thorough historical literature review of countertransference in both adult and child work. He then subdivided the book into two sections, with the first containing two classic articles an countertransference and the bulk of the book devoted to the following "scientific situations" in child psychotherapy: racial and cultural issues, depressed and suicidal children and adolescents, infant-family treatment, severely disturbed adolescents, eating disorders, abused children and adolescents, parent loss and divorce, borderline children and adolescents, life-threatening illness, and substance-abusing adolescents. This book is a very good resource for child analysts and therapists, especially those who espouse a more relational or intersubjective point of view. It is suitable both for inexperienced analysts and as a reminder to more seasoned ones of the importance and pervasiveness of countertransference issues in our work. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Qualitative health psychology: Theories and methods.

Reviews the book, Qualitative health psychology: Theories and methods by Michael Murray and Kerry Chamberlain (1999). Qualitative research in health psychology is relatively new but already displays considerable vigour. The 15 chapters of the present book offer wide-ranging examples of the contributions that qualitative research can make to the field of health psychology; they also encourage reflection and debate on the positivist, quantitative perspective that has traditionally dominated health psychology and underpins its epistemological alliance with biomedicine. The editors and authors are to be commended on the overall clarity of the writing, given the many contributors and the plethora of specialized terms introduced in the presentation of diverse methodologies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Normality and the life cycle: A critical integration.

Reviews the book, Normality and the life cycle: A critical integration by Daniel Offer and Melvin Sabshin (1984). In 1966 and 1974, Basic Books published the first and second editions of Offer and Sabshin's Normality: Theoretical and Clinical Concepts of Mental Health. These volumes generated the proposal that a new field, called normatology, be established. It would focus on normality, normal behavior, and normal development. This still more recent volume develops the proposal and is an attempt to fill the need to "examine concepts of normality and definitions of normal behavior through time and across cultures". Both of the editors (and most of the contributors) are medically trained, and their professional orientation is apparent throughout the book. Although claims are made that the approach to normatology should be interdisciplinary, and four different concepts of normality are offered, the main concern of most of the chapters seem to be that of differentiating the healthy from the unhealthy. The editors even note that the terms "normality" and "mental health" are used interchangeably. Several chapters have a developmental orientation, but these too are typically concerned with distinguishing normal from abnormal developmental processes. Individual papers are scholarly, but in some cases seem directionless. The most seminal ideas in the book are presented by Mandell and Salk, whose chapter proposes a theory of emergent patterns that could have implications in the future both for general developmental theory and for specific theories of learning that might influence rehabilitation psychology. A previous reviewer has judged that this chapter alone is worth the price of the book, and this judgment may well be correct. Those who purchase this book should do so primarily for its reviews of the literature, which are generally complete and competent. Purchasers will probably be disappointed if they expect to find much that is of direct value to rehabilitation or that contributes in a substantive to the founding of a new science of normality. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Psychological theories of drinking and alcoholism.

Reviews the book, Psychological theories of drinking and alcoholism edited by Howard T. Blane and Kenneth E. Leonard (1987). This volume presents different psychological elements in alcoholism and theories underlining a variety of sources of the motivation to drink. The volume is thus a sign of the maturing of psychology's view of alcoholism and of the creation of real bodies of data and a firm foundation for understanding alcoholism from a psychological perspective. The editors, Blane and Leonard, arrange nine bodies of psychological theory and research about drinking and alcoholism into two sections: Traditional Approaches and Recent Theoretical Models. The chapters do not deal with equivalent kinds of theories; the theories differ not only in their scope but in their level of analysis. Nonetheless, given the differences in the material and the amount to be reviewed, the volume accomplishes very well what it sets out to do. The presentations are inclusive and generally well written. They organize largely distinct areas of psychological knowledge into accessible chapters. The contributors give attention not only to theory and data but also to clinical applications of the theories. In nearly all cases, the chapters serve as perhaps the best available surveys of the topics, making this an invaluable teaching tool and reference book. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Handbook of play therapy, volume 2: Advances and innovations.

Reviews the book, Handbook of play therapy, volume 2: Advances and innovations by Kevin J. O'Connor and Charles E. Schaefer (1994). This book offers a collection of chapters written by leading experts which addresses the developments in play therapy since 1983. In completing the volume, Editors Kevin J. O'Connor and Charles E. Schaefer sought to offer a multi-disciplinary approach to play therapy. Additionally, the editors stated in their preface that they worked to make this new volume "informative, thought provoking, and clinically useful." Indeed, the editors have succeeded admirably in achieving their stated objectives. The book's organization and emphasis on clinical relevance make it a fit companion to their earlier classic (Schaefer & O'Connor, 1983). The Handbook is very well-organized with an excellent selection of chapter topics. The chapters follow essentially the same format and are integrated well within the book. The editors deserve credit for synthesizing diverse theoretical approaches and techniques into a coherent whole. The individual chapters are clearly written and quite readable. The figures and tables are readily understandable and augment the chapters' content. Clinicians and researchers interested in play therapy and child psychotherapy will enjoy this volume. Although the majority of chapters discuss play therapy with children, two chapters discuss play therapy applications with adults. Accordingly, therapists interested in these approaches will profit from this work. The volume certainly appeals to multi-disciplinary audiences such as psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, nurses, pastoral counselors, and educators. The text is extremely appropriate for a graduate course in play therapy. Finally, the book can be read from beginning to end or the reader can select particular chapters in the handbook and sample various clinical approaches. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)