In an age when psychotherapists are subjected to cost-saving measures which run counter to their wish to optimize care for their clients, this book is particularly timely. After chapters on the mechanics of cost containment and the clash between cost containment and client care, the author shows practitioners how to live with the enemy and to provide psychotherapeutic care in these adverse circumstances.
The Psychotherapist's Essential Guide to the Brain is a 147 page full-colour illustrated guide for psychotherapists describing the most relevant brain science for today's mental health professionals. Taken from the best of the series published in The Neuropsychotherapist, and completely revised, this book represents an easy to read guide for anyone working in the mental health arena. In February 2016, The Neuropsychotherapist, a magazine devoted to informing mental health professionals about the neuroscience of psychotherapy, introduced a regular column on the brain for the practising clinician. The column proved popular because it interpreted relevant facts from a large body of technical knowledge in language accessible to the non-scientist. In view of the positive readership response, it was decided to compile all instalments of The Psychotherapist's Essential Guide to the Brain together with new material into a stand-alone volume that might become a handy addition to the psychotherapist's bookshelf. Why learn about the brain? Surely a therapist has a range of therapies and techniques at his or her disposal that can be effectively implemented without a degree in neurobiology. Certainly some would argue that the application of techniques and the experiential learning of what works and what doesn't is the path to take. But is this the best approach, in light of the knowledge that is now available to us? Does a medical doctor familiarize him or herself with only the symptoms and not the cause and mechanisms of an illness? "There is, I believe, much to be gained by understanding at least the fundamentals of brain function that play a critical role in our mental well-being," says author Matthew Dahlitz, psychotherapist and Editor-in-Chief of The Neuropsychotherapist. Freud, some will be surprised to learn, began his career as a neurobiologist, studying the nerves of crayfish with a view to forming an objective science of mental states based on neuroscientific research. Later he altered direction into psychoanalysis-research was not paying the bills, and the neuroscience of the day avoided the difficult subject of subjective experience and focused on the "nuts and bolts" of brain function. Now, with a greater understanding of both the subjective experience of the mind and the objective activities of the brain, the two disciplines of psychoanalysis and neuroscience can not only inform one another but integrate to provide a more mature and holistic understanding of mental well-being. "It is my hope that this book will open your mind and encourage you to take a more holistic perspective than ever before," says the author. "As therapists we are privileged to live in a time when breakthroughs in the neurobiological sciences are both confirming and informing vital aspects of psychotherapeutic practice, breaking down traditional barriers and stimulating multidisciplinary approaches that will ultimately revolutionize how we think about mental health." For the psychotherapist this book may well form an important step along the way to acquiring the best tools and knowledge available in the quest for real change and lasting well-being for their clients.
Written for clinicians this guide provides an easily understood framework in which to set formalised goals, establish treatment objectives and learn diagnostic techniques. Professional forms are included in sample form for insurance purposes.
The Physical Therapist's Guide to Health Care is the simple, clear approach to understanding health care in today's changing environment. This book provides a strategy based approach to help physical therapists successfully manage change and meet the challenges of clinical practice in common practice settings. This essential text includes an introduction to health care that covers the basics of health care financing, health care reimbursement systems, cost containment strategies and referral services. Important issues covered in this book include trends in acute, subacute, home health care practice, outcomes management and prevention. Chapters include information on health care reimbursement systems and cost containment strategies, time and caseload management, documentation requirements, quality management in physical therapy, and the role of the physical therapist in prevention and wellness. Check out our new website dedicated to The Physical Therapist's Guide to Health Care. This innovative new website presents valuable up-to-date information as it becomes available. You can visit the site at ptguide.slackinc.com Dr. Kathleen A. Curtis is the winner of the “President’s Award of Excellence” for 2005 at California State University, Fresno
This ground-breaking volume provides readers with both an overview of harm reduction therapy and a series of ten case studies, treated by different therapists, that vividly illustrate this treatment approach with a wide variety of clients. Harm reduction is a framework for helping drug and alcohol users who cannot or will not stop completely—the majority of users—reduce the harmful consequences of use. Harm reduction accepts that abstinence may be the best outcome for many but relaxes the emphasis on abstinence as the only acceptable goal and criterion of success. Instead, smaller incremental changes in the direction of reduced harmfulness of drug use are accepted. This book will show how these simple changes in emphasis and expectation have dramatic implications for improving the effectiveness of psychotherapy in many ways. From the Foreword by Alan Marlatt, Ph.D.: “This ground-breaking volume provides readers with both an overview of harm reduction therapy and a series of ten case studies, treated by different therapists, that vividly illustrate this treatment approach with a wide variety of clients. In his introduction, Andrew Tatarsky describes harm reduction as a new paradigm for treating drug and alcohol problems. Some would say that harm reduction embraces a paradigm shift in addiction treatment, as it has moved the field beyond the traditional abstinence-only focus typically associated with the disease model and the ideology of the twelve-step approach. Others may conclude that the move toward harm reduction represents an integration of what Dr. Tatarsky describes as the “basic principles of good clinical practice” into the treatment of addictive behaviors. “Changing addiction behavior is often a complex and complicated process for both client and therapist. What seems to work best is the development of a strong therapeutic alliance, the right fit between the client and treatment provider. The role of the harm reduction therapist is closer to that of a guide, someone who can provide support an
If you suffer from chronic pain, whether as a result of an injury, illness, or accident, you know it can interfere with every aspect of your life. You may also know the medical treatments currently available are limited and, for many, ineffective. Current research has shown hypnosis to be an effective treatment for managing chronic pain, and almost all patients who learn self-hypnosis skills benefit from this approach. The hypnosis treatment found in this workbook has been scientifically tested and proven effective for reducing the intensity of chronic pain, including migraines, back pain, and tension headaches, among others. This workbook explains how to use these techniques to manage your chronic pain and take back control of your life and your health. Used in combination with the program described in the corresponding therapist guide, this workbook teaches you self-hypnosis skills for lessening your pain, enhancing your sleep, and improving your mood. The first chapters will help you understand how hypnosis works by changing how your brain deals with information it receives from the body. The complete hypnosis treatment described in this book, alongside the treatment you receive from your clinician, will ultimately teach you skills for pain management that you can use at any time, and for the rest of your life. "An excellent blueprint to understanding pain and the fundamentals of how hypnosis combined with CBT can offer pain amelioration. Perfect, even for uninitiated practitioners who wish to use empirically based scripts."--Jeffrey Zeig, Ph.D., The Milton Erickson Foundation "Pain can too easily enslave people, holding them captive in many different ways. It is a liberating theme of empowerment that echoes throughout Dr. Jensen's work: he empowers clinicians to work more knowledgeably and skillfully with people who suffer painful conditions using his therapist guide, and he encourages the suffering individual to break free from pain's grip with the practical pain management skills taught in his workbook. Dr. Jensen's vision for the many ways hypnosis can help reduce the debilitating effects of painful conditions is fresh, inspiring and should be regularly integrated into every pain management program."--Michael D. Yapko, Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist and author of Trancework: An Introduction to the Practice of Clinical Hypnosis (Third Edition) and Treating Depression with Hypnosis
Self-therapy makes the power of a cutting-edge psychotherapy approach accessible to everyone.... It is incredibly effective on a wide variety of life issues, such as self-esteem, procrastination, depression, and relationship issues. -provided by the publisher.
In the landmark volume, THE PSYCHOANALYTIC PROCESS, Joseph Weiss presented a bold, original theory of the therapeutic process. Now, in HOW PSYCHOTHERAPY WORKS, Weiss extends his powerful theory and focuses on its clinical applications, often challenging many familiar ideas about the psychotherapeutic process. Weiss' theory, which is supported by formal, empirical research, assumes that psychopathology stems from unconscious, pathogenic beliefs that the patient acquires by inference from early traumatic experiences. He suffers unconsciously from these beliefs and the feelings of guilt, shame, and remorse that they engender, and he is powerfully motivated unconsciously to change them. According to Weiss's theory, the patient exerts considerable control over unconscious mental life, and he makes and carries out plans for working with the therapist to change his pathogenic beliefs. He works to disprove these beliefs by testing them with the therapist. The theory derives its clinical power not only from its empirical origin and closeness to observation, and also from Weiss's cogent exposition of how to infer, from the patient's history and behavior in treatment, what the patient is trying to accomplish and how the therapist may help. By focusing on fundamental processes, Weiss's observations challenge several current therapeutic dichotomies--"supportive versus uncovering," "interactive versus interpretive," and "relational versus analytic." Written in simple, direct language, Weiss demonstrates how to uncover the patient's unconscious plan and how the therapist can help the patient to carry out his plans by passing the patient's tests. He includes many examples of actual treatment sessions, which serve to make his theory clear and usable. The chapters include highly original views about the patient's motivations, the role of affect in the patient's mental life, and the therapist's basic task. The book also contains chapters on how to pass the patient's tests, and how to use interpretation with the patient. Dr. Weiss also provides a powerful theory of dreams and demonstrates how dreams can be utilized in clinical practice. This distinguished volume is a major contribution that will profoundly affect the way one conceptualizes and practices therapy. Theoreticians, investigators, and clinicians alike will find it enlightening reading.
Providing therapists practical solutions to managed care's erosion of their freedom to practice, this book presents a working blueprint for a private-pay psychotherapy practice. Dana C. Ackley casts out the distortions that have crept into many clinicians' thinking as a result of reliance on third-party reimbursement. Based on his own experience, he shows how you can serve clients--and yourself--better by developing real alternatives to the pressures and bureaucracy of managed care. In clear step-by-step detail, including practical exercises and checklists, sample marketing materials, and payment plans, the volume shows you how to: *Rediscover the economic and clinical value of your work *Discard assumptions that might block your progress *Educate yourself about the needs of potential clients *Market and sell your services effectively *Learn ethical, reasonable business-of-practice skills *Diversify into the rewarding area of psychological consultation to businesses. No matter what your clinical style, theoretical orientation, or practice history, you will benefit from the hard-won lessons Dr. Ackley shares in this book.
