Book Reviews
Relapse Prevention for Depression
By James K Luiselli EdD ABPP BCBA-D
“Exceptional” resource gives readers prevention strategies “Relapse Prevention for Depression” Edited by C. Steven Richards and Michael G. Perri American Psychological Association Washington, D.C., 2010 By James K. Luiselli, Ed.D., ABPP, BCBA-D Approximately 20 million people in the United States experience serious depression. Although there are effective psychotherapy and pharmacologic treatments for this condition, many patients relapse after improving. Indeed, a somber conclusion echoed in this book is that “depressive relapses are very disabling and sometimes more so than the original depressive episode.” “Relapse Prevention for Depression” focuses on major depressive disorder as defined by the current “Diagnostic and Statistical [More]
How to love the job you have
By Alan Bodnar Ph.D.
When I ended last month’s column with the challenge to reconcile the work of psychology with the demands of available jobs, I realize now that I was being much too abstract. Without suggesting who is responsible for this reconciliation, I risk giving the impression that it should be left to professional organizations or administrators. The task is too important and the world moves too fast to wait for that to happen. It is up to us. Every day, psychologists at every stage of their careers make decisions about what jobs to apply for, which offers to accept and how long [More]
Who do we think we are?
By Alan Bodnar Ph.D.
You would think by now I would know what to expect when a room full of psychologists meets to discuss issues bearing on our professional identity. Then why do I still come away from these gatherings surprised and impressed by our diversity? Earlier this spring, the Massachusetts Psychological Association hosted a conference that brought together psychologists and graduate students from all over New England to discuss contemporary challenges in psychology training. Featured speakers included representatives at the national level from APA, APPIC and ASPPB, the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards. Regional interests were represented by directors of clinical [More]
Beyond the Crisis of Masculinity: A Transtheoretical Model for Male-Friendly Therapy
By Paul Efthim PhD
Superb book delves into male-friendly therapy (April 2011 Issue) “Beyond the Crisis of Masculinity: A Transtheoretical Model for Male-Friendly Therapy” By Gary R. Brooks American Psychological Association Washington, D.C., 2011 By Paul Efthim, Ph.D. Why do men hate therapy, and what can be done about it? In “Beyond the Crisis of Masculinity,” psychologist Gary Brooks tackles this question from both a scholarly and clinical perspective. The whole notion of psychotherapy, he argues, clashes with key elements of male socialization. Most guys find themselves caught between the conflicting demands of the traditional male role (with its focus on control over emotion) [More]
Finding a new way to listen
By Alan Bodnar Ph.D.
It’s the kind of conversation that might occur anywhere two reasonably sociable strangers find themselves sharing time together waiting for something to happen – a long line at the registry of motor vehicles, a tedious train or bus ride or an unforeseen delay in the airport’s departure lounge. It’s the kind of conversation we usually try to avoid, burying our noses in the daily paper or a good book. Sometimes, however, we get hooked as I did one day not long ago. My partner in this dialogue began with a comment about our shared predicament in heavily accented English and, [More]
Handbook of Clinical Rating Scales and Assessment in Psychiatry and Mental Health
By James K Luiselli EdD ABPP BCBA-D
Book provides tools to integrate measurement (April 2011 Issue) “Handbook of Clinical Rating Scales and Assessment in Psychiatry and Mental Health” Edited by Lee Baer and Mark A. Blais Humana Press New York, N.Y., 2010 By James K. Luiselli, Ed.D., ABPP, BCBA-D Psychologists Lee Baer and Mark A. Blais have edited a useful and practical handbook for mental health professionals. They write: “The overarching goal of this handbook is to provide you, as a mental health clinician, with the knowledge and tools necessary to integrate measurement into your ongoing clinical practice.” As Baer and Blais indicate in their introductory chapter, [More]
The Ethics of Supervision and Consultation: Practical Guidance for Mental Health Professionals
By James K Luiselli EdD ABPP BCBA-D
Book about ethics an ideal resource (March 2011 Issue) “The Ethics of Supervision and Consultation: Practical Guidance for Mental Health Professionals” By Janet T. Thomas American Psychological Association Washington, D.C., 2010 By James K. Luiselli, Ed.D., ABPP, BCBA-D This book is dedicated to the conduct of supervision and consultation by and for mental health trainees and career professionals. By reading the book, psychologist Janet T. Thomas hopes that prospective supervisors and consultants “will learn to recognize the myriad ethical challenges and pitfalls inherent in this work, prevent or avoid them when possible, acknowledge mistakes when they occur and make repairs [More]
Arizona shootings raise legal reporting issues
By Edward Stern J.D.
On Saturday, Jan. 8, there was a horrific event in Tucson, Arizona where it is alleged that Jared Loughner shot into a crowd of people who met in a supermarket shopping area to meet and listen to the local U.S. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. She was shot in the head. It is expected that she will survive the attack. However, six others, including a U.S. District Court judge and a nine-year-old girl, were killed. Similarities exist between this incident and previous ones at Columbine and Virginia Tech. The violent and intentional nature of the acts makes us all feel vulnerable. Each [More]
Cultural competence and Groundhog Day
By Alan Bodnar Ph.D.
If you ever need a demonstration of the importance of cultural competence, just imagine yourself in psychotherapy in a country that doesn’t celebrate Groundhog Day. You are spending your first winter in a tropical country in Asia and, in the waning days of January, your thoughts turn to friends and family back home. You think of your snowbound grandmother and how important it is for her to get to Savannah for the country’s biggest Saint Patrick’s Day parade on March 17. With an early spring, she will have just enough time to crank up her Model A Ford and make [More]
Lesbian and Gay Parents and Their Children: Research on the Family Life Cycle
By Paul Efthim PhD
Book examines children of sexual minority parents (February 2011 Issue) “Lesbian and Gay Parents and Their Children: Research on the Family Life Cycle” By Abbie E. Goldberg American Psychological Association Washington, D.C., 2010 By Paul Efthim, Ph.D. “The Kids Are All Right” is the name of a superb motion picture starring Annette Benning and Julianne Moore about a lesbian couple and their two teenaged children, but it could also serve nicely as the unofficial subtitle of this excellent book on the same subject. The implied question, of course, is: What is it like for children to grow up with gay [More]