Abstract
Reviewed by: Victoria Comerchero, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Touro College, New York, NY, United States of America.
Purpose: Well Delineated and Achieved
The authors’ intended purpose of this book is to provide the readers with both a general overview of the development and application of psychotherapy generally, and more specific types of psychotherapy most commonly used with adult clients today. The authors delineated clearly that the guide is “not a self-help book” (p. xvii). This is necessary and helpful distinction that the authors assert early on, as if they had not made this smart choice, the title of the book may have implied otherwise. The authors clearly state in the preface of the book that it will focus on providing the historical roots of psychotherapy in general, as well as specific chapters devoted to some of the most commonly used psychotherapies. However, it is not until the first chapter that the reader learns that the book’s main focus is on suitable methods of psychotherapy for adults, and the authors state “although there is a growing body of psychotherapy practice for these groups they are not covered in this book” (p. 4). I think, thus, the title may have added “Adult” before the word psychotherapy, so the consumer would immediately know the main populations of clients described in the book. Or perhaps embedded within that statement they could have provided a couple of references that one who is interested in child-specific psychotherapies, or others, could refer to (e.g., Henderson & Thompson, 2016) Counseling for Children and Adolescents, or within the Cognitive Behavior Chapter (Flanagan, Allen & Levine, 2015) Cognitive and Behavioral Interventions in the Schools: Integrating Theory and Research into Practice. These books provide a robust review of child/adolescent therapy, and in the second example a more specific book targeted towards adapting CBT-based methods to school populations.
Organization: Traditional and Unique Blend of Features
The book is very well organized; following the preface of the book there are eight separate chapters, with the first presenting an overview of psychotherapy with a well-phrased title as a question: “What is psychotherapy and who is it for?”. Chapters 2–7 provide descriptions of specific techniques, examples include Freudian and post-Freudian techniques (Chapters 2 and 3), respectively, time-limited psychotherapy (Chapter 4), counseling (Chapter 5), cognitive behavioral therapy (Chapter 6) and a brief chapter introducing the reader family, group and interactive therapies (Chapter 7). The book concludes with a discussion of the “present and future of psychotherapy” in terms of what research may be needed, anticipated future directions, etc. (Chapter 8). At the end of the book there is a list of references that provide further material/resources for many of the concepts discussed in the book.
Each of the chapters begins with definitions and overviews of the method, then traces the history of that method and provides a thorough yet succinctly written synopsis of each method. The book does an excellent job of integrating case examples applied to a robust range of clients and psychological problems (e.g., depression, abuse, anxiety, etc.). The case examples really get the aspiring or practicing clinician to see how they can transfer the knowledge gained to the real world. The language used is simple enough for the layperson to understand but deep enough so that the more experienced scholar/clinician has something to gain even in this brief guide. While the exact organization of each chapter is not identical this, I believe, allows for a more engaging read, as the consumer is taken on a more varied journey in learning about the methods. The organization and general flow of each chapter seems to fit naturally with the psychotherapy method or concept being described. For example, the first chapter engages the reader by using questions as headers, kind of reminiscent of a first lecture of a semester a professor might give to introduce a course, whereas most of the subsequent chapters on the specific methods (2–7) delve more into specific history of the important figures involved in the development of the method (e.g., in Chapter 2 a large portion is devoted to describing Freud’s history for psychoanalysis; Chapter 6—cognitive behavioral therapy—similarly discusses the influences of Pavlov and other behavioral psychologists).
One of the salient strengths of the book is its impeccable organization combined with unique features. More specifically, the integration of eclectic visual aids that are eye-catching and outside the box in terms of creativity include cartoons, historical photos, and diagrams to assist readers in understanding interactions and processes (e.g., the triangles of conflict), and enhance the book on many levels. Not only is this integration eye-catching but it breaks up the monotony of other books that either do not provide such a varied range of visual aids or only stick to more commonly used tables, and so on. For example, in Chapter 6 there is a very nice and humorous cartoon to illustrate Pavlov’s dogs and classical conditioning (p. 73). The caption under the cartoon then provides the following descriptive statement: “Behaviour therapy derives from learning theory and the conditioned reflexes that Pavlov noticed when his dogs associated the bell before feeding with the food itself” (p. 73). In a more conventional manner the book also provides tables, as in Chapter 3, for example, in the form of a box/table entitled Erik Erikson’s stages of psychosocial (ego) development (p. 38).
Taken together, by the conclusion of each chapter I believe that most readers will gain at the very least the basic information needed to understand the concepts, theories and methods being presented.
Overall Commentary/Review
In conclusion, from my perspective as a practitioner and professor, this book contributes very well as either a refresher book for those who have been outside the field, potential career changers and for just about anyone seeking a quick guide discussing different psychotherapies. The diverse case studies presented and the varied visual aids really keep the reader engaged throughout.
Three major areas for improvement which I see are to have included a glossary at the end of each chapter and/or a brief reference to conclude. I think adding this feature would enable the reader to have a reference point for unfamiliar terms. In addition, inserting a brief reference list for each chapter, if added separately, would more immediately guide the consumer to specific and more thorough references on the topics addressed. Finally and most importantly, given that we live in an extremely multicultural and globally connected world, while the book does address some issues (e.g., Eastern vs. Western viewpoints), a separate chapter devoted to Culturally Competent Considerations in Psychotherapy, highlighting some of the main issues, perhaps even at the beginning of the book would be justified. Incorporating resources such as Counseling the Culturally Diverse: Theory and Practice (Sue & Sue, 2013) would be an excellent resource to include information to enhance an already well-written book.