A Consumer's Guide to Psychotherapy

With over 400 types of psychotherapy available, ranging from the highly effective to the highly questionable to the downright fraudulent, the task of choosing a therapist can be daunting. Now, this work gives you all the information you need to get the most effective help and to know when your therapy is working-or when it's time for a change. Drawing on years of practical experience and the most up-to-date research, the authors give you expert guidance on all the issues you should consider, whether you're seeking therapy or uncertain about the therapy you're receiving: What questions should I ask my therapist about a recommended treatment? What personal qualities and professional qualifications should I look for in a therapist? What do research studies say about the effectiveness of a particular therapy? How do I recognize when a therapist is not right for me? How can I tell when my therapist's behavior is unethical or unprofessional? What strategies can I use to evaluate my progress? The authors also provide an overview of the main branches of psychotherapy and suggest which approaches are best suited to the most commonly occurring problems, such as depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorders, eating disorders, relationship and sexual difficulties, and many others. Finally, the authors stress that because therapies don't come with warning labels, and because a therapist will typically apply his or her theory to whoever walks through the door, regardless of their unique symptoms and circumstances, it is essential to choose your therapist wisely, with as much forethought as possible. Empowering you to make that choice with confidence and to be a knowledgeable participant in your own treatment, this book is essential for all those seeking or merely curious about psychotherapy.

Table of Contents:
What you should know about therapy; who offers help and does it make a difference?; how treatment is kept accountable; seeking the healing patient-therapist relationship; how helpful is diagnosis?; what is different about different therapies?; how we discover what works; what works with what problems?; am I crazy, or is it my shrink?

About the Author :
Larry E. Beutler is Professor of Education and Psychology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Bruce Bongar is Associate Professor of Psychology, Stanford University. Joel N. Shurkin is a freelance journalist.

Review :
The book is easy to read, and provides a comprehensive overview of all the main approaches to therapy, the effectivness of different interventions, and the process of diagnosis ... A distinctive feature of the book is its emphasis on research evidence, and on the importance of choosing a therapy that has been demonstrated to be effective. Healthcare Counselling and Psychotherapy Journal, Vol 3, No 3