Michel Hersen – Encyclopedia of Psychotherapy

Автор: Michel Hersen
Название книги: Encyclopedia of Psychotherapy
Формат: PDF
Жанр: Психотерапия
Страницы: 1770
Качество: Изначально компьютерное, E-book

Psychotherapy is the dialogue between patient and therapist in the diagnosis and treatment of behavioral, crisis, and mental disorders. Psychoanalysis as formulated by Sigmund Freud is the first modern form of psychotherapy and this approach has given rise to several score of psychodynamic therapies.

In more recent times behavioral, cognitive, existential, humanistic, and short-term therapies have been put into practice, each with a particular focus and each giving rise to variations in structure and content of treatment as well as therapeutic outcomes. These therapy approaches relate the patient/therapist dialogue to different aspects of the therapeutic process. For instance, behavior therapies focus on the patient's conduct and cognitive therapies treat the client's thought processes.

The Encyclopedia covers the major psychotherapies currently in practice as well as the classical approaches that laid the foundation for the various contemporary treatment approaches. In addition, the Encyclopedia identifies the scientific studies conducted on the efficacy of the therapies and review the theoretical basis of each therapy.

When we began this project, it would have been beyond
our most radical beliefs to think that we would be
seeing a nation fraught with intense worry, anxiety, acute
stress disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, grief, and
depression less than three years later. So now, as we put
our finishing touches on this work, and following the
terrorist incursions, we regrettably have been forced to
see the graphic proof of the inherent value of psychotherapy.
The critical contributions and the value of
the psychotherapeutic arts have never been clearer to us
than in the aftermath of the terrorist strikes. We say this
with much humility, in that we would have preferred to
continue to talk about the sometimes small theoretical
differences in various psychotherapeutic applications, in
what now seem to be needless polemics between such
psychotherapeutic camps. Nonetheless, the original intent
(which continues today in spite of world events)
was to present a compilation of both the science and art
of psychotherapy.
Psychotherapy has been a vital treatment in health
care since development of the great innovative and technical
approaches embodied by psychoanalysis and behaviorism
at the beginning of the 20th century. In the
course of its development, many questions have been
raised about this treatment: What is psychotherapy?
How does it work? Which forms are cost effective? Who
can do it? How does it fit into a comprehensive approach
to health care? What is its scientific basis? How does theory
drive treatment? What is the role of complementary
treatments such as pharmacotherapy in combination
with psychotherapy?
The Encyclopedia of Psychotherapy strives to answer
the aforementioned questions. It is a comprehensive
reference to extant knowledge in the field and written
in clear expository language so that it will be of value to
professional and lay persons alike. Within its pages,
this encyclopedia addresses over 200 topics by experts
in psychotherapy. Topics were selected in order to give
broad coverage of the field (albeit not exhaustive) so as
to encompass the most contemporary schools and approaches
that have clearly defined techniques, some
form of systematic study, and measurement of outcomes.
Eclectic and integrative approaches have also
been considered. Additional topics that transcend all
schools, such as the impact of culture and the importance
of the therapeutic relationship, have also been included
as well as discussion of the treatment for some
specific disorders.
Psychotherapy is an extremely complicated process
that is difficult to fully capture even in a work of large
scope, such as this encyclopedia. The interplay between
scientific confirmation of particular strategies
and the actual implementation of a given therapeutic
technique is not always isomorphic. Also, how theory
drives practice and ultimately the empirical confirmation
of such practice, is not always clear cut. Moreover,
how cultural, financial, legislative, and forsensic issues
act in confluence further complicate the intricacies of
what we refer to as psychotherapy. However, it is these
very intricacies and complexities which make psychotherapy
such an interesting field to examine. In
many ways, this work may raise more questions than it
does provide answers, and that, perhaps, is the way it
should be.
The Encyclopedia of Psychotherapy is designed to
serve the needs of a multi-faceted audience. As a reference
work, we see it being used by students and professionals
from counseling and clinical psychology,
psychiatry, psychiatric nursing, and social work. Certainly,
other disciplines will make reference to it as
well. But the encyclopedia will also be of use to interested
lay individuals seeking information about this
burgeoning field. Topics are arranged alphabetically.
As appropriate, a good many of the entries have case
descriptions to illustrate the specifics of theory and
technique. The topics addressed span clinical, theoretical,
cultural, historical, and administrative and policy
issues, as well as the matters of schools and specific
patient conditions. Most importantly, a comprehensive
user friendly Index is provided.
Early on it was apparent that a project of this magnitude
would require associate editors and an advisory
board to ensure broad coverage of issues and topics.
The inclusion of these colleagues has added immeasurably
to the fruition of this work. The associate editors
(Alan M. Gross, Ph.D, Jerald Kay, M.D., Bruce J. Rounsaville,
M.D., Warren W. Tryon, Ph.D.) were chosen in
order to represent the cross-fertilization between the
medical and the psychological, adult and child, theoretical
and pragmatic, research and practice, and behavioral
and non-behavioral. Similarly, the 18 advisory
board members (both M.D.s and Ph.D.s) were selected
because of their broad range of interests and expertise
in all aspects of the psychotherapeutic endeavor.
The iterative process began with a large list of topics
selected by the two editors-in-chief, which was then refined
by the associate editors and the advisory board
members. Excellent suggestions for authors were made
and the solicitation process began. When received by
Academic Press, each entry was evaluated by an appropriate
associate editor, revised to the editor’s specifications,
and then sent on to one of the two editors-in-chief
for approval and/or further modification. All entries
were reviewed on the basis of accuracy, completeness,
clarity, brevity, and the absence of polemics. The resulting
Encyclopedia of Psychotherapy is a product of complete
collaboration between the two editors-in-chief, and
hence the order of editorship is alphabetical.
We are grateful to the many individuals who helped
make the Encyclopedia of Psychotherapy possible.
Thank you to the four associate editors who performed
in an exemplary fashion. Thank you also to our 18
members of the advisory board for their wise counsel
and excellent suggestions. Thanks also to our contributors
who took time out from their busy schedules to become
part of our project, sharing their expertise as well
as articulating their views on where this field stands.
We thank Alex Duncan, Angelina Marchand, and Angelina
Basile for their research efforts. We appreciate
Carole Londeree’s technical assistance. We thank all at
Academic Press who were involved in the production
effort, especially the acquisitions editor, George Zimmar,
and the coordinator of the Encyclopedia, Anya Kozorez,
for helping us to conceptualize this work and
overcome obstacles to see it through to publication.
We dedicate this work to our colleagues who work
on a daily basis to relieve the suffering of their clients.
Michel Hersen