Critical Thinking in Clinical Practice

The knowledge and skills of critical thinking, evidence-based practice, problem solving, judgment, and decision making are essential to effectively serve clients in all types of clinical practices. This book teaches clinicians and students how to avoid fallacies and biases in thinking as well as the skills to make well-informed, ethical decisions.

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Praise for Critical Thinking in Clinical Practice, Third Edition

"Eileen Gambrill is unparalleled in her ability to describe common flaws and biases in clinical decision making. The result in this revised edition is a steadfast call for change that also acknowledges the demands of practice. A must-read for clinicians and researchers alike."
—Elizabeth K. Anthony, PhD, Assistant Professor, School of Social Work, Arizona State University

"This Third Edition builds upon the impressive strengths of Gambrill's prior treatments of the topic to support the notion that critical thinking is a teachable skill and one essential for contemporary practice in the human services. This book should be the default authority on the topic of critical thinking for human service professionals and would be an excellent textbook."
—Bruce A. Thyer, PhD, LCSW, Professor and former Dean, Florida State University College of Social Work

"I was skeptical about how Critical Thinking in Clinical Practice could be improved, but Eileen Gambrill has succeeded! Her articulation of critical thinking skills for clinical decisions ultimately will benefit the people we serve."
—Joanne Yaffe, PhD, ACSW, Associate Professor of Social Work and Adjunct Associate Professor of Psychiatry, University of Utah

A balanced and illustrative guide to incorporating critical-thinking values, knowledge, and skills into clinical education and practice

Now in a third edition, Critical Thinking in Clinical Practice is written for helping professionals who want to think more clearly about the decisions they make and the context in which they make them. It is a practical volume for clinicians who would like to expand their knowledge of common pitfalls and fallacies in clinical reasoning.

As in earlier editions, this Third Edition draws on research related to problem solving and decision making, illustrating the relevance of research findings to everyday clinical practice and policy.

Revised throughout, the new edition includes discussion of:



The influence of pharmaceutical companies on the helping professions, including disease mongering—the creation of bogus risks, problems, and needless worries
Different kinds of propaganda in the helping professions that compromise informed consent
Additional coverage of classification, pathology, reliance on authority, and hazards in data collection
The development of decision aids of value to both professionals and clients
The relative contribution of specific interventions compared to nonspecific factors to positive outcome
Factors related to decision making in multidisciplinary teams
New developments regarding intuitive and analytic reasoning
The pragmatic theory of fallacies

Designed to enhance the quality of services offered to clients, Critical Thinking in Clinical Practice, Third Edition is filled with insightful examples, useful lists, websites, and guidelines, presenting an essential resource for all helping professionals and students in the helping professions.