Psychotherapy

Jeffery Smith, MD, Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, New York MedicalCollege, Valhalla, New York.

Avoidance of affect, a basic human instinct operating throughout development.- How painful affects are detoxified in psychotherapy and in life.- Creating a safe and attuned context.- Bringing dreaded feelings into consciousness.- Challenging and inviting change of dysfunctional patterns of though, values and behavior.- Building a narrative framework to support change.- Seeking to understand what is observed.- Introduction: Critical periods in development and the problems they pose.- Group One: Schemas, nonverbal learned behavior patterns that increase pleasure and avoid pain.- Group Two: Dissociative patterns.- Group Three: Inborn avoidance mechanisms: Anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive patterns.

"This book would be most beneficial for mental health professionals who use psychotherapeutic intervention strategies as their primary treatment modality for various pathologies. Specifically, the book targets experienced clinicians, such as psychologists and psychotherapists, as well as those just entering the field, such as master of social work students in training and interns and residents in clinical psychology doctorate programs and related fields who are interested in staying abreast of the latest advances in psychotherapeutic techniques." (Michael S. Goldsby, Doody's Book Reviews, March, 2016)