The Art and Science of Brief Psychotherapies: A Practitioner's Guide (Core Competencies in Psychotherapy) (Core Competencies in Psychotherapy)

This unique textbook offers an invaluable starting point in learning both the art and science of brief psychotherapy. Unlike other references, which review current literature and cover all of the many schools of brief therapy in current use, this compact text is packed with practical information that shows both what to do and why to do it, so that beginning therapists can start to think like brief therapists in their own work. Based on more than a decade of extensive teaching experience, the editors of this practical guide—another immediately useful tool in the Core Competencies in Psychotherapy series—take you step by step through every approach, describing therapies and specific interventions and including detailed case examples to illustrate how they are implemented. The introduction answers basic questions about how to define, when to use, and why and how to learn brief therapy. Part I, Six Key Brief Psychotherapies , begins with the highly structured cognitive, behavioral, and solution-focused therapies and continues with interpersonal, time-limited dynamic, and couples therapies. Part II, Special Topics , covers identifying the essential ingredients of brief therapy, conducting brief therapy in a multicultural context, combining brief therapy with medications, and evaluating competency in brief therapy. Part III, Overview and Synthesis , proposes three skill sets-relationship, instrumental, and change agency-that form the backbone of what it means to be a competent practitioner of brief psychotherapy. Fully indexed and easy to use, this volume is destined to become the definitive guide to acquiring core competency in this field (as mandated by the residency review committee), bringing to life the fascinating and challenging world of brief psychotherapy for students, educators, residents, and practitioners everywhere.

This unique textbook offers an invaluable starting point in learning both the art and science of brief psychotherapy. Unlike other references, which review current literature and cover all of the many schools of brief therapy in current use, this compact text is packed with practical information that shows both what to do and why to do it, so that beginning therapists can start to think like brief therapists in their own work.

Based on more than a decade of extensive teaching experience, the editors of this practical guide—another immediately useful tool in the Core Competencies in Psychotherapy series—take you step by step through every approach, describing therapies and specific interventions and including detailed case examples to illustrate how they are implemented.

• The introduction answers basic questions about how to define, when to use, and why and how to learn brief therapy.
• Part I, Six Key Brief Psychotherapies, begins with the highly structured cognitive, behavioral, and solution-focused therapies and continues with interpersonal, time-limited dynamic, and couples therapies.
• Part II, Special Topics, covers identifying the essential ingredients of brief therapy, conducting brief therapy in a multicultural context, combining brief therapy with medications, and evaluating competency in brief therapy.
• Part III, Overview and Synthesis, proposes three skill sets-relationship, instrumental, and change agency-that form the backbone of what it means to be a competent practitioner of brief psychotherapy.

Fully indexed and easy to use, this volume is destined to become the definitive guide to acquiring core competency in this field (as mandated by the residency review committee), bringing to life the fascinating and challenging world of brief psychotherapy for students, educators, residents, and practitioners everywhere.

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:Brett C. Plyler, M.D.(Northwestern Memorial Hospital)
Description:This book, part of the Core Competencies series, is intended to be a basic text for doing brief psychotherapy and covers six essential brief psychotherapies.
Purpose:This purpose is to offer a basic text for brief psychotherapy competence as well as guidelines for judging this competence.
Audience:The book is written for psychiatry residents and faculty who are involved in their training.
Features:All of the books in the series were written as a result of the Psychiatric Residency Review Committee's mandate (as an extension of six core competencies for medical education) for reasonable and measurable competence in five different forms of psychotherapy. This book provides a basic understanding of how to do brief psychotherapy in six areas: cognitive, solution-focused, behavior, interpersonal, psychodynamic, and couples. There is an additional section on brief therapy in combination with medications; multicultural aspects of brief therapy; and key ingredients of successful psychotherapy. It also provides some guidelines to supervisors on how to judge competence in the six brief psychotherapies discussed.
Assessment:This is an excellent introduction to brief psychotherapy and is appropriate for residents beginning their therapy training. Each section presents the theory behind the therapy and provides a concise description of how it is intended to be used. There are good clinical examples that illustrate the therapy being performed in a successful fashion. The references provide lists for more in-depth reading for those who are interested in a particular form of therapy. There are also sections on multicultural therapy, psychopharmacology, and judging competence that don't seem to be necessary but are a nice addition.

This unique textbook offers an invaluable starting point in learning both the art and science of brief psychotherapy. Unlike other references, which review current literature and cover all of the many schools of brief therapy in current use, this compact text is packed with practical information that shows both what to do and why to do it, so that beginning therapists can start to think like brief therapists in their own work. Based on more than a decade of extensive teaching experience, the editors of this practical guide -- another immediately useful tool in the Core Competencies in Psychotherapy series -- take you step by step through every approach, describing therapies and specific interventions and including detailed case examples to illustrate how they are implemented. ? The introduction answers basic questions about how to define, when to use, and why and how to learn brief therapy.? Part I, Six Key Brief Psychotherapies, begins with the highly structured cognitive, behavioral, and solution-focused therapies and continues with interpersonal, time-limited dynamic, and couples therapies.? Part II, Special Topics, covers identifying the essential ingredients of brief therapy, conducting brief therapy in a multicultural context, combining brief therapy with medications, and evaluating competency in brief therapy.? Part III, Overview and Synthesis, proposes three skill sets-relationship, instrumental, and change agency-that form the backbone of what it means to be a competent practitioner of brief psychotherapy. Fully indexed and easy to use, this volume is destined to become the definitive guide to acquiring core competency in this field (as mandated by the residency review committee), bringing to life the fascinating and challenging world of brief psychotherapy for students, educators, residents, and practitioners everywhere. Contents......Page 8 Contributors......Page 10 Introduction to the Core Competencies in Psychotherapy Series......Page 14 1 Introduction......Page 18 Part I: Six Key Brief Psychotherapies......Page 30 2 Cognitive Therapy: Introduction to Theory and Practice......Page 32 3 Brief Behavior Therapy......Page 68 4 Solution-Focused Brief Therapy: Doing What Works......Page 102 5 Brief Interpersonal Psychotherapy......Page 136 6 Time-Limited Dynamic Psychotherapy: Formulation and Intervention......Page 174 7 Brief Couple Therapy......Page 206 Part II: Special Topics......Page 246 8 Essential Ingredients for Successful Psychotherapy: Effect of Common Factors......Page 248 9 Brief Psychotherapy in a Multicultural Context......Page 260 10 Combining Brief Psychotherapy and Medications......Page 274 11 Evaluating Competence in Brief Psychotherapy......Page 282 Part III: Overview and Synthesis......Page 294 12 Doing Therapy, Briefly: Overview and Synthesis......Page 296 A......Page 310 B......Page 311 C......Page 312 D......Page 314 E......Page 315 G......Page 316 I......Page 317 N......Page 318 P......Page 319 R......Page 320 S......Page 321 T......Page 322 V......Page 323 Y......Page 324 Dewan (psychiatry and behavioral sciences, State U. of New York, Upstate Medical U., Syracuse) introduces 11 chapters responding to the need of trainees in the mental health professions for practical advice on how to conduct the short-term therapies favored by managed care. After overviewing the theoretical frameworks of cognitive and other forms of brief therapy, contributors focus on goals, assessment, and techniques. Annotation : 2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)