Acclaimed for its clear writing and stellar contributors, this authoritative text is now in a revised and updated fourth edition.
The book explains the history, assessment approach, techniques, and research base of each of the 12 most important psychotherapies practiced today, along with its foundational ideas about personality and psychological health and dysfunction.
The consistent chapter format facilitates comparison among the various approaches. Every chapter includes engaging clinical vignettes and an extended case example that bring key concepts to life, as well as suggested resources for further learning.
New to This Edition- Incorporates important developments in clinical practice and research.
- Entirely new chapters on CBT, third-wave CBT, couple therapies, and interpersonal and brief psychodynamic therapies; all other chapters fully updated.
- Increased attention to multiple dimensions of diversity, the evidence-based practice movement, psychotherapy integration, and applications to physical health care.
About the Authors
Stanley B. Messer, PhD, is Distinguished Professor Emeritus and former Dean of the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Past president of the Society for the Exploration of Psychotherapy Integration, he is a Fellow in several American Psychological Association societies and was awarded an honorary doctorate by the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Dr. Messer has published extensively on the application of psychodynamic theory and research to brief and integrative therapies, as well as on evidence-based practice. He has also conducted empirical research on the process of psychotherapy. Dr. Messer is associate editor of the online journal
Pragmatic Case Studies in Psychotherapy and maintains a clinical practice in Highland Park, New Jersey.
Nadine J. Kaslow, PhD, ABPP, is Professor and Vice Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Emory University School of Medicine. Past president of the American Psychological Association (APA), the American Board of Professional Psychology, and the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers, she was awarded an honorary doctorate by Pepperdine University. Dr. Kaslow is former editor of the
Journal of Family Psychology. She is a recipient of the Distinguished Contributions to Education and Training Award and a Presidential Citation from the APA, as well as the Elizabeth Hurlock Beckman Award, and is a Distinguished Member of Psi Chi, the International Honor Society in Psychology. With over 300 publications, Dr. Kaslow has expertise in couple and family psychology, psychology education/training, family violence, and suicide.
Industry Reviews
"Coedited by two of the most influential figures in the field, this text achieves a major feat by meeting the learning needs of aspiring and early-career practitioners while also providing helpful guidance to experienced psychotherapists. The fourth edition covers issues that are crucial for understanding when psychotherapy may be indicated, who may benefit from it, how it may be best implemented, and what type of benefits it may bring--as well as what its limitations are and potential ways to improve it. Leading clinicians and researchers present what is necessary to know about the predominant theoretical orientations of our day. In addition to covering core ingredients of psychotherapy, chapters address cutting-edge issues such as the promotion of evidence-based practices, diversity factors in the richness of human experience, and connections between psychological and physical health." - Louis G. Castonguay, PhD, Liberal Arts Professor of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University
"Messer and Kaslow have done an exceptional job of editing the fourth edition of this much-beloved text. Contributors describe the theory, research, and practice of each psychotherapy with extraordinary depth and forward-thinking clarity. They underscore the implications of new developments and future directions. I strongly recommend this text as truly essential to preparing the next generation of mental health providers in any discipline. Students will go back to the book again and again, and each time will find their thinking about psychotherapy deepened and refined." - Jennifer L. Callahan, PhD, ABPP, Department of Psychology, University of North Texas
"The fourth edition of this text shows the remarkable progress we have made in psychotherapy over the last several decades. The distinguished chapter authors cover the waterfront--from the various psychodynamic and CBT approaches to group, couple, and family therapies. The book's vision of psychotherapy is more like a chorus of remarkable individual voices singing in harmony than the Tower of Babel, as the field is sometimes portrayed. This book is perfect for a foundational course in psychotherapy, and also meets the needs of experienced practitioners who want to stay up to date on the latest theory and evidence-based practice." - Richard F. Summers, MD, ABPN, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
"Messer and Kaslow have selected seasoned experts to describe the major theories and interventions that have influenced the field of psychotherapy. Each chapter provides a strong theoretical focus and historical context for the treatments, a summary of the available empirical research, conceptualizations of personality, and treatment-specific ethical issues. Detailed case examples nicely depict the differences between therapeutic approaches, as well as multicultural considerations. The suggestions for further reading and recommended videos are particularly useful. For students who are evolving as therapists themselves, the understanding of the field's history and development that this text provides is critically important." - Sandra B. Morissette, PhD, Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at San Antonio
