Social Icons

Books

My primary goal for this blog has been to help distribute functional information.  Tips to know what is useful (to me) and what is not.  As I'm noticing an ever-increasing stack of books and magazines on my kitchen table, I decided it would be quite beneficial to give some brief reviews.  If you've had a different experience with any of these books, please share--but it doesn't meant I'm going to change my mind.

Other (fiction and easier reads)

What Alice Forgot.  Great non-therapy book that can help to illustrate the power of perspective and storytelling.  Lots of emotion and I see a great tie to Narrative Therapy model.
Recommended read.



Wild at Heart by John Eldredge.  Great discussion of what it means to be a man--more especially a father and a son.  The book is written from a  Christian perspective, with many of the Christian values and expectations in discussion.  While I think anyone could benefit, it may be most appropriate for those that subscribe to, or are heavily influenced by a Christian moral perspective.  I believe any spiritual person that believes in a Higher Power (thinking of Jewish and Muslim) could identify with it as well.
Highly recommended.


Hold Me Tight by Sue Johnson.  Pending.


Workbooks/ Manuals/ Interventions

The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook.  Great for helping those that struggle with overwhelming feelings. Exercises that help to recognize and handle emotion.
Recommended.


The Therapist's Notebook for Family Health Care.  As noted on the cover: homework, handouts, and activities for Individuals, Couples and Families coping with illness, loss, and disability.   Great variety of activities and ideas to help discussions relating to health issues.  The book seems to be written (and purposefully) with a medical/health lens. 
Recommended.  Most useful for issues of health--but relevant to all.

Textbooks

Critical Incidents Ethical Issues in the Prevention and Treatment of Addiction. One of my professors swears by this book.  It can be dry, but that is not uncommon in the discussion of ethics.  My professor refers to this book as the "gold star" of addictions treatment.  
Recommended if entering addictions field. 


Crisis Intervention Strategies.  There is a brand-new edition out last month, my review is of the previous edition.  Divided into three basic parts:  basic training: crisis intervention theory and application; handling specific crises: going into the trenches; and one the home front: crisis in the human services workplace.  There is a fourth part included at the end about disaster response--specifically in response to Hurricane Katrina.   Comprehensive chapters on basic intervention, telephone and online crisis counseling, PTSD, suicide, sexual assault, partner violence, addiction, bereavement and grief, school related crises, institutional violence, hostage negotiation, and burnout in the human services.  This book is one of my first resources when dealing with trauma.
Highly recommended.


The Practice of Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy.  Pending.


Handbook of Relational Diagnosis and Dysfunctional Family Patterns edited by Florence W. Kaslow.  The book has several very good articles about the relational implications and requirements in diagnosis.  The whole book is rather overwhelming, but I think it does accomplish its purpose.  Has the feel of reading hundreds of  journal articles...hard to chew.  Very much helped me to shift my perspective on diagnosis and relationships, and on the need to diagnose a relationship rather than solely individuals within it.
Recommendation deferred. 


The Expanded Family Life Cycle. Reads well and is interesting.  However, I have serious issues with the narrative of the book.  While I very much subscribe to a feminist viewpoint, I do not agree with many of the implied beliefs in this book.  When discussing women, work, and childbearing, I felt it was strongly implied that the choice to stay at home and raise children is not a choice, but that is forced upon women by the dominant male-supporting society.  I do not disagree that the male dominance exists, but I believe that if a woman--or a man--chooses to stay at home and raise children that is a totally acceptable choice.  Also there is an entire chapter that addresses African-American poverty.  The problem here is the lack of discussion of poverty in any other ethnicity.  Perhaps it is my white male privilege perspective but I think there are some serious gaps.
I do not recommend this book.  However, if the authors or a presenter were to address the gaps, I think the book would be great.

Substance Abuse: Information for School Counselors, Social Workers, Therapists, and Counselors by Gary L. Fisher and Thomas C. Harrison.  Reads well and I do not have any pressing concerns about areas that were not addressed sufficiently.
Recommended.






1 comment:

 

Sample text

Sample Text