The role of stress in the development of certain medical illnesses is increasingly recognised and there is a growing need to find effective psychological treatments that can address this factor in physical illness. This text considers the ways in which stressful situations can interact with individuals to cause bodily changes that result in illness or physical symptoms. Accessible and fully up-to-date, this engaging text offers, in particular: - An analysis of neuroscientific bases for understanding psycho somatic reactions - Full clinical accounts of disorders, including telling case study material - An original approach to understanding mind-body medicine - A clear account of the development of psychoanalytic approaches to this complex field Trainees and practitioners in counselling, psychotherapy, healthcare and medicine will find this a fascinating text that both deepens their understanding and enriches their practice.

Professor Nossrat Peseschkian, M.D. (1933-2010), a German Board-certified specialist in psychiatry, neurology, psychosomatic medicine and psychotherapy, was born in Iran and lived in Germany since 1954. After graduating from Frankfurt University, he received his postgraduate psychotherapeutic training in Germany, Switzerland and in the United States. Besides his daily work in his psychosomatic and psychotherapeutic private clinic in Wiesbaden, Germany (1969-2000), he was an associate professor for psychotherapy at the Academy of Continuing Medical Education of the State Medical Association in Hesse since 1974. He is the founder of Positive Psychotherapy, a humanistic psychodynamic method based on a transcultural and interdisciplinary approach. Positive Psychotherapy has been introduced by Professor Peseschkian in seminars and lectures at universities and medical centers in more than 70 countries world-wide. Professor Peseschkian was the founding director of the Wiesbaden Academy of Psychotherapy, a licensed postgraduate institute for medical doctors and psychologists, the founding president of the World Association for Positive Psychotherapy (WAPP) and the German Association for Positive Psychotherapy (DGPP). This book, Positive Psychosomatics, is - out of 31 other monographs Peseschkians main clinical book on the application of Positive Psychotherapy in the understanding and treatment of different disorders and illnesses. The authors model to focus on the resources and positive aspects of conflicts - together with a transcultural perspective in the form of proverbs, myths and fables and the use of special techniques and practical tools, have made not only the book, but this approach very successful in the treatment of patients with somatic, somatoform and neurotic disorders. Forty different disorders are explained in detail and also their therapeutic approach. A questionnaire at the end of each chapter gives the therapist and his patients a clear guideline in their hands. Revised edition: International Academy for Positive and Transcultural Psychotherapy Peseschkian Foundation, Wiesbaden, Germany

The Psyche of the Body is a passionate and well-informed plea for a Jungian version of psychosomatic medicine and psychotherapy. Illustrated by vivid clinical illustrations of case histories, The Psyche of the Body reviews the long history of psychosomatic medicine and models of the relationship between psyche and body that have evolved over time, and presents a full revision of research in the field over the last twenty years. It presents a much-needed theoretical model together with practical guidelines that demonstrate how the psychological aspects of specific illnesses should be handled in therapy and analysis. Practicing and training Jungian analysts, as well as all those involved in clinical treatment, will find the interdisciplinary approach to psychosomatic medicine promoted in this book fascinating reading.

Expands and refines the psychosomatic approach in clinical practice Psychosomatic medicine has developed methods to increase diagnostic accuracy and improve targeted therapeutic approaches in all fields of medicine. In this context, clinimetrics, the science of clinical measurements, provides unprecedented opportunities for psychosomatic assessment. This volume illustrates how this approach can be translated into everyday practice complementing and improving the medical interview. The most sensitive and reliable clinical methods are presented for evaluating specific psychosocial aspects of disease, i.e. childhood adversities, life events and chronic stress, lifestyle, sexual function, subclinical and affective disturbances, personality, illness behavior, well-being and family dynamics. Each chapter provides practical illustrations as to how crucial information can be obtained with specific methods individualized according to the patients' needs. A hyperlink is provided to a website that contains many of the instruments assessed in the volume. This book enables the reader to understand the value of the psychosomatic approach in clinical practice. It is intended to expand and refine the skills of clinicians who work in general and specialized medicine and psychiatry, whether physicians, psychologists or other health professionals.

How can scientific theories contribute to contemporary accounts of embodiment in the humanities and social sciences? In particular, how does neuroscientific research facilitate new approaches to theories of mind and body? Feminists have frequently criticized the neurosciences for biological reductionism, yet, Elizabeth A. Wilson argues, neurological theories—especially certain accounts of depression, sexuality, and emotion—are useful to feminist theories of the body. Rather than pointing toward the conventionalizing tendencies of the neurosciences, Wilson emphasizes their capacity for reinvention and transformation. Focusing on the details of neuronal connections, subcortical pathways, and reflex actions, she suggests that the central and peripheral nervous systems are powerfully allied with sexuality, the affects, emotional states, cognitive appetites, and other organs and bodies in ways not fully appreciated in the feminist literature. Whether reflecting on Simon LeVay’s hypothesis about the brains of gay men, Peter Kramer’s model of depression, or Charles Darwin’s account of trembling and blushing, Wilson is able to show how the neurosciences can be used to reinvigorate feminist theories of the body.

Preceded by American Psychiatric Publishing textbook of psychosomatic medicine: psychiatric care of the medically ill / edited by James L. Levenson. 2nd ed. 2011.

This condensed version of The American Psychiatric Publishing Textbook of Psychosomatic Medicine shows the importance of psychiatric intervention in comprehensive medical care in prevention, relief of suffering, and improved medical outcomes. Essentials of Psychosomatic Medicine contains that portion of the larger work's content devoted to comprehensive coverage of specific disorders. Contributions cover epidemiology, psychological factors affecting specific diseases, those diseases' effects on mental health, diagnostic issues, and treatment, including psychotherapy, psychopharmacology, psychiatric side effects of drugs for medical conditions, and drug interactions relevant to the diseases covered. Essentials first guides users through general principles in evaluation and management and then offers concise versions of all 18 specialty chapters from the Textbook, updated for this edition. All of the medical specialties are covered, including the internal medicine subspecialties, neurology, surgery, ob-gyn, organ transplantation, pediatrics, dermatology, physical medicine and pain management. Each chapter ends with multiple-choice questions for self-assessment. Concise yet comprehensive, Essentials of Psychosomatic Medicine can help the consultant better diagnose, understand, and manage a wide array of conditions in order to address the needs of both the patient and the medical-surgical team.