Self-help materials have become a prime source of psychological advice for millions of Americans. While many self-help resources provide high-quality information and support, others may be misleading, inaccurate, or even harmful. This indispensable volume reveals which are the good ones, which are the bad ones, and why. Based on the results of 5 national studies involving over 2,500 mental health professionals, the book reviews and rates 600+ self-help books, autobiographies, and popular films. In addition, hundreds of helpful Internet sites are described and evaluated by a clinical psychologist, and valuable listings are provided of national and online support groups. The concluding chapter presents practical guidelines for selecting an effective self-help resource. Addressing 28 of the most prevalent clinical disorders and life challenges--from ADHD, Alzheimer's, and anxiety disorders, to marital problems and mood disorders, to weight management and women's issues--this timely book will be tremendously useful to consumers and professionals alike.

Never has the need for a compendium of self-help workbooks been so great! From the founder of the world’s first PhD program in Family Psychology comes an extensive guide to nearly all of the mental health workbooks published through 2002. Placed together in one volume for the first time, A Guide to Self-Help Workbooks for Mental Health Clinicians and Researchers includes reviews and evaluates the complexity of each workbook in regards to its form, content, and usability by the client. From abuse to women’s issues, this annotated bibliography is alphabetized by author, but can also be researched by subject. While self-help workbooks are currently not as popular or as mainstream as self-help books and video, that could soon change. Self-help workbooks are versatile, cost-effective, and can be mass-produced. The workbook user is active rather than passive, and the mental healthcare worker can analyze a more personal response from the user, whether in the office or via the Internet. A Guide to Self-Help Workbooks for Mental Health Clinicians and Researchers brings these workbooks together into one sourcebook to suit anyone’s needs. Each self-help workbook is reviewed according to specific criteria: contents structure specificity goal level of abstraction a subjective evaluation usually concludes the review of the workbook A Guide to Self-Help Workbooks for Mental Health Clinicians and Researchers also includes: an in-depth introduction discussing the need for workbooks in mental health practices indices for subject as well as author an address list of the publishing houses for the workbooks annotated in the bibliography an Informed Consent Form to verify compliance with ethical and professional regulations before administering a workbook to a client A Guide to Self-Help Workbooks for Mental Health Clinicians and Researchers offers you a complete resource to self-help workbooks for all mental health subjects. Dr. L’Abate’s highly selective review process helps you find exactly what you need. This unique sourcebook is vital for mental health clinicians, counselors, schoolteachers, and college and graduate students.

Self-help materials have become a prime source of psychological advice for millions of Americans. While many self-help resources provide high-quality information and support, others may be misleading, inaccurate, or even harmful. This indispensable volume reveals which are the good ones, which are the bad ones, and why. Based on the results of 5 national studies involving over 2,500 mental health professionals, the book reviews and rates 600+ self-help books, autobiographies, and popular films. In addition, hundreds of helpful Internet sites are described and evaluated by a clinical psychologist, and valuable listings are provided of national and online support groups. The concluding chapter presents practical guidelines for selecting an effective self-help resource. Addressing 28 of the most prevalent clinical disorders and life challenges--from ADHD, Alzheimer's, and anxiety disorders, to marital problems and mood disorders, to weight management and women's issues--this timely book will be tremendously useful to consumers and professionals alike.

Advice on Helping Your Loved Ones, from the medical director of the country's largest state mental health system and the mental health editor of The Huffington Post More than fifty million people a year are diagnosed with some form of mental illness. It spares no sex, race, age, ethnicity, or income level. And left untreated, mental disorders can devastate our families and communities. Family members and friends are often the first to realize when someone has a problem, but it is hard to know how to help or where to turn. Our mental health “system” can feel like a bewildering and frustrating maze. How can you tell that someone has a mental illness? What are the first and best steps for you to take? Where do you go to find the right care? The Family Guide to Mental Health Care is the first comprehensive print resource for the millions of people who have loved ones suffering from some kind of mental illness. In this book, families can find the answers to their most urgent questions. What medications are helpful and are some as dangerous as I think? Is there a way to navigate privacy laws so I can discuss my adult daughter’s treatment with her doctor? Is my teenager experiencing typical adolescent distress or an illness? From understanding depression, bipolar illness and anxiety to eating and traumatic disorders, schizophrenia, and much more, readers will learn what to do and how to help. Real-life scenarios and authoritative information are written in a compassionate, reader-friendly way, including checklists to bring to a doctor’s appointment so you can ask the right questions. For readers who fear they will never see the light at the end of the tunnel, this book gives hope and a path forward. As one of the nation’s leading voices on quality care in mental health, Dr. Lloyd Sederer has played a singular role in advancing services for those with mental illness. Now, the wealth of his expertise and clear guidance is at your disposal. From the first signs of a problem to sorting through the variety of treatment options, you and your family will be able to walk into a doctor’s office know what to do and what to ask.

THE MOST UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION ON: SOCIAL ANXIETY DISORDER, GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER, OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER, AND POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER.

Focuses on a shift away from traditional clinical preoccupations towards new priorities of supporting the patient.

If you feel that a friend or loved one has a problem and needs professional help, this step-by-step guide will give you the tools to approach, engage, and support him or her. Just about everyone knows a relative, friend, or coworker who is exhibiting signs of emotional or behavioral turmoil. Yet figuring out how to reach out to that person can feel insurmountable. We know it is the right thing to do, yet many of us hesitate to take action out of fear of conflict, hurt feelings, or damaging the relationship. Through a rich combination of user-friendly tools and real-life stories, Mark S. Komrad, MD, offers step-by-step guidance and support as you take the courageous step of helping a friend who might not even recognize that he or she is in need. He guides you in developing a strong course of action, starting by determining when professional help is needed, then moves you through the steps of picking the right time, making the first approach, gathering allies, selecting the right professional, and supporting friends or relatives as they go through the necessary therapeutic process to resolve their problems. Included are scripts based on Komrad’s work with his own patients, designed to help you anticipate next steps and arm you with the tools to respond constructively and compassionately. You will also find the guidance and information needed to understand mental illness and get past the stigma still associated with it, so you can engage and support your loved one with insight and compassion in his or her journey toward emotional stability and health.