Handbook of Clinical Psychopharmacology for Therapists

Review “I’m a psychoanalyst and clinical psychologist with no medical training, and I found Handbook of Clinical Psychopharmacology for Therapists to be a compelling and stimulating read, as well as a welcome addition to my reference shelf. This text is coherent and user-friendly, and reading it is a surprisingly pleasurable way to expand your knowledge in an area of clinical treatment usually not made this accessible to nonmedical professionals.” — Susan Flynn, PhD “I recommend the Handbook of Clinical Psychopharmacology for Therapists to psychotherapists from various clinical trainings and diverse clinical orientations, as well as to nonpsychiatric physicians and their prescribing assistants. One of the most valuable elements of this text is the authors’ reminder to consider when and how medication can be appropriate to treatment, and how the clini¬cian is an essential part of the psycho-medical treatment team. If you have only one reference book on your shelf addressing the interface between clinical treatment and psychopharmacology, this should be it.” — Marvin B. Berman, PhD “ Handbook of Clinical Psychopharmacology for Therapists is a modern masterpiece written by a multidisciplinary team of distinguished practitioners. It is one of the most clearly written and reader-friendly yet comprehensive books on the subject of psychiatric diagnosis and psychotropic drug therapy. The handbook is packed full of useful tables, figures, and illustrations that amplify the main text or can be used independently for a rapid introduction to the field or for reviewing the fundamentals. Covering both the spectrums of pathophysiology and the neurobiology of drug action, this slim, state-of-the-art-and-science text is truly a handbook worthy of the name and should be an essential resource for mental health professionals and students alike.” — Clifford N. Lazarus, PhD , licensed psychologist and director of Comprehensive Psychological Services of Princeton, author of Don’t Believe It for a Minute and The 60-Second Shrink “ Handbook of Clinical Psychopharmacology for Therapists is a wonderfully useful and comprehensive book. It should be essential reading for all mental health professionals and for others like myself who have family members suffering from mental illness. Its great virtues are its clarity and its humane and informed sense of the diagnosis, treatment, and care of extraordinarily complicated conditions.” — Jay Neugeboren , author of Imagining Robert “This book belongs on the desk of every psychiatrist, clinical psychologist, social worker, or anyone who works with clients who are taking psychoactive drugs. Also, anyone teaching or interested in abnormal psychology will find it indispensible. The authors manage, with judicious use of well-designed tables and clear, concise writing, to fill a gap in the current literature. No other book with which I am familiar covers the history of psychiatric medicine as well as both the neurochemistry and clinical use of psychotropics. The authors make excellent use of case histories, which are always to the point. I cannot think of anything that could be added to this text, or any part of it I would want to change.” — Harry Avis, PhD , professor of psychology at Sierra College and author of Drugs and Life “The book’s organization makes it both an easy cover-to-cover read and a useful reference work, with information readily accessible in tables throughout and in the appendices. This book tackles a dense topic thoroughly but succinctly and the writing flows well and is easy to follow. A wealth of figures and summary tables also assist readers in better grasping the detailed information. The opening chapters on the history and basic principles of neurobiology are written in a style that is understandable and engaging to a non-physician. In their discussions of the major diagnostic categories, the authors do an excellent job describing the illnesses without simply listing DSM criteria, which is always refreshing and will help to keep this book from seeming outdated now that the DSM-5 has been published. ...The authors do an outstanding job of including theory, empirical data, and practical treatment approaches throughout their discussion of the various illnesses and treatments, and each of the four sections can stand on its own and be read or referenced independently of the others.” — Journal of Psychiatric Practice , Vol. 20, No. 5 About the Author John D. Preston, PsyD, ABPP , is a licensed psychologist and the author or coauthor of twenty books. He is a professor of psychology at Alliant International University, and has also served on the faculty of the University of California, Davis, School of Medicine. He has lectured widely in the United States and abroad. He is the recipient of the Mental Health Association’s President’s Award for contributions to the mental health professions, and is a fellow of the American Psychological Association. John H. O’Neal, MD , is a board-certified psychiatrist who has been in private practice since 1977. He is past chief of the department of psychiatry at Sutter Community Hospital in Sacramento, CA. He is an associate clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of California, Davis, School of Medicine and a fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. He lectures on depression and psychopharmacology to mental health professionals, employee assistance programs, and the public. Dr. O’Neal received his MS in clinical psychology from Harvard University. Mary Talaga, RPh, PhD , is administrative services leader for Kaiser Permanente Pharmacy Operations in the Northern California region. She has been a pharmacist for more than thirty years, and specializes in psychiatric pharmacy. Talaga has extensive experience in health care and has practiced in a variety of clinical settings. She is particularly interested in promoting collaborative care models and developing best-practice guidelines. She provides training and mentoring to health care professionals and general education to patients and consumers.