Psychotherapist's Guide to Psychopharmacology - Softcover

Gitlin, Michael J.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1416576959 ISBN 13: 9781416576952

Publisher: Free Press, 2007

Synopsis

In the first accessible psychopharmacology text written specifically for psychotherapists. Gitlin explains when to refer patients for consultation about possible medication, how to better treat patients already on medication, and how to work collaboratively with psychopharmacologists. He reviews the criteria for selecting among treatment options and the likely course and side effects of each, and provides case histories to illustrate subtleties in diagnosis. The book also lists all medications by generic and trade names, the side effects and dosage range for each.

About this title

Review:

Lester Grinspoon, M.D. Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School Editor, "Harvard Medical School Mental Health Letter" Since the introduction of chlorpromazine in 1953, a biological revolution has confronted psychotherapists with a vast array of medications which can enhance their effectiveness in treating a large variety of mental disorders. The practice of psychotherapy now requires an understanding of these drugs, including their indications, mechanisms of action, side effects, and especially the complex relationship between drug treatment and psychotherapy. For that purpose Gitlin's well-written, thorough, and comprehensive book is the best I have seen -- a text that will be useful not only to therapists without medical training but also to the psychopharmacologically sophisticated.

Stanley R. Grahame, Ph.D. Clinical Director, Fifth Avenue Center for Counseling and Psychotherapy Director of Training, Greenwich Institute for Psychoanalytic Studies A concise, comprehensive review of the field of psychopharmacology which succeeds in communicating a mass of relevant data in an easily understandable text without talking down to the nonmedical psychotherapist. It is a triumph in communication of what every therapist should know about...patients who are receiving medication, who should be receiving medication, and who should not be receiving medication. The best book of its kind to date.

Robert O. Pasnau, M.D. Professor of Psychiatry, University of California, Los Angeles Chief of Staff, Neuropsychiatric Institute Hospital Assistant Dean, School of Medicine It is extremely useful for those psychiatrists, like me, who as psychotherapists are becoming increasingly convinced that combined pharmacology and psychotherapy is the treatment of choice of the majority of our patients. Most of my patients want to know why and how medications work, and they are becoming increasingly knowledgeable about side effects and dependency.

Judith Marks Mishne, D.S.W. Professor, New York University School of Social Work This most readable, jargon-free text is clear, astute, and bridges the split between those physicians who prescribe medication and those therapists who do not....Dr. Gitlin's dual knowledge base and his respect for both methods of intervention are clear, as he demonstrates comfort with the split treatment model and collegial regard for the nonmedical clinician. This text is a must as a clinical guide for the nonphysician therapist.

From the Back Cover:

Michael J. Gitlin's indispensable first edition of The Psychotherapist's Guide to Psychopharmacology has now been updated and revised - this new second edition now reflects major changes that have influenced the clinical arena in the last five years such as the recent release of DSM-IV and the domination of the psychopharmacological field by the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, such as fluoxetine (Prozac). The Psychotherapist's Guide to Psychopharmacology, Second Edition also now includes coverage of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and contains updated sections on the new antipsychotics for schizophrenia and the increased use of anticonvulsant mood stabilizers for bipolar disorder. The book also includes other significant changes that have influenced the field over the last few years, such as brain imaging studies, research in obsessive compulsive disorder and social phobia, and such prominent topics in women's health as pregnancy, PMS, postpartum disorders, and breast feeding. This revision of an already established guide will again be an essential reference for all nonmedical professionals involved in treating mental and emotional disorders.

About this edition

• Publisher: Free Press
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 1416576959
• ISBN 13: 9781416576952
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 436