The Therapist's Guide to Psychopharmacology, Revised Edition: Working with Patients, Families, and Physicians to Optimize Care

Product Description This indispensable book provides therapists and counselors with crucial knowledge about psychotropic medications: when and how to make medication referrals, how to answer patients' questions and help them handle problems that arise, and how to combine medication and psychotherapy effectively. Ideal for readers without extensive background in neurobiology, the book clearly explains how medications work in the brain and how they affect an individual's emotions, behavior, and relationships. Strategies for collaborating successfully with patients, their family members, and prescribers are discussed in detail. In this edition, psychopharmacology content has been fully updated. Review "This book fills an important gap in the literature by providing psychotherapists with trustworthy medical information. The authors get to the essence of complex subjects and present them in an engaging and conversational writing style that readers will appreciate. Those without a strong science background will find the book to be an accessible introduction to psychopharmacology, medical culture, and collaboration with medical professionals. I will recommend this book highly to all of our nonmedical trainees."--Wayne Denton, MD, PhD, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center "Patterson et al. have written a book every therapist and student needs. This volume is filled with illustrative case examples that point to ways to work with medication and medication issues in a clinically skillful way. Providing just the right amount of detail, the authors discuss the most appropriate medications for each of the most common mental health syndromes, as well as their typical side effects. They systematically address how to decide when referral for medication evaluation is appropriate, how to collaborate with physicians, how to help clients overcome the barriers to accepting and obtaining medication, how to mix psychopharmacology and psychotherapy, and how to work with families to support medication treatment. This book should be a standard text in graduate programs and required reading for all students in psychotherapy and assessment practica."--Jay Lebow, PhD, The Family Institute at Northwestern University "This book is essential reading for all mental health professionals. It provides both beginning and seasoned therapists a working knowledge of psychotropic medication and the skills to collaborate effectively with medical prescribers. Using the framework of the biopsychosocial model, the authors emphasize that treatment is not just a choice between therapy or medication; rather, many patients benefit from a combined and integrated approach. The book is up to date and very practical. It can be used as a textbook for trainees in psychology, family therapy, or social work, or as a reference text for the busy clinician to pull off the shelf when a client is prescribed a new medication. Patterson and her colleagues have provided a valuable resource for the field. I highly recommend this book."--Thomas L. Campbell, MD, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry "The product of intense collaboration between two psychiatrists and two family therapists, this book focuses on the power of collaboration to improve the quality of care for clients who take psychiatric medications. There is a good mix of accurate information about psychopharmacology and the clinical wisdom needed for effective medication management. Useful case vignettes appear throughout, with helpful analysis built around complex, real-world questions. Readers will be especially satisfied with the extensive consideration of the interaction of physical and mental health issues. But the best parts of this book are its excellent discussion of the family's impact on decision making and treatment efficacy, and its practical logistical advice for improving referrals and sustaining interdisciplinary connections."--Kia J. Bentley, PhD, LCSW, Virginia Commonwealt