Diagnosis and Treatment Planning in Counseling » (3rd Edition)

Dr. Linda Seligman received the Ph.D. degree in Counseling Psychology from Columbia University. She is a faculty member at Walden University and a faculty associate at Johns Hopkins University. In addition, she is a professor emeritus at George Mason University, where she was codirector of the doctoral program in education and head of the graduate program in Counseling.

Dr. Seligman is a licensed psychologist and licensed professional counselor. She has experience in a variety of clinical settings, including psychiatric hospitals, community mental health centers, substance abuse treatment programs, foster care, corrections, and private practice. She is currently the Director of the Center for Counseling and Consultation, a private practice with offices in Fairfax, Virginia , and Bethesda, Maryland.

Dr. Seligman’s research interests include diagnosis and treatment, planning, counseling people with chronic and life-threatening illnesses, and the mind-body-spirit connection. She has completed 10 books, including Selecting Effective Treatments; Technical and Conceptual Skills for Mental Health Professionals; Systems, Strategies, and Skills of Counseling and Psychotherapy; Promoting a Fighting Spirit; and Developmental Career Counseling and Assessment. She also has authored over 50 professional articles and book chapters. In addition, she has lectured throughout the world on diagnosis and treatment planning.

Dr. Seligman has been the editor of The Journal of Mental Health Counseling and has served as president of the Virginia Association of Mental Health Counselors. She was selected as a Distinguished Professor by George Mason University and as a Researcher of the Year by the American Mental Health Counselors Association.

In this third edition of her text, Seligman (clinical and health psychology, Walden U. and director, Center for Counseling and Consultation, Bethesda and Fairfax) synthesizes the latest developments in the field, including new employment opportunities and core competencies. The text reviews the current edition of DSMD and the DO A CLIENT MAP approach to treatment and planning. Seligman covers documentation, report writing and record keeping, and provides sample forms and reports. She concludes with predictions about the trends most likely to influence the field in the future. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Peter B. Zeldow

This book consists of 11 chapters concerned with psychiatric diagnosis, intake interviewing, treatment planning, and theories and techniques of individual counseling, family counseling, and group counseling. The changing nature of mental health counseling and future trends are also discussed. The purpose of the book ""is to help counselors and other mental health professionals to acquire up-to-date information on diagnosis and treatment planning and to develop related clinical skills that are essential to their effectiveness."" The book is intended primarily for graduate students in counselor education programs, although it provides valuable information for all mental health counseling students and practitioners. The author is a leading academician, writer, editor, and practitioner in the field of counseling psychology. The references are extensive and up-to-date, and the index is especially detailed. A special feature is an appendix consisting of a series of tables providing key questions for a counselor to ask to facilitate the making of a DSM-IV diagnosis. This excellent introductory text will be an informative reference for counseling students. The information is accurate, the clinical advice sound, the examples plentiful. Depth of coverage is necessarily sacrificed for breadth. The changes in the field of counseling and in psychiatric diagnosis over the last ten years more than justify this new edition.