Handbook of Effective Psychotherapy »

This volume addresses two fundamental problems in the field of psychotherapy: the aversion many practitioners have to applying empirical study to treatment, and the belief that therapies due to unspecified mechanisms yield equivalent results. An international group of authorities describe the applications of specific treatments to a number of disorders, as well as reference training material so that therapists can acquire necessary skills. Clinicians with a wide range of philosopical viewpoints will appreciate the even-handed coverage.

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A handbook that provides a review of what is empirically known about the effectiveness of psychotherapeutic interventions. The handbook is divided into three sections. The first part contains two general reviews, including H.J. Eysenck on the demonstrated efficacy of the traditional psychotherapies. The next section is a compilation of reviews indicating which treatments appear to get the best outcomes, organized by disorder. The final section, Critical Commentary, represents an attempt to acknowledge that the advances in research cited in Parts I and II have been accompanied by controversy and by the discovery of numerous areas in which the field can still improve. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)