Can self-help recordings containing subliminal messages improve your self-esteem or memory? Is hypnotic age-regression therapy a valid way of rediscovering lost childhood memories? Does Thought Field Therapy effectively treat anxiety by manipulating energy fields? A dizzying array of popular psychology books, articles, and promotion campaigns tout these and other alleged remedies for psychological problems. So confusing is this welter of advice that those in need of counselling or treatment, and even many therapists, have difficulty sorting out reliable information from unproven hype. Faced with this confusion, consumers of mental health services need guidelines for finding effective therapy. This useful book brings together accessible, non-technical articles by leading scientific researchers and clinicians to help answer such critical questions concerning mental health care as: How should I select a therapist? How can I tell the difference between scientifically valid and questionable psychotherapy? Can I trust the diagnosis I have received? If you or someone you know is seeking therapy, this excellent reference book will provide needed guidance for navigating the mental health maze.
Scott O. Lilienfeld, Ph.D. (Atlanta, GA), is professor of psychology at Emory University, the founder and editor-in-chief of Scientific Review of Mental Health Practice, and the author (with S.J. Lynn and J.M. Lohr) of Science and Pseudoscience in Clinical Psychology, among many other publications. John Ruscio, Ph.D. (Elizabethtown, PA), is associate professor of psychology at the College of New Jersey, the associate editor of Scientific Review of Mental Health Practice, and the author of Clear Thinking with Psychology, among many other publications. Steven Jay Lynn, Ph.D. (Binghamton, NY), is professor of psychology at the State University of New York at Binghamton, a consulting editor for the Journal of Abnormal Psychology, and the author of most recently (with I. Kirsch) Essentials of Clinical Hypnosis, among many other publications.
"Much of this book is controversial. That's good. It stirs the pot. It will make the reader, and hopefully the field, think in different ways. Psychology needs this book and the ongoing work of Lilienfeld and his colleagues." -- PsycCRITIQUES, Vol. 54, Issue 28, July 2009
