Introduction to Psychopathology
- Alessandra Lemma - University College London, UK
Counselling and Psychotherapy (General)
`An invaluable handbook for students of psychotherapy and a good reference for established therapists... I recommend that all therapists have a copy of this book on their shelf' - Psychology, Health & Medicine
Assessment and referral skills are essential for counsellors and psychotherapists. Practitioners need to have an understanding of the clinical manifestations of severe emotional distress. They must, for example, be able to recognize when clients are a suicide risk or when they are suffering from a psychotic episode.
This lively textbook provides a clear overview of the issues involved in our understanding of psychopathology and offers guidelines on appropriate interventions. Alessandra Lemma explores a range of key topics, covering how psychiatric diagnoses and classifications are arrived at, and the issues that can arise when working in conjunction with other mental health practitioners, such as psychiatrists. She addresses the needs of practitioners in relation to some of the more common forms of mental distress - depression, anxiety and eating problems - as well as some of the more controversial diagnoses, such as schizophrenia and `borderline personality disorder'. The book concludes with a discussion of alternatives to mainstream approaches, including those which seek to deconstruct the concept of psychopathology.
Introduction to Psychopathology offers a framework for assessing clients which incorporates a broad range of models and approaches, and which takes into account psychological, social and biological factors. It will be an invaluable resource for students of counselling, counselling psychology, psychotherapy and clinical psychology.
`This book is appropriately pitched at an introductory level, the author taking pains to explain basic psychological and psychiatric concepts and organizational procedures... a highly accessible and excellent introductory text for psychology undergraduates and students of counselling' - Behaviour Research and Therapy
`Although this book is written with the counsellor or psychotherapist working in a GP practice in mind, it is also invaluable reading for anyone whose work involves them in counselling or psychotherapy. This book brings together research and clinical practice to enhance the practitioner's understanding of the various manisfestations of psychopathology. It is seen as good practice to consider what research has shown in the field of psychopathology and this book aims to provide a concise review of the literature as a springboard for subsequently questioning it.... What I liked most about this book was that it was easy to read. It assumed no prior knowledge of mental health issues and, whether you agreed or disagreed with what was written, the arguments were stated clearly. In addition, I also liked the space given over to age, gender, social environment and cross-cultural issues. Counsellor training courses would be all the richer for including this book as a course reader' - Changes
`The challenges of dealing with the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of psychopathology are great, even for the most experienced therapist... Alessandra Lemma provides a book that presents all the necessary tools for the beginning therapist in a clear, concise and intuitive manner, making it an invaluable handbook for students of psychotherapy and a good reference for established therapists... The book aims objectively to present a review of the existing literature in the field of psychopathology, to critically evaluate its relevance to clinical practice and thus to inspire readers to develop their own opinions and curiosity about the area. It can only be said that the author most definitely achieves her aims. The book is well-written and well-structured so that it progresses naturally and logically from one subject to the other... The book is aimed at counsellors and psychotherapists who are working in GP practices and are therefore more likely to get referrals for clients who have identifiable psychiatric problems. However, it could be read with particular advantage by would-be therapists who have embarked on their training or those who have just qualified and need a constant and accessible reminder of the key elements of assessment and referral in psychotherapy. I recommend that all therapists have a copy of this book on their shelf, particularly therapists for whom this group of clients may not be the norm but who need to be able to carry out assessments for the purpose of referral... Overall, this is an excellent introduction to psychopathology, covering the main issues and giving the reader some practical guidelines for working in the area' - Psychology, Health & Medicine
`I was most impressed by the author's thoroughness in writing this book. She seems to leave no stone uncovered... [this is] a work which should become a necessity for all counsellors, counselling psychologists, psychiatric nurses and psychotherapists... This is a book to which I will make reference time and time again, and one which will occupy a prominent place in my library' - Counselling, The Journal of the British Association for Counselling
`Well-written... a useful resource for counsellors' - Windy Dryden
`This is a clearly written, concise overview of the principles underlying mental health assessment and therapeutic interventions... [which] includes background information for practitioners and a detailed look at psychological conditions and treatment options... The presentation of guidelines and ground rules for both the client and therapist is helpful. In addition, the author provides suggestions for managing the referral process. The chapters examining psychological issues follow a clear format, creating a good reference guide for use in developing an understanding of mental illness... Current research and theory is nicely integrated... this book is a good introduction to issues in psychopathology... The examination of various intervention techniques from different theoretical perspectives is conducted in a nonbiased manner. Overall, this is an easy-to-understand approach to complex issues' - Contemporary Psychology
A valuable addition to any students reading list, a broad selection of the most common psychopathology, presenting issues, referral and assessment covered together with information on developmental psychopathology. Very reader friendly, good use of case studies, this is always very popular with students, great book
I found this to be an excellent text. Lemma gets to the heart of the debates around mental health and is balanced and credible. Information on mental health conditions is comprehensive and trustworthy. I have recommended this to my students as a core text
A clear and accessible text that frames a potentially complex subject within the context of Counselling, rather than a totally clinical setting such as Clinical Psychology. It explores a number of questions as well as providing information.
This is a very well written book, that, whilst not written for Mental Health Nurses is still a text that I will recommend student nurses to read
This is a succient and yet comprehensive introduction to pathology text. Ideal as a core reading text for students new to pathology. Well laid out and covers the essential aspects including treatment options for the major pathologies. Used it ideally with Access to Counselling students and will use it with Level 4 students as a recomended reading. The students found the reading accesible and relevant for their studies.
Very interesting book ! Very well written! Many challenging concepts and a fantastic opportunity to explore key issues on psychopathology. The approaches to 'abnormality' and diagnosis deserve special mention. This book is highly recommended ! Dr Alberto Corizzo
