Nicholas A. Cummings – författare

This book takes as its inspiration the assumption that the atmosphere of intellectual openness, scientific inquiry, aspiration towards diversity, and freedom from political pressure that once flourished in the American Psychological Association has been eclipsed by an "ultra-liberal agenda," in which voices of dissent, controversial points of view, and minority groups are intimidated, ridiculed and censored.

Chapters written by established and revered practitioners explore these important issues within the contexts of social change, the ways in which mental health services providers view themselves and their products, and various economic factors that have affected healthcare cost structure and delivery.

In short, this book is intended to help consumers, practitioners, and policy makers to become better educated about a variety of recent issues and trends that have significantly changed the mental health fields.

This book takes as its inspiration the assumption that the atmosphere of intellectual openness, scientific inquiry, aspiration towards diversity, and freedom from political pressure that once flourished in the American Psychological Association has been eclipsed by an "ultra-liberal agenda," in which voices of dissent, controversial points of view, and minority groups are intimidated, ridiculed and censored.

Chapters written by established and revered practitioners explore these important issues within the contexts of social change, the ways in which mental health services providers view themselves and their products, and various economic factors that have affected healthcare cost structure and delivery.

In short, this book is intended to help consumers, practitioners, and policy makers to become better educated about a variety of recent issues and trends that have significantly changed the mental health fields.

After a period of economic success and high regard in society, clinical psychology has fallen onto hard times, assert authors Nicholas Cummings and William O’Donohue. In the 1960s, clinical psychologists with doctorates were well paid in relation to comparable professions; today, starting salaries are lower than many jobs that require only a bachelor’s degree. Clinical psychology in the 1960s was preferred and valued over other fields as a profession; today it is not even on the list of top 20 fields for graduates to enter. Psychologists’ opinions on social issues are disregarded by the public. What was and continues to be the reason for the decline and continuing descent of clinical psychology? The authors posit that the profession blundered and has not adapted to the profound changes that have taken place in American society over the past 40 years. Psychotherapy practice is based on a 50-minute hour, yet mental health treatment must operate at a much briefer, more efficient pace. Clinicians ignore the findings of scientific research for effective treatments and favor the overblown pronouncements of gurus who preach without substance. Clinicians failed to adapt their practice to the needs of the healthcare industry and do not recognize that psychotherapy is health profession. An anti-business bias has contributed to training programs that ignore the economic realities of running a practice. The failure to secure prescription privileges, the invention of diagnoses, and political correctness are among the other blunders that pull the profession away from its primary mission -- mental health treatment -- and contribute to the low esteem in which psychologists are held. The authors enumerate and discuss the Eleven Blunders That Cripple Psychotherapy in America and offer remedies to correct the ongoing decline of the field.

After a period of economic success and high regard in society, clinical psychology has fallen onto hard times, assert authors Nicholas Cummings and William O’Donohue. In the 1960s, clinical psychologists with doctorates were well paid in relation to comparable professions; today, starting salaries are lower than many jobs that require only a bachelor’s degree. Clinical psychology in the 1960s was preferred and valued over other fields as a profession; today it is not even on the list of top 20 fields for graduates to enter. Psychologists’ opinions on social issues are disregarded by the public. What was and continues to be the reason for the decline and continuing descent of clinical psychology? The authors posit that the profession blundered and has not adapted to the profound changes that have taken place in American society over the past 40 years. Psychotherapy practice is based on a 50-minute hour, yet mental health treatment must operate at a much briefer, more efficient pace. Clinicians ignore the findings of scientific research for effective treatments and favor the overblown pronouncements of gurus who preach without substance. Clinicians failed to adapt their practice to the needs of the healthcare industry and do not recognize that psychotherapy is health profession. An anti-business bias has contributed to training programs that ignore the economic realities of running a practice. The failure to secure prescription privileges, the invention of diagnoses, and political correctness are among the other blunders that pull the profession away from its primary mission -- mental health treatment -- and contribute to the low esteem in which psychologists are held. The authors enumerate and discuss the Eleven Blunders That Cripple Psychotherapy in America and offer remedies to correct the ongoing decline of the field.

Written by father-daughter psychologists Nick and Janet Cummings, this text provides proven patient-responsive interventions by practitioners who together have nearly a century of hands-on practice and innovation between them. Refocused Psychotherapy responds directly to the recent decline of psychosocial services and helps to put psychotherapy back as the first line intervention in mental health. The authors teach psychotherapists how to work side by side with primary care physicians to provide efficacy, effectiveness, and efficiency—the standards psychotherapeutic intervention is held up to. Detailed case studies are followed up by discussions of diagnosis, personality type, homework, and therapeutic techniques that show readers how to form their own case conceptualizations. The authors also teach readers how to treat their patients individually and to diagnose effectively through their onion/garlic conceptualization. Finally, they provide lists of common abbreviations that are helpful to know when reading prescriptions, and lists of drugs, drug interactions, dosage, and side effects that expand readers’ vocabulary and allow them to be more knowledgeable as they work with primary care physicians. These innovative and revealing techniques will help readers develop the skills necessary for cost-effective therapeutic results.

Written by father-daughter psychologists Nick and Janet Cummings, this text provides proven patient-responsive interventions by practitioners who together have nearly a century of hands-on practice and innovation between them. Refocused Psychotherapy responds directly to the recent decline of psychosocial services and helps to put psychotherapy back as the first line intervention in mental health. The authors teach psychotherapists how to work side by side with primary care physicians to provide efficacy, effectiveness, and efficiency—the standards psychotherapeutic intervention is held up to. Detailed case studies are followed up by discussions of diagnosis, personality type, homework, and therapeutic techniques that show readers how to form their own case conceptualizations. The authors also teach readers how to treat their patients individually and to diagnose effectively through their onion/garlic conceptualization. Finally, they provide lists of common abbreviations that are helpful to know when reading prescriptions, and lists of drugs, drug interactions, dosage, and side effects that expand readers’ vocabulary and allow them to be more knowledgeable as they work with primary care physicians. These innovative and revealing techniques will help readers develop the skills necessary for cost-effective therapeutic results.

Understanding the Behavioral Healthcare Crisis is a necessary book, edited and contributed to by a great variety of authors from academia, government, and industry. The book takes a bold look at what reforms are needed in healthcare and provides specific recommendations. Some of the serious concerns about the healthcare system that Cummings, O’Donohue, and their contributors address include access problems, safety problems, costs problems, the uninsured, and problems with efficacy. When students, practitioners, researchers, and policy makers finish reading this book they will have not just a greater idea of what problems still exist in healthcare, but, more importantly, a clearer idea of how to tackle them and provide much-needed reform.

Understanding the Behavioral Healthcare Crisis is a necessary book, edited and contributed to by a great variety of authors from academia, government, and industry. The book takes a bold look at what reforms are needed in healthcare and provides specific recommendations. Some of the serious concerns about the healthcare system that Cummings, O’Donohue, and their contributors address include access problems, safety problems, costs problems, the uninsured, and problems with efficacy. When students, practitioners, researchers, and policy makers finish reading this book they will have not just a greater idea of what problems still exist in healthcare, but, more importantly, a clearer idea of how to tackle them and provide much-needed reform.