Praeger Series in Health Psychology – serie

How does a doctor or therapist bridge the gap between particulars and generalizations regarding patients and various phenomena or diseases? The authors of this volume illustrate the multiple ways practitioners in the fields of clinical psychology and medicine address the tension between the universal nature of scientific knowledge and its particular applications. They discuss the fact that some decisions, if made erroneously, have impacts that cannot be reversed. An error in the realms of medicine, ecology, peace, and war brings with it psychological strategies that differ from those a practitioner faces where errors are correctable.How does a doctor or therapist bridge the gap between particulars and generalizations regarding patients and various phenomena or diseases? The authors of this volume illustrate the multiple ways practitioners in the fields of clinical psychology and medicine address the tension between the universal nature of scientific knowledge and its particular applications. They discuss the fact that some decisions, if made erroneously, have impacts that cannot be reversed. An error in the realms of medicine, ecology, peace, and war brings with it psychological strategies that differ from those a practitioner faces where errors are correctable.The disciplines of psychology and medicine have two shared goals. The first is that both disciplines seek a basic understanding about how human beings exist in their ordinary biological and psychological worlds and the second is the attempt to describe and treat disruptions of each person's healthy state of being. Therefore, the four coeditors uncover areas of mutual interest between the two disciplines and the basis for the conflicts that have arisen in their fields.

This volume brings to life the nature of resilience and adaptation to change by describing turning points, or critical experiences, in the lives of people with disabilities. People with cerebral palsy, spina bifida, or attention deficit disorder are interviewed. They describe events and experiences that changed their lives and pinpoint which factors helped or hindered their adaptation. Interweaving these compelling stories with popular thought and research evidence, the authors show how understanding the resilience of people with disabilities may help all readers create meaning in life and become resilient.Rich in personal detail, yet strong in its presentation of academic literature and other non-fiction works related to resilience, this volume will appeal to a wide variety of readers, from people who wonder about the meaning of life, to the parents of children with disabilities and organizations that deliver services to them, to students and professors in the fields of psychology, education, social work and occupational therapy.