Essential Psychotherapies, Second Edition: Theory and Practice - Hardcover

'Inviting reading for students receiving their initial exposure to the diverse ways that theoreticians view the human condition and healing practices... I found myself enjoying the succinct overviews that were presented, suggesting to me that the book will be helpful to practitioners and academics... I would want to expose students to all of the chapters in this book because they represent stimulating reading and clarity in conceptualizing patient health and disturbance and promising ways of treating others...the best feature of this book is the outstanding writing. The amount of jargon is kept to a minimum and the clarity of communication is at a maximum. Every chapter blends theory, research and practice, attention to philosophical assumptions, epistemology, and even empirical methods. Every chapter is persuasive and invites integration of the rich variety of views about ways of being with people. It is a book for people who want to be exposed to a variety of ideas about psychological healing practice.' - Psychotherapy Research
'Gurman and Messer have achieved a small miracle in Essential Psychotherapies: a comprehensive and intellectually rigorous edited volume that is readable to the point of fascination... Readers will be challenged to transcend their personal biases - and those of their teachers - as they appreciate each thoughtful chapter by cutting-edge scholar-clinicians.' - Nancy McWilliams, PhD, Rutgers University, USA

'I selected Essential Psychotherapies as the primary text for my graduate course on theories of psychotherapy because of the depth, accuracy, detail, and consistency of topic coverage... Gurman and Messer have produced a text that stands out among the competition for its overall coherence and usefulness as a basis for comparative discussion. My students who have taken the class as academic preparation for applied clinical practice have found this text to be practical and comprehensive.' - Denise D. Davis, PhD, Vanderbilt University, USA


'Essential Psychotherapies is the perfect choice for my undergraduate class, 'Psychotherapy: Models and Methods.' It provides comprehensive, cogent, state-of-the-science reviews of mainstream treatment approaches and schools of psychotherapy, written by clinical scientists who are at the vanguard of the profession.' - Steven Lynn, PhD, Binghamton University, SUNY, USA

Comprehensive and user - friendly, this widely adopted text presents systematic expositions of the 12 most important forms of psychotherapy being practiced today. Covering traditional treatments as well as influential models that have been developed relatively recently, the volume gives students and practitioners a solid grasp of foundational theories and methods. Eminent authorities describe their respective models in unusually coherent chapters to facilitate easy comparison of basic theoretical and practical concerns. Each chapter also includes a detailed case illustration that brings key concepts to life.