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Book: Rainy Brain, Sunny Brain

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Book Title:

Rainy Brain, Sunny Brain – How to Retrain Your Brain to Overcome Pessimism and Achieve a More Positive Outlook.

Author(s): Elaine Fox.

Year: 2012.

Edition: First (1st).

Publisher: Baisc Books.

Type(s): Hardcover, Paperback, and Audiobook, and Kindle.

Synopsis:

Are you optimistic or pessimistic? Glass half-full or half-empty? Do you look on the bright side or turn towards the dark? These are easy questions for most of us to answer, because our personality types are hard-wired into our brains. As pioneering psychologist and neuroscientist Elaine Fox has discovered, our outlook on life reflects our primal inclination to seek pleasure or avoid danger – inclinations that, in many people, are healthily balanced. But when our “fear brain” or “pleasure brain” is too strong, the results can be disastrous, as those of us suffering from debilitating shyness, addiction, depression, or anxiety know all too well.

Luckily, anyone suffering from these afflictions has reason to hope. Stunning breakthroughs in neuroscience show that our brains are more malleable than we ever imagined. In Rainy Brain, Sunny Brain, Fox describes a range of techniques – from traditional cognitive behavioural therapy to innovative cognitive-retraining exercises – that can actually alter our brains’ circuitry, strengthening specific thought processes by exercising the neural systems that control them. The implications are enormous: lifelong pessimists can train themselves to think positively and find happiness, while pleasure-seekers inclined toward risky or destructive behavior can take control of their lives.

Drawing on her own cutting-edge research, Fox shows how we can retrain our brains to brighten our lives and learn to flourish. With keen insights into how genes, life experiences and cognitive processes interleave together to make us who we are, Rainy Brain, SunnyBrain revolutionizes our basic concept of individuality. We learn that we can influence our own personalities, and that our lives are only as “sunny” or as “rainy” as we allow them to be.

Depression and Pre-Clinical Dementia

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Research Paper Title

A cross-national study of depression in preclinical dementia: A COSMIC collaboration study.

Background

Depression commonly accompanies Alzheimer’s disease, but the nature of this association remains uncertain.

Methods

Longitudinal data from the COSMIC consortium were harmonized for eight population-based cohorts from four continents. Incident dementia was diagnosed in 646 participants, with a median follow-up time of 5.6 years to diagnosis. The association between years to dementia diagnosis and successive depressive states was assessed using a mixed effect logistic regression model. A generic inverse variance method was used to group study results, construct forest plots, and generate heterogeneity statistics.

Results

A common trajectory was observed showing an increase in the incidence of depression as the time to dementia diagnosis decreased despite cross-national variability in depression rates.

Conclusions

The results support the hypothesis that depression occurring in the preclinical phases of dementia is more likely to be attributable to dementia-related brain changes than environment or reverse causality.

Reference

Carles, S., Carriere, I., Reppermund, S., Davin, A., Guaita, A., Vaccaro, R., Ganguli, M., Jacobsen, E.P., Beer, J.C., Riedel-Heller, S.G., Roehr, S., Pabst, A., Haan, M.N., Brodarty, H., Kochan, N.A., Trollor, J.N., Kim, K.W., Han, J.W., Suh, S.W., Lobo, A., De La Camara, C., Lobo, E., Lipnicki, D.M., Sachdev, P.S., Ancelin, M-L., Ritchie, K. & for Cohrot Studies of Memory in an International Consortium (COSMIC). (2020) A cross-national study of depression in preclinical dementia: A COSMIC collaboration study. Alzheimer’s & Dementia. doi: 10.1002/alz.12149. Online ahead of print.

On This Day … 27 September

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People (Deaths)

  • 2004 – John E. Mack, American psychiatrist and author (b. 1929).

Background

John Edward Mack (04 October 1929 – 27 September 2004) was an American psychiatrist, writer, and professor and the head of the department of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

In 1977, Mack won the Pulitzer Prize for his book A Prince of Our Disorder on T.E. Lawrence.

As the head of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, Mack’s clinical expertise was in child psychology, adolescent psychology, and the psychology of religion.

He was also known as a leading researcher on the psychology of teenage suicide and drug addiction, and he later became a researcher in the psychology of alien abduction experiences.

National Good Neighbour Day

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Introduction

National Good Neighbour Day is a national holiday in the United States celebrated on 26 September.

Background

In the early 1970s, Becky Mattson of Lakeside, Montana created National Good Neighbor Day as a day to connect with and recognise the importance of strong leaders.

On 22 September 1978, President Jimmy Carter signed Proclamation 4601 establishing 24 September 1978 as National Good Neighbour Day, stating that it should be observed “with appropriate ceremonies and activities.”

On 28 April 2004, the Senate passed a resolution by Montana Senator Max Baucus to designate 26 September as National Good Neighbour Day.

Book: Brief Counselling: A Practical Integrative Approach

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Book Title:

Brief Counselling: A Practical Integrative Approach.

Author(s): Colin Feltham and Wendy Dryden.

Year: 2006.

Edition: Second (2ed).

Publisher: Open University Press.

Type(s): Paperback and Kindle.

Synopsis:

Almost two thirds of counsellors and psychotherapists work with clients in up to twenty sessions each: this book reflects that reality and the challenges involved.

The bestselling first edition of this book, by two of the UK’s leading counsellor trainers and academics, was praised by trainers and tutors for its accessibility, comprehensiveness and practicality. It was also a leading contribution to the movement towards time-conscious counselling and to an understanding of the therapeutic alliance across time.

The second edition has been thoroughly updated to include significant recent professional developments and new thinking in the counselling field. Additions include more detailed discussion of:

  • Assessment.
  • Contracting.
  • Very brief counselling.
  • Clinical reasoning.
  • Clients’ modalities.
  • Technical repertoire.
  • Depression and realism.
  • Supervision of brief counselling.

In the rapidly maturing profession of counselling, this book’s sensitivity to time as a precious resource, clients’ perceptions, evidence-based guidelines and integration of some of the best thinking from several counselling models make it an ideal core text for beginners and reflective practitioners. Thoughtful and busy practitioners in primary care, employee counselling, educational, voluntary and private practice settings will find many immediately helpful ideas and examples in this classic text.

Book: Working with Sexual Issues in Psychotherapy

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Book Title:

Working with Sexual Issues in Psychotherapy: A Practical Guide Using a Systemic Social Constructionist Framework (Basic Texts in Counselling and Psychotherapy).

Author(s): Desa Markovic.

Year: 2017.

Edition: First (1st).

Publisher: Red Globe Press.

Type(s): Paperback and Kindle.

Synopsis:

Whilst many psychotherapists work skilfully and creatively with the subject of sex, the lack of professional support systems such as training and supervision mean that the topic is often still treated as taboo in the psychotherapy room.

This secretive treatment may increase clients feelings of shame and embarrassment, thus mirroring the confusing views on sexuality in society and leading to the onset and development of sexual dysfunctions.

Bringing the medical perspective of sexology together with systemic psychotherapy informed by social constructionism, this timely book seeks to fill the gap in psychotherapy literature, research and training by providing a theoretical framework, as well as practical guidance, for effective therapeutic interventions in working with sex and sexual relationships in clinical practice.

Exploring topics such as sexual prejudice, the significance of sexual diversity and the assessment and treatment of sexual dysfunctions, enriched with a wealth of engaging case studies, Working with Sexual Issues in Psychotherapy is a fascinating and important read both for students new to this complex topic, and for practitioners looking for a comprehensive source of reference.

Book: Introducing Counselling: A Practical Guide

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Book Title:

Introducing Counselling: A Practical Guide.

Author(s): Alastair Ross.

Year: 2013.

Edition: First (1st), UK Edition.

Publisher: Icon Books Ltd.

Type(s): Paperback and Kindle.

Synopsis:

Introducing Counselling: A Practical Guide is an accessible and practical route into counselling techniques. What is it? How does it work? And how can it change your life?

With expert advice on everything from the ethics of counselling to identifying steps forward, this book offers an invaluable guide to anyone who is interested in counselling others, or in having counselling themselves. Introducing Practical Guides bring you the world’s greatest theories and research to improve your life, your skills and your well-being.

Packed full of straightforward, realistic advice that has immediate results, Practical Guides are engineered by experts in their fields to help you achieve your goals.

Book: Constructive Psychotherapy

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Book Title:

Constructive Psychotherapy: A Practical Guide: Practices, Processes and Personal Revolutions.

Author(s): Michael J. Mahoney.

Year: 2003.

Edition: First (1st).

Publisher: Guildford Press.

Type(s): Hardcover and Paperback.

Synopsis:

An invaluable teaching text and clinical resource, this is a book about how to do psychotherapy – how to apply the science of change to the complexities of helping people develop new meanings in their lives.

Explaining constructivist principles and illuminating what a skilled clinician actually does in day-to-day practice, Michael J. Mahoney shows how to nurture the therapeutic relationship while implementing such creative interventions as centering techniques, problem solving, pattern work, meditation and embodiment exercises, drama and dream work, and spiritual exploration.

Appendices feature reproducible client forms, handouts, and other useful materials.

Book: Basics of Psychotherapy

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Book Title:

Basics of Psychotherapy: A Practical Guide to Improving Clinical Success.

Author(s): Richard B. Makover.

Year: 2017.

Edition: First (1st), Illustrated Edition.

Publisher: American Psychiatric Association Publishing.

Type(s): Paperback.

Synopsis:

Today’s psychotherapists come from many disciplines – psychiatry, psychology, social work, psychiatric nursing, and a variety of counseling professions – but they are united by a common goal: to deliver an effective therapeutic service to those in need.

Psychotherapy texts usually focus on a single methodology or perhaps survey a variety of treatments. What many clinicians may need instead is an examination of the core principles, ideas, and practices that underlie and unify the hundreds of therapies in current use. Basics of Psychotherapy meets this need with a thorough examination of these common elements and of how they function to promote successful outcomes. The challenges to successful practice have never been greater: the demand for psychotherapy services often outstrips the supply, third-party and government payers continue to call for lower costs, computer-based therapies threaten to compete with human resources, and clinicians of all types confront the illusory appeal of using drugs to achieve quick fixes. In this difficult environment, successful practitioners must provide efficient and effective therapeutic results.

Each central chapter takes up a fundamental topic and examines it in detail: What is psychotherapy? What is the psychotherapy relationship? What is an initial evaluation? What is a formulation? What is a treatment plan? Other chapters review the essential technical aspects common to any psychotherapy and provide valuable advice on how to deal with typical clinical challenges. Throughout the book, Dr. Makover emphasizes the importance of the therapeutic alliance – what it is, what supports it, how to maintain it, how to repair it when necessary – and the collaborative partnership between therapist and patient that must exist for any treatment to succeed.

The book concludes with a discussion of career development and of how self-directed learning can build a collection of skills and capacities that will meet every practice challenge. Clinicians who understand the foundations of psychotherapy covered in this book will be more efficient and effective, regardless of which approach they chose to employ. Basics of Psychotherapy is written in a clear, straightforward style that reads easily and conveys its ideas with engaging simplicity. Every point is skillfully illustrated by clinical examples. Scripted excerpts of therapy sessions not only reproduce the dialogue; they also contain notes and commentary that explain exactly what is happening between therapist and patient. Tables and illustrations summarise the topics explained in the text. This practical and up-to-date book should be of use to the beginning therapist and the experienced clinician alike.

Book: Psychotherapy – A Practical Guide

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Book Title:

Psychotherapy – A Practical Guide.

Author(s): Jeffrey Smith.

Year: 2016.

Edition: First (1st).

Publisher: Springer.

Type(s): Paperback and Kindle.

Synopsis:

This title combines the many schools of thought on psychotherapy into one reader-friendly guide that coaches psychotherapists through the various techniques needed as the field expands. Unlike any other book on the market, this text considers all of the simultaneous advances in the field, including the neurobiology of emotions, the importance of the therapeutic relationship, mindfulness meditation, and the role of the body in healing. Written with genuine respect for all traditions from CBT to psychodynamics, the book unifies views of psychopathology and cure based on the notion of the mind-brain as an organ of affect regulation. The book accounts for the tasks that characterize psychotherapist activity in all therapies, how they are performed, and how they result in therapeutic change. The book also reviews the various pathologies seen in general practice and guides the reader to the specific therapist-patient interactions needed for their resolution.

With its big-picture focus on clinical practice, Psychotherapy: A Practical Guide is a concise resource for students, psychotherapists, psychologists, residents, and all who seek to integrate what is new in psychotherapy.