Persuasion and Healing: A Comparative Study of Psychotherapy [Paperback]

Jerome D. Frank (Author), Julia B. Frank (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1993

This popular study of "psychological healing"treats topics ranging from religious revivalism and magical healing to contemporary psychotherapies, from the role of the shaman in nonindustrialized societies to the traditional mental hospital. Jerome and Julia Frank (who are father and daughter) contend that these therapies share common elements that improve the "morale"of sufferers. And in combating the "demoralizing meaning"that people attach to their experiences, the authors argue, many therapies are surprisingly similar to rhetoric (the art of persuasion) and to hermeneutics (the study of meanings).

Highly acclaimed in previous editions, Persuasion and Healing has been completely revised and expanded. In addition to a broadened exploration of the role of demoralization in illness, this latest edition offers updated information on topics including self-help, family therapy, psychopharmacology, psychotherapy for the mentally ill, and techniques such as primal therapy and bioenergetics. As they explore the power of "healing rhetoric"in these activities, the authors strengthen the ties among the various healing profession.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Anyone treating patients or engaging in clinical research to develop new drug or psychosocial treatments should take a few hours to absorb, once again, the brilliance of Persuasion and Healing.

(American Journal of Psychiatry )

The third edition of this creative integration and critical analysis of the vast literature on psychotherapy stands as a new and authentic contribution.

(Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease )

Lucid, literate, and persuasive, Persuasion and Healing was a classic then, and remains one now.

(British Journal of Psychiatry )

Among the classics of psychiatric literature.

(Psychiatric Quarterly )

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: The Johns Hopkins University Press; 3rd edition (March 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801846366
• ISBN-13: 978-0801846366
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.8 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #70,123 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #97 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Mental Health > Compulsive Behavior

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Still highly relevant November 10, 2008

By Stewart Kiritz

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Jerome Frank published the first edition of this book almost fifty years ago. Its message is still very relevant, perhaps even more relevant today. Psychotherapy is a form of persuasion and healing and as such, shares many features with other ways of influencing found in different cultures. Its essence, therefore, may not be located in the specific techniques that distinguish one brand of "evidence-based" (or not) therapy from another, but in over-riding considerations, such as the power of a given therapist to engender hope, the vividness of the therapist as a modifying vector, the alliance between therapist and patient, the fit between the tools of the therapist and the conceptualizations of the patient. It is important for a therapist to be solidly grounded in one or more theoretical approaches, but this mainly because such grounding increases the probability of the aforementioned influences on change becoming manifest, or strengthens them. This is a politically incorrect book if you subscribe to the limited medical model of psychotherapy presented as the only paradigm in most psychology programs today. However, if you take a longer view, and actually a view better supported by the evidence carefully considered, this book is a standout in the field of psychotherapy theory.

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful introduction March 12, 2005

By John D. Wynn

Format:Paperback

This is an outstanding book for anyone interested in how people think, and how people can change the way they think, feel and relate to others. A wonderful survey of the research literature on psychotherapy, but also a great overview for anyone interested in changing others' attitudes and behavior. The topics are relevant and the authors' writing is succinct, clear and engaging. The models of depression, anxiety, inhibition and psychological change are very helpful to anyone in any of the helping fields.