Customer Reviews

Psychotherapy of Schizophrenia: The Treatment of Choice

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I enjoyed the frank and honest language of the book. It cut through much that is misunderstood and unknown about people who have schizophrenia. I consider it one of the hallmarks of my personal psychology library. I highly recommend this book to practitioners, students and those who wish to broaden their knowledge of schizophrenia.

Drs. Karon and Vandenbos have written a book that allows anyone with a serious interest in helping individuals who suffer from schizophrenia to better understand the psychology that is all too often overlooked . The simple truths conveyed in this book will illuminate the desparate lives of individuals who are unfortunate enough to have fallen into psychosis and have yet to find a way out on their own. It is an excellent stimulus that can trigger one's own creativty which is essential in effective treatment with those caught in psychosis. I continue to rely on the lessons learned in this book after having read it 14 years ago!

This is an excellent book for those who want to do longer term work with psychothic individuals, which is a deplorably under-regarded endeavor.

People have an idea that only medications will enact a "cure," and at that, really only a suppression. Yet, there is evidence, swept under the rug lately but beginning to emerge again, that long term psychotherapy can help with the overall personality structure problems, and that short-term cognitive and behavioral therapy, as well as longer term therapy, can help for the actual symptoms. Some of this evidence is found in this book, as well as a book by another psychoanalyst, "Dante's Cure."

Although in today's climate, shorter term interventions are often needed (until changes are made or unless the professional works in a hospital with high resources), the real deal for severe problems is long-term work, for more than one session per week if possible. Psychoanalytic, interpersonal, cognitive, client-centered, whatever, but a long-term relationship must be established for the purposes of healing. From the analytic perspective, this book covers that fairly well.

This text is very heavy on the psychodynamic, which is fine for me as I am a theory-integrationist with analytic and behavioral leanings. The cases used are few. For example, the authors will use the same case examples to illustrate different aspects of symptoms or therapy, and one begins to wonder, "why so few actual individuals in the text?"

All in all, it's one of the best available on the topic, in addition to the CBT folks coming mostly out of England. However, I would like to have seen more on technique. There are great general tips on what to do and not do in general, but if the authors are going to strongly espouse an analytic perspective I would like to see a whole chapter on typical stages in the therapy, what interpretations are typically made in response to typical patient reactions, etc. The patient is an individual, but there are commonalities among all humans, and often among those with severe disorder. More micro- and less macro, I guess.

I am a reader who is able to separate therapists and authors from controversy surrounding them, if it appears that there could be more than one side to the story within the controversy. However, if you are not, you might want to be advised that the author studied with Rosen, the author of "Direct Anslysis." I found the old book by Rosen really good, but am very aware it would need tweaking for today's world. However, if you are one of those staunch opponents of Rosen's therapy or person, you may not want to read a book by one of his students.

All in all, a classic and very useful text.

Thank God for Dr. Karon. Literally. While in the process of reading his book, I began experimenting with a few of his suggestions and precepts. I was elated when not only did they work, but the fact that my psychotic patients could tell that I was actually trying to understand them allowed these patients to feel safe with me. Karon's ideas have become like a clinical gospel to me and many of my colleagues, and his intellectual prowess speaks mightily for his clinical methods.

I was a student of Karon's in the early 80's. I still have this book and I remain completely influenced by his ideas.

Bertram Karon is a man who has made a significant contribution to the understanding of psychotic and schizophrenic experience. I highly recommend this book for his insights into psychosis as I believe they are profound and true.

Harry Stack Sullivan was the genius before him and Karon advances and simplifies an understanding of these conditions.

As I remember, psychosis relates to a chronic terror state. Not at all hard to help a person in this state if you can have an opportunity to provide stability, security, and be trustable. You have to be comfortable with people being psychotic. For some reason, psychosis makes people uncomfortable. But it shouldn't be so because it really is kind of a natural defense last resort built-in mind mechanism to handle extremely difficult circumstances.

Extremely difficult life circumstances are related not only to family situations. Not at all really. Our society is complex and problematic enough. Many circumstances are difficult to navigate. In my opinion, schizophrenia and psychosis can develop from a variety of circumstances. Pre-adolescence is a very important time as our children really begin to venture out. And not all parents can always be in a position to safely protect their young.

The only idea related to this that I remember to be important and noteworthy, is the idea of when the needs of two people conflict, whose needs prevail? Has the schizophrenic person been in a lot of situations where his or her wants and needs have been brushed off?

So it's simple. How do you reduce fear and terror? Understanding, acceptance, time, reassurance, non-judgemental, empathy, patience, appreciation, etc..

Blaming the parents of schizophrenics for causing their child's illness through bad parenting and their own conflicts is humane? To whom? Certainly not the parents of a schizophrenic adolescent or young adult. It is shocking that psychoanalytic clinicians can get away with positing such rot, and that no one seems to challenge it critically. Good luck trying to run contolled clinical trials with an intervention that cannot be "blind" to the patient or clinician. In other words, much of the hypotheses of the authors are untestable. Their suppositions are long on conjecture and short on good, valid supporting data that would pass muster in a non-analytic peer-reviewed journal.