Customer Reviews

Science and Pseudoscience in Clinical Psychology

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This edited volume contains chapters which provide critical analysis of a variety of important subjects in clinical psychology. Lillienfeld et al take a hard look at general issues such as diagnosis and treatment as well as specific issues including New Age treatments for psychological disorders and tests and personality measures. It also examines other subjects such as controversial interventions for ADHD, trauma and autism. The book will spark a great deal of argument and some outrage, since there are a lot of oxen and sacred cows being gored therein. But it is long past time that the yawning chasm between science and clinical practice was addressed, and this volume does an admirable job. I recommend this book to all thoughtful clinicans, as well as general readers with an interest in clinical psychology.

As a psychologist who is aware of some of the questionable research and clinical practices in psychology I read this book with interest. Many of the chapters were interesting and the criticisms valid. I was disappointed, however, that a book that claims to debunk pseudoscience seemed to have a major blindspot. For example Waschbusch and Hill's chapter examines treatments for ADHD without reference to the controversy that exists about the validity of ADHD as a neurobiological syndrome. There is debate about the unscientific manner in which groups of nonspecifc behaviours are named as syndromes, in the absence of any physical evidence. Discussing treatments for these "disorders" without mentioning this at all seems a glaring oversight in a book that devotes so much attention to issues of diagnosis and assessment and claims to expose pseudosicence. It hardly takes courage or insight to criticise the fringe elements, but what about blatant pseudoscientific practices carried out by mainstream psychologists?

Although largely aware of the plethora of pseudoscientific nonsence that besets the field of mental health, it is very refreshing to have this collation of information brought together in one volume. As a clinical psycholgist I am confronted daily by people who have been referred to purveyors of unscientific, and often damaging, "interventions". All too frequently, these people have been referred to such snake-oil sellers by mental health professionals - psychologists, psychaitrists, medical doctors etc. This book, and hopefully further editions of it, should be compulsory reading for everyone seeking to work in the mental health and forensic fields. Only by truly embracing scientific methodology and an unremitting scepticism can we hope to move forward in understanding mental health and criminal problems. Our patients, their families, and the public deserve no less.

Alex Montgomery
Clinical Psychologist
Victoria, Australia

I am finishing my Ph.D. in psychology this year, and this is a definate read for anyone in the field, espececially those who are considering persuing a career in psych. This book has confimed my long-standing fears as a graduate student: That there is much non-science in the field of psych and the profession is openly hostile to those that say so, while at the same time donning the semantically garb of "scientist". The truth is there is very little science in psych these days, and it is psychology's "dirty little secret".

In the preface, the editors noted that this book will make a lot of people angry, especially proponents of the therapies being critiqued in this book. While this is undoubtedly true for many such proponents, I think it would be a serious mistake for such people to dismiss what is being said in this book. I am one of the top practitioners of Thought Field Therapy and found this book to be of tremendous value and feel gratitude, not anger towards its authors. Having explored many of the controversial, new therapies, I know better than anyone the pitfalls and hazards of drifting into pseudoscience and quite frankly, have repeatedly been dismayed at what I have seen in terms of a complete inability to engage in critical thinking on the part of many people involved in the endless array of "alternative" therapies. Much of the problem, I believe, comes from ignorance of the principles outlined in this book. The list of features of pseudosciences is especially helpful and should be read and carefully considered by all proponents of unconventional approaches. In this way, as Carl Sagan puts it, "deep truths can be winnowed from deep nonsense". This book should be required reading in graduate schools, as well as courses that train people in any of these controversial, new approaches and I intend to incorporate this into what I teach.

Having just finished this book, and based on some of the reader reviews Ive seen here, I feel the need to inject this little comment. This book is a wonderful, long-teaching essay in the practice and importance of critical thinking. This book is NOT a "debunking" of the need for treatment of several widely diagnosed diseases, discussed in the book (ADHD,Autism or addiction/substance abuse) or a denial of the need for effective treatments for these diorders. The widespread misapplication or non application of sound practice in diagnoses, and treatments of arguably questionable effectivenss are the targets of Lilienfelds critical thinking.Many people who read this book should first become familliar with the "10 commandments" of critical thinking that Lillienfeld begins his courses with.

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Why do clinicians keep practicing forms of therapy that lack scientific support?

This edited book explores the widening gap between scientists and practitioners in the field of clinical psychology. It covers many of the most pressing controversies surrounding diagnosis, treatment methods, specific disorders, and the self-help movement.

It is well written and exceptionally balanced. I recommend it highly to my clinical psychology graduate students, but I think it is also valuable for practicing clinicians and for other people who are interested in the specific topics covered, including recovered memory therapy, autism treatment, ADHD, new age therapies, multiple personality disorder (aka dissociative identity disorder), trauma treatment, herbal antidepressants, and - one of my favorite chapters - substance abuse recovery.

Lilienfield does a bang-up job debunking some of the long-held myths in Clinical Psychology. Don't allow that to lead you to conclusion that this book is about bashing the Science of Psychology, however! Clinical Psychology is something quite different from the evidence-based side of the field, and this book illustrated that it is infested with more pseudo-science than science. That's partly because such a large percentage of the public has no critical thinking skills, and cannot see the difference between self-help nonsense and real science. Lilienfield does a good job helping us start on the road toward discerning the snake oil from the medicine.

It's almost laughable that one reviewer showers this book with accolades while also touting herself as a top expert in yet another pseudo-scientific "therapy," Thought Field Therapy. Lilienfield et al. actually cover that idiocy in this marvelous book, pointing out that there's no such thing as "thought fields," and no validity to the notion that TFT has any effect on mental or physical health! Like the great Investigator of the Supernatural, James Randi, Scott O. Lilienfield will be very busy writing new editions of this useful book.