Customer Reviews

Therapy Revolution: Find Help, Get Better, and Move On without Wasting Time or Money

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Therapy Revolution is a surprise. It is unlike any other book on therapy out there, probably because it is exposes both the good and bad things that can happen in therapy. It specifically tells you how to find a therapist, what to look for in a therapist, how to evaluate and choose a therapist, and what kinds of "red flags" to avoid. The book lists possible "red flag violations" and explains each of them with actual stories from real patients. I've heard therapy stories like these before, but always thought people were exaggerating. Well, now I know they're not. The message is you should pay attention as carefully to what therapist you hire as to what car you buy. Apparently there are some therapists out there who will keep people who don't really need long-term therapy paying for therapy for a long time.

I have to say I felt like some of the other reviewers didn't read the same book I did. I am not a doctor, I'm an electrical engineer and I think "trusting your gut feelings" or "instincts" is not the best way to hire anyone, especially when you are potentially spending a lot of money and are looking for relief from misery. I appreciated the practical side of this book. It suggested you interview a therapist over the phone first, and gave you a list of questions to ask. It tells you to pay close attention to how the therapist spoke to you and what to listen for. Were they respectful? Did they listen to you or did they just try to push you into signing up for a paid session? Did they have qualities you are comfortable around? The book was clear that a combination of careful research, being an "educated consumer", paying close attention to what the therapist was like, and even gut instinct are all needed to make a good decision. Also the book suggests if aren't up to the task, a family member or friend can step in and help you make the decision. In fact, a parent or friend of someone looking for a therapist can read this book and learn how choose a therapist for someone who maybe isn't up to the task and give them support while they are in therapy.

Also, the part about how and when therapy should end, was crucial. Apparently, therapy actually has to end sometime and the therapist should be discussing this right from the outset. An important point.

If you've been burned in therapy or want to avoid being burned, this is a helpful read.

As far back as I can remember, therapy has been both controversial and fascinating to many people. As a career consultant, I frequently found myself referring clients to therapists. Partly I wanted to be sure I wasn't overstepping the boundaries of my knowledge. But mostly I realized that people who have relationship, anxiety or depression challenges are often in no position to begin a career change.

At the same time, some clients reported experiences with therapy that seemed bizarre. So I was hoping for a book I could use as a reference. This book definitely fills this purpose. If a client or friend were unsure about choosing a therapist, I would suggest starting here.

The book is well-written and well-organized. I can't assess the accuracy of the information because I'm not a mental health professional, but commonsense suggests many points are well-taken. For instance, it's pretty obvious that a therapist who dresses provocatively is not a good choice. Tony Soprano's therapist would have failed that test! The outcome measures would be helpful to anyone undergoing a change process, whether they're working with a therapist, coach, or meditation practice.

So why just 3 stars? This book just delivers a straightforward "party line." The author places a high value therapist credentials, but research has raised questions about the importance of credentials for many kinds of therapy. Additionally, a credentialed therapist can depart quite widely from his or her training and can use non-standard or ad hoc techniques. The book offers many examples of people who spent thousands of dollars with credentialed therapists over a period of months, with no results. The bottom line seems to be "caveat emptor" regardless of the credentials of the therapist you choose.

The lines between therapy and other processes, such as coaching, often seem quite blurred. For instance, one case study describes a man who has trouble getting along with a family member. It's hard to say whether he needed communication skills versus understanding of patterns. Tools used by professionals, such as the DSM-IV and many tests, have been questioned and criticized. Some approaches have been found to be useless when tested by research.

The book's discussion of barriers to therapy focus on finances as well as the prospective patient's resistance. There is still some stigma around therapy, although it's fading. More important, people resist what social psychologists call altercasting, i.e., assigning an identity to someone else. Clients are equals; patients are one-down.

A few years ago, a friend experienced death of a close relative. When I encouraged her to seek some kind of support, she was concerned that a clinician would put a label on her, such as "depressed." She didn't want to be a patient or get a "diagnosis." She wanted to get on with her life. She started working with a coach but (urged by friends, including me) kept a list of therapists handy. Over a year later, she's doing well. This fear seems to represent as large a barrier as money.

Finally, although the book offers some excellent guidelines for those who really need therapy (as opposed to coaching or casework), I can't help wondering how realistic some suggestions are. A person who's feeling depressed or inadequate will have trouble standing up to a therapist.

Mr. Zwolinski's book, Therapy Revolution, is a great reference book, and a must-read for professionals, clients, and even families of client's. The book is critical to understanding the therapy process. A simple read will educate the reader on the therapy process, provide insights and ideas to those looking for counseling help, and will help to orient those looking for help to the best possible professionals.

As a special education instructor with significant experience and knowledge (not to mention a degree or two!) in counseling children and adolescents with emotional, behavioral, and psychotic disorders, I feel this book is important for parents and even some older clients. Mr. Zwolinski's book identifies some of the pitfalls of therapy practice, how to avoid them, and how to find a professional that is experienced and is likely to help you. Even more important, this book provides a framework to orient clients to the therapy process. The book illustrates the "process" from step 1, all the way through to successful completion of a therapy program.

Without such a read, a potential client, family member, or support person might not have the knowledge or know-how to support a person through their therapy program. This book provides the insight and tools one needs to have before setting out on a therapy program.

The book is concise, clear, and an easy read. Paragraphs and chapters are well organized, and easy to follow. This book should become a go-to-guide for those seeking a successful therapy program. most importantly, it's reasonably priced! Highly Recommended.

Mara Hellman, MA, Ed.

An easy-to-read self-help book written in an engaging and down-to-earth style. The real-life examples of individuals in-treatment and, how they resolved their issues, present a fresh outlook for anyone who has been in therapy with little or no concrete results, to consider. Kudos to the Zwolinskis for producing this gem!

Therapy Revolution does provide an excellent overview of what good therapy should be like, but falls short of empowering the reader to trust his/her instincts about what good therapy and a good therapist should be like.

As a licensed clinical psychologist who has been practicing for over 10 years, I can tell you that the single greatest predictor of success in therapy is the connection between you and your therapist. So while it would be fine to use the checklist provided by the author as a guide, I would strongly encourage you to trust your instincts on whether or not you think the therapist you are interviewing is right for you. To know this, ask yourself: Can I be myself with this person? How comfortable did I feel sharing personal details? Did I feel judged and criticized or cared about and supported? Evaluating these factors is 100 times more important than verifying someone's credentials and therapeutic style.

The author also asserts that therapy done over the phone or via other means is not as valuable. I disagree. I believe that however you get help, as long as the help is actually improving the quality of your life, improving your ability to function, and enhancing your ability to cope with your problems, it is valuable. As such, I think it is fine to get help via the internet (one of my favorite online self-help sites with free access to therapists is FeelBetterNetwork.com), chat, instant message, voice, Skype, Facebook chat, and any other way you want to connect. In my private practice, I care for high-level executives who travel all over the world, all the time; it is much more important for us to touch base frequently, however we do that, that it is to wait for the ideal time for us to sit down and chat.

Along the same lines, I would encourage you to be open to different kinds of people who can help you. As the author points out, there is no licensing board that accredits life coaches or persons who offer pastoral care. My thinking is that there will be soon and much more important is the matter of whether or not that person can help you. I believe that great healers are born and then refined over time. When I think of the most phenomenal psychologists, therapists, counselors, and coaches I know, they were very skilled from the time they started practicing. Now, of course their skills became more refined over time, but my belief is that with therapy, you either have it or your don't. So again, please trust your instincts and your feelings about whether or not someone can help you. If I needed therapy, I would turn to a life coach I recently met and thought was wonderful before calling someone who had a PhD from an Ivy League university that I'd never met.

In summary, I feel that Therapy Revolution provides some valuable information, but that the advice provided is rather rigid and I would rather see individuals be empowered to trust their instincts as they advocate for high-quality therapy and mental health care.

Kathy Nickerson, PhD

If you are seriously considering therapy as a way to improve your life, Therapy Revolution is an excellent place to start and finish! Initiating the search for a competent therapist can be a challenging and arduous process. This book tells you what to expect; even better, it tells you what is expected from you. What pitfalls to avoid. Are you willing to make the commitment that is necessary for effective therapy? If so, this book can help guide you through the therapeutic process. Therapy Revolution is a practical and a must-read for anyone contemplating therapy. It provides sound and ethical advice designed to save time and money.

John Eppolito, Psy.D.
Clinical Psychologist

A sincere and frank critical analysis of psychotherapy today. Excellent read wtih many pearls of wisdom.

Every once in a while, we succeed in reading a book that we want to SHOUT about! We want to tell the world! I think you will like reading THERAPY ROVOLUTION! The Zwolinski's manage to bring into sharp focus the true understanding of what good psychotherapy is all about! Throughout the book the Zwolinski's range far and wide, covering a variety of topics. The authors speak their minds, presenting their ideas clearly, coherently, through chapter headings/outlines with case studies, checklists, and assessments.
"Therapy Resolution" definitely defines the authors' subheading of finding help, getting better and moving on without wasting time or money. They are ideas well-worth reading! This is a book that works as both a guide and as a great read!

For many people, therapy is a frustrating and long haul. For most people, it should be short, quick and effective. This eye-opening book shows you how. A combination of experience, compassion, and expertise, Therapy Revolution may change your life. And it's a great read, too.

This is an excellent book by an amazing author, who is an accomplished therapist specializing in substance abuse treatment.

I recommend it to everyone who wants to enhance their clinical skills.