Customer Reviews

What Works for Whom?, Second Edition: A Critical Review of Psychotherapy Research

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
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The book by Roth and Fonagy is a comprehensive and balanced summary of research on psychotherapy. Principly it covers outcome studies and is organised according to DSMIV diagnostic groups. It also covers a bit of process research, particularly the research on therapeutic alliance. There is much to recomnd the book: it is accurate, comprehensive, well written and balanced. It also offeres excellent summaries and impications ections at the end of each chapter. I don't know of a better summary of psychotherapy outcome research.

This book would lend itself well to a research oriented graduate course on clinical psychology and treatment. It is also an excellent resource for writing lectures. Practicing clinicians should find it invaluable. It is concise and synthesizes an extensive body of research well (with appropriate and useful references). Selling points include specifics on clinical description, prevalence, co-morbidity, and history for each disorder covered. Reviews (and summaries) of treatment efficacy are excellent. -W. Born

This book is scholarly but quite readable, so much so that an intelligent consumer of potential psychotherapy services would do well to read this book. There are chapters on depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, PTSD, eating disorders, schizophrenia, personality disorders, substance abuse, sexual disfunction, child and adolescent disorders, etc.
Unlike many books that advocate for a particular school of thought, "What works for whom?" is fair, scientific and useful. As a psychotherapist and a researcher, I consider it required reading for anyone who wants to understand the research behind many of the grandiose claims of symptom focused short term treatments.
An Expert Look at Love, Intimacy and Personal Growth
I Love You Madly! On Passion, Personality and Personal Growth, second edition

A great resource for therapists. Compilation of Family therapy research. Useful reference.