Mental Health Books

First, despite what the editors put on the front cover, this book is NOT just for women. Anyone with emotional problems -- woman, man, or whatever -- can help her/himself with this book. The individual stories are both intriguing and powerful, and the cd makes meditation easy. I recommend this book for anyone who wants to achieve greater equanimity and decrease the stress in his/her life. And it's fun to read, too.

In Emotional Healing, Barbara draws a sensitive and thoughtful portait of some women in crisis. She has added the skill of using meditation to her already quite accomplished therapy skills. I was particularly struck how, in the midst of chaos, the simplicity of breathing, calming and getting in touch with oneself can be a tremendous help to the confused aspects of a person's life. It appears to shift the focus so that the puzzle takes on a different look. Barbara is respecful and loving of her subjects. The book is lovely for any psychotherapist to read, or for that matter, anyone.

Immersed in philosophy and the arts, psychiatrist and writer Richard Chessick has created his 'magnum opus' here. From an intricately synthesized psychiatric, philosophical, and artistic perspective he has created a unique work, a blending of genres, not only non-fiction as a thoughtful and perceptive discussion of the role emotional illness inflicts on the creative process but tucked away in these pages is a little artistic gem of a drama whose two characters, Ezra Pound and 'Barry' and their basic tragic path are developed and revealed in the 'play within a play'. Surrounding this work is portrayal of the social, artistic, psychoanalytic, and philosophical issues that bear on the creative person today. I consider this a wonderful and rare find written by a real Renaissance person clothed in the joy and agony of human affairs.

This is clearly Dr. Chessick's "magnum opus." Drawing on profound and intricately synthesized psychiatric, philosophical, and artistic perspectives, he has brought to light a unique and illuminating book comprised of two genres: it is not only a work of non-fiction, an engaging and scholarly discussion of the effect of emotional illness on creativity, creativity in general, but also, as it develops the current cultural issues that affect the person who is trying to create (explicated from the perspective of a talented psychoanalyst) there is an artistic gem of a drama tucked into the pages which gives the reader a direct phenomenological experience of what it is like to try to create when one is restricted and oppressed by emotional illness. The two protagonists of this part of the work, Ezra Pound and the tragic "Barry" are developed and dramatically revealed as the reader follows the complications in their lives from birth to death. In the manner of a "play within a play" creative works are presented along with the emotional agonies of Ezra Pound and Barry. In addition there is an enriching tapestry, a plethora of the social, artistic, psychoanalytic and philosophical issues that bear on the creative person today. This is a wonderful work, and a remarkable reading experience. It is clearly written by a Renaissance person and psychoanalyst with a profound depth of knowledge of the foibles, joy and agony of human affairs.

The Emotional Wellness Way To Cardiac Health confirms that we need a new kind of medicine, not just one that cares for the body or the mind, but to the two together as inseparable. The behavior-modification exercises, relaxation strategies, and interpersonal tools presented in this book will help you address or manage psychological risk factors that could affect your heart health.

This book has given me a lot. A whole hell of a lot. Foremost being the knowledge I need to repair and heal my heart. Smoking two and a half packs a day for 35 years left me with a shriveled and blackened pump and this book has given me the tips I require to repair it. God knows I never pictured myself a health nut, my weight topped 400 lbs by the time I turned 30, but this book gave me the spark needed to repair my ultimate valve. It seemes like every night I would find myself throwing back the last drops of a handle of popov, but this book HAS ALTERED MY DOME. So go out and get this book if you are really committed to cardiac health, youll be happy you did.

"I wish I was a headlight on a north-bound train
I'd shine my light through the cool Colorado rain"

Dr. Bennett's lively writing exposes our dysfunctional health care delivery system. He reveals a dysfunction that preceeds the managed care era. It is a system that financially rewards clinical in-effectiveness and does not seem to care about the extent of patient's suffering. Dr. Bennett's experience as a leader in the Behavioral Healthcare field, his ability to bring to life the system's lack of empathy is refreshing. This is a fast read that compels the reader to turn the page and be re-energized by feeling understood and connected. Applause to Dr. Bennett.

Dr. Bennett's lively writing exposes the Medical Delivery System as rewarding clinical in-effectiveness and avoiding patient's suffering. This predicament has been in place long before managed care. Dr. Bennett is a leader in Behavioral HealthCare. He brings to life a compelling story of why we must connect to the the patient's angst in order to be clinically helpful. Dr. Bennett has created a page turner that inspires us to connect with each other as the foundation to a better health care delivery system.

Book Review
FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, December, 2005 edition, p.12
Enhancing Police Response to Persons in Mental Health Crisis: Providing Strategies, Communication Techniques, and Crisis Intervention Preparation in Overcoming Institutional Challenges by Don W. Castellano-Hoyt, Charles C. Thomas Publisher, Springfield, Illinois, 2003.
This work is best suited for law enforcement administrators and field supervisors who want to understand persons with mental illness and their interactions with officers. For the last 15 to 20 years, articles have been written and lectures given about this topic but few books have appeared. Enhancing Police Response to Persons in Mental Health Crisis fills that void. The author presents a basic overview of major mental illnesses, a discussion of the interaction between persons with mental illness and police officers, and a frank account from a person personally familiar with both the mental health and criminal justice systems. Training over 7,000 police officers regarding persons with mental illness and serving as a negotiator in over 200 barricade situations, some involving SWAT, the author has become intimately familiar with crisis negotiation. The commander of the San Antonio Police Department's Crisis Negotiations Unit has told him many times during crisis negotiations that "you're the expert here. Tell me how much longer before this fellow will surrender." Don Castellano-Hoyt knows that in such situations, there is "no time for deferring the diagnosis or consulting a manual."
The book contains 16 chapters and 291 pages of practical information that may be read in its entirety or chapter by chapter. One chapter contains information that a police administrator could present in small amounts at daily roll calls. The author includes real-life scenarios in each chapter that come from his personal experience. These would make great discussion topics. The book has chapters regarding specific mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia (chapter 3) and depression (chapter 4). It also offers chapters about police officers executing mental health crisis interventions (chapter 5), suicide interventions (chapter 6), and emergency detention (chapter 8). Chapters concerning dealing with special populations (chapter 7) and communicating with persons with mental illness (chapter 9) provide practical techniques for field officers. Chapter 10 includes a discussion of psychiatric diagnoses and the manual used to make them. The end of the book contains a list of each state and the District of Columbia covering statutes defining mental illness, nonpeace officer detention, and provisions for emergency detention. This book is concise, practical, easy to read, and written by someone knowledgeable about law enforcement officers and persons with mental illness. The author comes across as interested in solving real-life problems. He also is concerned for both officers and mental health consumers, which is refreshing and gives the book integrity. It is this integrity that will cause the reader to want to complete Don Castellano-Hoyt's book and refer to it in the future.
Reviewed by
Dr. Daniel W. Phillips
Assistant professor of
sociology and criminology
Lindsey Wilson College
Columbia, Kentucky

Jim Dozier, Ph.D., Executive Director of the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education, reviews this book on the TCLEOSE website:

OVERVIEW --
Among the growing responsibilities of the Law Enforcement community has been the increase in calls responding to people with mental illness. These calls for assistance are being initiated from many sources. Calls range from shopkeepers requesting something be done about the unkempt individual standing in front of their business, to the fearful caller that their loved one is threatening to hurt themselves or others. Officers are being called to be an emergency responder, mediator, caseworker, counselor, referral authority and the list goes on.

How do we obtain the needed information and techniques needed to work with this important population? Well, if you have done any research at all in this area of expertise you will probably run across the name of Don Castellano-Hoyt, MA., MSW, LMSW-ACP. Mr. Castellano-Hoyt has had an extensive career in the field of Clinical Social Work, Mental Health Crisis Intervention as well as the development of a series of courses utilizing the topic of "improving police response to persons with mental illness". He has now written an impressive book, just arriving on the bookshelves, titled `Enhancing Police Response To Persons In Mental Health Crisis-providing strategies, communication techniques, and Crisis Intervention preparation in overcoming institutional challenges'. It is published by Charles C. Thomas, Publisher, LTD-Springfield, Ill.

The book is divided into three parts consisting of Clinical Issues, Mental Health from a Non-Clinical Perspective and The National Experience in Legal Terms. This is an excellent resource for Trainers, Mental Health Peace Officers as well as Clinicians working with clients with combined Mental Health and Legal Issues.

The book takes you thru the legal definition of Mental Illness, signs and symptoms, crisis and suicide intervention. It also explores a non-clinical perspective, discussing resources such as the DSM-IV, mental health codes and an index on state-by- state provisions. You are not only educated in the necessary background, terminology and communication skills needed for assisting the special needs populations, but are also given some interesting theories for the existence of mental illness as a whole. A definite "must have" for your resource library.

Volicer offers insight into exciting non-restraint therapeutic modalities that enhance to quality of life in Advanced Dementia. Each modality or therapeutic technique is clearly explained with minimal technical jargon allowing carers or health professionals alike to put the interventions into practice with positive outcomes. This book delivers the tools to achieve the goal stated in its title. This book is recommended to anyone committed to enhancing the quality of life in Advanced Dementia through quality care practices.

This is an unsuually helpful reference on Alzheimer's for both professionals and family members of Alzheimer's patients. The authors describe the symptoms of these patients and help us enter their world of confusion, distortion, and often fear. I have referred this book to several of my psychotherapy patients whose parents are suffering from dementia. It has helped them not only to understand better the subjective world of their parents, but also to realize what quality care for their loved ones would be.

Este es un libro que te hace pensar en ti realmente. En lo que haces, lo que no haces y lo que puedes hacer. Escrito en historias pequeñas, es mui facil de leer.Le agradesco a un amigo la recomendacion.

La vida se hace mas sencilla al leer este libro. las realciones con las demas personas se hace mas facil.

tambien te educa a pensar de una manera mas practica, no hay comparacion.

tambien tiene una parte que habla del karma,LA LEY DE CAUSA Y EFECTO.

este libro vale oro no hay comparacion.

te pude dar un cambio de 180 grados.

y te da informacion que la aplicas en la vida y si te da resultados.

gracias y felicito a todos los que an leido este libro.

carlos gonzales es lo maximo =)

For those of you, like me, who think the color blue is one of the best things God ever did for us will find this book fascinating. Ms. Recio divides the book into an introduction, four chapters-- Feeling Blue, Seeing Blue, Creating Blue, Discovering Blue and a conclusion, Into the Blue. The book contains literally hundreds of facts about the color blue, some of them well-known and others quite obscure. Some of her conclusions are well-founded, others are speculative; and that's okay. Blue is symbolic of virtue, quality, heaven, the divine, purity-- the Virgin's cloak is often a beautiful shade of blue. For Hebrews, blue is the color of the glory of God. The flag of Israel is blue and white. The flag of the U. S. contains the color blue. Blue is associated with law and order-- as in police uniforms-- serenity, calmness (doctors' offices are often in shades of blue.) As seen from space the earth is blue. The ocean is blue. Many people do their bedrooms in blue or blue and white, a restful combination of colors. Ms. Recio discusses the color blue in art-- the Impressionists' obsession with blue-- in music-- the blues, bluegrass, "Rhapsody in Blue", "Mood Indigo," et cetera-- peacocks, butterflies, morning glories. The significance of blue in fashion, blue jeans, a navy blue suit for confidence and sobriety. I can testify that when I wear a navy pinstripe suit that the Red Sea parts for me. People are drawn to me like moths to a flame-- a blue one of course.

In addition to lots of facts and suggestions about blue-- my favorite is that the abstract painter Wassily Kandinsky, an accomplished cellist, considered the cello to be dark blue-- there are many beautiful blue photographs here illustrating the author's thesis.

I really enjoyed this book. As a photographer I am always looking at the world of color, and what the colors can represent and how they have been used throughout history. I feel like this book is informative without really giving an opinion, but leaving that up to the reader.

This book is extremely thorough yet easy to use. It came highly recommended by two very respected (well published, board certified, etc)professors I worked under as part of my clincal internship. My primary duites are not as a forensic psychologist; however, I have found in the couse of my work for an Outpatient Community Mental Health center that one can never really avoid forensic / competency issues and related evaluations. I have referred to this text often in the year since I purchased it; this book has proved invaluable. Forensic issues are increasingly prevalent in todays clinical practice; even if you are not primarily interested in forensic psychology, chances are you have or will be asked to assess competency at some point; while clinically oriented professors often offer some guidance on this matter, they often lack the epxerience / expertise to thoroughly train their students on the legal aspects of such determinations. This book provides the most relevant and accurate needed to ensure prudent and high quality. My only regret is that I did not purchase this book sooner.

Rob Metzger, Psy.D.

"The first edition of this book was a classic, widely cited both for its analysis of forensic assessment instruments and for Grisso's integrative theory of forensic evaluation. With the second edition, Evaluating Competencies remains a classic. I expect that whenever a forensic psychologist of psychiatrist prepares for an advanced examination in this specialty, this book will-or should-be one of the first books reviewed."
Philip H. Witt, Ph.D.
Clinical Associate
Dept. of Psychiatry

Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey

"Everything you need to Know about Schizophrenia" is the book that tells you,"Everything you need to know about schizofrenia (and more)". The perfect pocket size textbook! When there is a paper due or you're just itching to know about schizofrenia this is the book! This book contains need to know information, and information that will just amaze you. Also, it tells the truth about what most people THOUGHT schizofrenia is. This book will just make you think about schizofrenia and will leave you with more questions to think about than answers. (No, i was not paid to do this review it's just a really good book!!!!!)

Everything You Need to Know about Schizophrenia is a great resource for teens and young adults who want to learn more about schizophrenia. This book covers everything from causes to treatments of schizophrenia and is written in clear, non-technical language. This book may be especially helpful for teens who are dealing with schizophrenia in the family.