Essential Psychotherapies, Third Edition

Reviews / Votes

"Essential Psychotherapies is a classic. In the third edition, Messer and Gurman have once again accomplished their goal of providing a thorough exposition of the most important approaches of our field. The chapters are written by foremost authors who cover the waterfront from treatments with deep historical roots (such as dynamic and humanistic approaches) to those associated with empirical traditions (such as behavioral and cognitive-behavioral approaches), as well as those at the cutting edge (such as third-wave behavioral treatments). There is no more comprehensive and informative volume on this topic. It is the definitive resource for psychotherapy theories courses."--Bruce E. Wampold, PhD, ABPP, Department of Counseling Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison

"All students, regardless of their theoretical preferences, need to be well versed in the major models of psychotherapy practice. Clinical training faculty have come to depend on this text to provide the essential information about each major model. In the third edition, Messer and Gurman demonstrate their awareness of evolving models by including a chapter on mindfulness, acceptance, and other 'third-wave' behavioral therapies. Instructors will enthusiastically choose this book as a primary text for their classes on psychotherapy theories."--JoEllen Patterson, PhD, LMFT, Department of Counseling and Marital and Family Therapy, University of San Diego; Divisions of Family Medicine, Psychiatry, and Global Health, University of California, San Diego

"This book has become a classic in the field. The editors provide an organizational framework for each chapter that makes it easy to compare the therapies. Each chapter presents a different therapy approach, including integrative therapies, and covers both theory and practice, with an extended case example and a section on research. This is an invaluable text for undergraduate and graduate courses on psychotherapy; in my experience, it has been very well received by students. It is one of the best psychotherapy resources I have come across in a long time."--Hal Arkowitz, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Arizona

"This book offers a round-the-world tour of psychotherapy for both the student and the experienced practitioner. Chapters by distinguished experts reveal the breadth of the field, highlighting controversies, underlining similarities, taking on sacred cows, and celebrating traditions. Undergraduate teachers, graduate seminar leaders, and training directors will value the structure and clarity of the book as it tackles thorny, unresolved issues of relationship versus technique, integration versus specific models, and the nature of empirical support."--Richard F. Summers, MD, Co-Director of Residency Training, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine