Complementary and Alternative Therapies Research (PDF)

Psychologists and other mental health practitioners frequently work with patients whose symptoms only partially respond to psychotherapy. Even when their patients are satisfied with improvements, the therapist wishes to see their recovery complete. Other patients may have been diagnosed with a medical illness and need help coping with both the illness and its treatment. In these and other cases, the therapist may wish to consider interventions from what are collectively known as complementary and alternative therapies. This book describes the most common complementary and alternative therapies that have empirical support from peer-reviewed journals and provides guidance on which therapies have been most useful for which psychological and medical issues. In chapters that cover massage and acupressure, acupuncture, tai chi, yoga and pilates, exercise, music and aroma therapy, hypnosis, biofeedback, progressive relaxation, meditation, and the use of imagery, the author documents the positive emotional, behavioral, physiological, and biochemical effects of these therapies as well as proposed mechanisms of change. Additional information is provided on two major psychotherapies that have been shown to successfully integrate several of complementary therapies into traditional frameworks. Although focused primarily on adults, the book offers data and guidance on pediatric populations as well. Clear information on the training and credentials of complementary and alternative therapy practitioners and contact information on professional associations is provided, so that psychotherapists can have confidence in making referrals to and then working with these other practitioners in the context of psychotherapy. The information presented throughout is easily accessible to graduate students and to novice and seasoned clinicians and researchers.