Bruce Stevens

Malise Arnstein

Mary has brought Mark, recently returned from war service in Afghanistan, into counselling because of concerns for his gambling and how much it is costing the family. Is his military service playing some role in the increase in his gambling? Kylie has a problem with her anger. Brett is threatening to leave if her aggression is not better contained. Is her irritability that of an untreated depression or perhaps the brooding anger of a borderline personality disorder? Bettina is taking Lithium for bi-polar disorder and has just come out of hospital after a two-week admission related to her anorexia, and there is a need to closely monitor her weight. Natalie, her partner, is feeling highly stressed. She loves Bet, but feels overwhelmed be a responsibility to keep her alive. What support and guidance is best for Bettina? Much relationship counselling today is conducted by generalist psychologists, social workers, and counsellors. Yet there is a strong case for a greater role for clinical psychologists. Accurate assessment during couples therapy is essential, the dynamics between people are complex, and the process is potentially very demanding of clinical skills. This book provides an opportunity to make the argument for greater involvement in relationship counselling by the clinical psychology profession and to guide both clinical students and practitioners toward an informed and integrated approach to relationship counselling, drawing on the best evidence-based treatments.

A Practical Guide to Relationship Counselling for Clinical Psychologists

Happy Ever After?

Maureen Miner

Schema therapy is an evidence-based therapy with a proven record of effectiveness in international randomized controlled trialsthe gold standard of proof in medicine and psychology. This therapy uses innovative techniques that have helped people with even the most complex and difficult personal problems to change. In Free to Love, schema therapy is brought into a Christian worldview and so the authors use biblical insights about human nature together with spiritual resources such as prayer in the therapy. This book provides a self-help resource for Christians. Simply being a Christian does not make life easy; sometimes, Christians get stuck in life traps. This book offers a way out of such traps. The authors believe that the best way out uses both faith and psychological insight. Both are important because All truth is Gods truth. The authors outline a truth-infused path to change long-standing patterns of dysfunction. The authors chose schema therapy because it is an effective, practical, and a good way of explaining the childhood origins of psychological difficulties. Additionally, it draws upon established practices from other therapies, deals with a range of problems from simple to the most complex, and can be integrated with theological insights. This books integration with Christianity uses attachment theory. Schema therapy is partly based on attachment theory, among other influences. Insights from Christian understanding of attachment to God and to other people are used in explanations and in exercises where relevant. As a result, this book provides a sophisticated adaption of schema therapy using insights from Christian work on attachment theory in particular, along with some other biblical themes. The focus of the book is on providing an up-to-date Christian self-help resource that reflects the evolution of schema therapy over the past twenty-three years. This resource is useful for believers who are seeing schema therapists. It is equally useful for those who read self-help literature for personal growth and want to chart their own course of recovery within a Christian context of understanding. Throughout, the authors use examples from their Christian clinical practice to illustrate ideas and strategies. Over 90 different self-help exercises are included for reflection, experience, and behavioral change. Some are demanding and even complex, but all are useful. Some are adaptations of interventions routinely used by therapists who do schema therapy. For reflection, we ask the reader to keep a journal, both as a kind of psychological autobiography and as a very useful discipline long associated with the Christian tradition. The experiential exercises help readers experience something in a different way. For behavior change, readers are encouraged to try different activities and reflect on the meaning and implications of deeply held beliefs. This will eventually lead to behavioral pattern breaking. Christians wanting to understand and overcome life traps, or therapists working with Christians, can use Free to Love as a guide and practical resource. There are options to deeply engage with the material either on a first or later reading in the exciting process of understanding and change.

Schema Therapy for Christians

Free to Love

As psychologists, we are highly trained mental health professionals. In the consulting room we are generally ‘in control’ and have a good feel for what is happening. However, in a court of law, it can be quite frightening as anything can happen. The vulnerability we feel in a courtroom is a professional vulnerability. This is because a psychologist can be made to think that his or her competence is on the line. This is not usually the case, but it is what it feels like. It is important for us to realise that in court it is our opinion that matters. But the process feels personal. This book is written to help you develop understanding and skills so that you can feel confident in presenting expert evidence. The format of the book is not simply to give you information, instead it is also structured to reflect the way psychologists can develop professional competence through supervision. You, the reader, will listen in on supervision sessions with Jason and Mary. The book includes practical suggestions and a focus on skills, as well as structured exercises to practise with peers. While it is not intended to be comprehensive, Crossfire!’s approach will touch on many of the issues that are important in the legal process. Its particular focus is enabling psychologists in Australia to feel confident in court.

Bruce Stevens

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