Restoring Mentalizing in Attachment Relationships: Treating Trauma With Plain Old Therapy

by Jon G. Allen PhD, Peter Fonagy PhD FBA FMedSci FAcSS (Foreword by)

Overview

In Restoring Mentalizing in Attachment Relationships: Treating Trauma With Plain Old Therapy, Jon G. Allen, Ph.D., argues that the incorporation of mentalizing into attachment theory and research provides a solid foundation for trauma treatment, and offers therapists and patients a pathway to recovery. In plain language accessible to clinicians and laypeople alike, Allen describes trauma in attachment relationships, reviews the literature, and makes a compelling, evidence-based argument for the efficacy of psychotherapy. Specifically, the book: • Presents a comprehensive view of attachment trauma across diverse diagnostic conditions, directly linking these to the psychotherapeutic interventions that work best.• Allows therapists from different theoretical frameworks, by using these best practices, to treat patients with a wide range of problems and disorders.• Situates mindfulness and mentalizing as central to secure attachment, focusing clinicians' attention on these most critical dimensions of healing relationships.• Provides a thorough review of the research on attachment, mindfulness, and mentalizing, and evaluates the effectiveness of the most popular trauma treatments, thereby equipping clinicians to treat patients across the spectrum of trauma-related psychiatric disorders.• Employs a down-to-earth, conversational writing style that makes the book accessible to patients and family members as well as to professionals.

Trauma can be the result of blatant events, such as violence, abuse, and neglect, or the subtle yet pervasive failure to connect. Both contribute to developmental psychopathology and cause lasting emotional pain. "Plain old therapy," according to Allen, is a valuable and proven resource for addressing trauma and treating patients with complex psychiatric disorders. This fascinating and eminently useful book should help to restore psychotherapy to its well-deserved stature.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781585629855
Publisher:	American Psychiatric Publishing, Incorporated
Publication date:	07/30/2012
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	325
File size:	3 MB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Jon G. Allen, Ph.D., is a Senior Staff Psychologist and holds the Helen Malsin Palley Chair in Mental Health Research at The Menninger Clinic in Houston, Texas. He is Professor of Psychiatry in the Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. Dr. Allen has authored and coauthored numerous professional articles and book chapters on trauma-related problems, psychotherapy, the therapeutic alliance, hospital treatment, and psychological assessment.

Table of Contents

About the AuthorForewordPrefaceAcknowledgmentsIntroductionPART I: Attachment Trauma and Psychiatric DisordersChapter 1. Attachment, Mentalizing, and TraumaChapter 2. Posttraumatic Stress and Dissociative DisordersChapter 3. Complex Traumatic Stress DisordersPART II: Treatment and HealingChapter 4. Evidence-Based TreatmentsChapter 5. Plain Old TherapyChapter 6. Existential-Spiritual PerspectivesReferencesIndex

What People are Saying About This

Professor Jeremy Holmes

Jon Allen manages to be both maestro and man of the people. His prose is accessible, fresh, and vivid. He is simple without being simplistic, renders complexity comprehensible, has the common touch but is never commonplace. One is constantly thinking "that's so obvious, why hadn't I thought of that before". He is not afraid to tackle the big therapy questions—trauma, ethics, mindfulness, spirituality, what really makes a difference to patients? It's all done with humour, humility and wisdom, but above all the responsive interpersonal sensitivity, aka mentalizing, that is the essence of the book's message. Long-toothed or tyro, buy it, read it—and notice how much better your patients are for it.

Christine A. Courtois

Jon Allen has done it again. He's written another book that presents information that is both sophisticated and accessible to the reader (lay person and professional alike). This book presents an explanation of complex posttraumatic symptoms and conditions that make them understandable while it offers hope for their resolution. Dr. Allen's commonsense approach is de-mystifies what can be daunting symptoms and a challenging treatment process. It offers direction and reassurance and stresses the therapeutic relationship as a basis for the teaching and modeling of emotion-regulation skills and mentalization.

Kenneth I. Pargament

To get to the heart and soul of a process as rich and complex as psychotherapy takes tremendous experience and expertise. Plain Old Therapy is the product of a very wise scholar and a very sensitive practitioner who succeeds in bridging the deepest of psychological perspectives with cutting-edge research in a remarkably accessible manner. The pages in this marvelous book are filled with timeless truths. In this sense, there is nothing really plain nor old about Plain Old Therapy. It should be read by every therapist, from the beginning student to the most seasoned practitioner.

Fredric Busch

Dr. Allen provides a valuable description of the forms of attachment, including how they manifest in child-caregiver interactions and adult relationships.

Professor of Psychology at Bowling Green State Uni Kenneth I. Pargament

To get to the heart and soul of a process as rich and complex as psychotherapy takes tremendous experience and expertise. Plain Old Therapy is the product of a very wise scholar and a very sensitive practitioner who succeeds in bridging the deepest of psychological perspectives with cutting-edge research in a remarkably accessible manner. The pages in this marvelous book are filled with timeless truths. In this sense, there is nothing really plain nor old about Plain Old Therapy. It should be read by every therapist, from the beginning student to the most seasoned practitioner.

Julian D. Ford

Dr. Allen provides an extremely engaging and useful call for therapists to reflect carefully before they underestimate the value of "plain old therapy" when working the clients who have experienced relational psychological trauma. But what he describes is much more than just plain old therapy, it is a complex (but eminently practical) distillation of the core principles and practices that make all the newer "evidence-based" therapies effective—above all a vital (and in Dr. Allen's words, "humbling") reminder to therapists to first mentalize, then empathize, and only then (if at all) rely on therapeutic techniques.

Editorial Reviews

This is without question the most exciting therapy book I have read in years.By sifting, sorting and synthesizing the breadth of different therapeutic approaches, Allen delivers a brilliant book about trauma written with a common touch that will leave your brain fizzing. I cannot recommend it enough.

Therapy Today - Andrew Barley

Reviewer: Steven T Herron, MD (CPI/Assurance Health and Wellness)
Description: Based on years of clinical and practical experience working with traumatized patients, the author has developed an approach to treatment which is meant to simplify, and thus make more accessible, psychological treatment for individuals suffering from trauma.
Purpose: Though reasonably well versed in the many forms of treatment proposed for individuals who have suffered from trauma, the author attempts to encourage readers to return to the fundamentals of working in this population, namely the importance of "strengthening the capacity for secure attachment" in relationships.
Audience: Though practically useful for those who have experienced trauma, the target audience for this work is practicing mental health clinicians who address the various psychological sequelae related to trauma in adults and children.
Features: While the book has some diagrams and tables, there are far more case examples which prove to be both more relevant and revealing. Each chapter ends with a section of key points and the book concludes with a long list (about 20 pages) of pertinent and updated references.
Assessment: Many books have been penned about diagnosis and treatment of those with traumatic histories. Similarly, many types of treatment for those with traumatic experiences have been developed and validated over the last decade, especially in the returning veteran population. And while this author does not attempt to minimize or debunk any of these modalities, he argues effectively for a more basic, fundamental approach centered on helping traumatized individuals develop more secure relationships. His assertion is that aiding patients in establishing healthier, safe relationships allows them to increase the likelihood of being better equipped to regulate various types of emotional stress. His arguments are persuasive and are certainly worth the time to review, although some of the concepts may be difficult to grasp without experience in the field.

Doody's Review Service

Dr. Allen provides a valuable description of the forms of attachment, including how they manifest in child-caregiver interactions and adult relationships.

Fredric Busch

This is without question the most exciting therapy book I have read in years….By sifting, sorting and synthesizing the breadth of different therapeutic approaches, Allen delivers a brilliant book about trauma written with a common touch that will leave your brain fizzing. I cannot recommend it enough.

Therapy Today April 2013 Andrew Barley