Restoring Mentalizing in Attachment Relationships: Treating Trauma With Plain Old Therapy
"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." --"Julian D. Ford, Ph.D., Professor of Psychiatry University of Connecticut Health Center"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. --Professor Jeremy Holmes, M.D., University of Exeter, United KingdomJon 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. --Christine A. Courtois, Ph.D., ABPP, Psychologist, Private Practice, Courtois & Associates, PC, Washington, DC