Evidence from Within

Counter to the conventional wisdom that psychotherapy is a private and confidential two-person interchange between therapist and patient, Steven Frankel presents a passionate advocacy of a therapy model involving therapist, patient, a psychologist-assessor, and often enough when indicated a family member, in an ongoing evaluative and monitoring process throughout the therapy, and into a continuing follow-up period thereafter. All the claimed advantages are vigorously propounded: far greater transparency and accountability, a more focused and self-correcting therapeutic course, a private-practice friendly situation and even economic advantage. It is a model offered for thoughtful consideration by the mental health professional practitioner world. -- Robert S. Wallerstein, MD, former president, International Psychoanalytic Association; author Forty-Two Lives in Treatment
What a gift this remarkable book will be to the entire community of therapists and clients seeking their counsel! It presents the therapeutic endeavor in terms that bring to mind "It takes a village to raise a child." Frankel's method is collaborative, dignified, and totally inclusive. He describes a shared commitment of all participants based in the conviction that dedicated tender care together with meticulous tracking are the most important elements—more than any particular therapeutic style—of successful therapy. Emphasized in this book are ways a therapist can and should confirm his or her clinical observations. The therapist takes responsibility for a therapy that is both fully collaborative and has, at each point in the work, been demonstrated to be effective. -- Sylvia Boorstein, PhD, author, Happiness is an Inside Job: Practicing For a Joyful Life
Steven Frankel writes about the interpersonal process of psychotherapy better than anybody I have read, sharing his own struggles, feelings, and mistakes with refreshing honesty. This book outlines a collaborative process for integrating psychological assessment into long term psychotherapy. With this method, the deeper issues of the client are illuminated, brought into the client-therapist relationship and clarified so that they may be worked on and resolved. Evidence from Within: A New Paradigm for Clinical Practice is a must read for anyone looking for new ways to help their clients. -- Stephen E. Finn, PhD, former president, Society for Personality Assessment; author <In Our Client's Shoes: Theory and Techniques of Therapeutic Asse
This is a very good book. As a neuropsychologist I am relieved to see a book for psychotherapists advocating a technique that depends on evidence, both test-derived and clinical. From point to point in treatment Dr. Frankel and his team want to see results. The treatment has to work, measurably, or it needs to be revised. The author says that this book can be used as a practice-guide for any mental health clinician, and indeed it can. It is a "must read," a sorely needed contribution to the field. -- Arnold Purisch PhD, co-author, Neuropsychology for Psychologists, Health Care Professionals, and Attorneys, third edition