About the Author:
Dr. Linda Seligman received the Ph.D. degree in Counseling Psychology from Columbia University. She is a faculty member at Walden University and a faculty associate at Johns Hopkins University. In addition, she is a professor emeritus at George Mason University, where she was codirector of the doctoral program in education and head of the graduate program in Counseling. Dr. Seligman is a licensed psychologist and licensed professional counselor. She has experience in a variety of clinical settings, including psychiatric hospitals, community mental health centers, substance abuse treatment programs, foster care, corrections, and private practice. She is currently the Director of the Center for Counseling and Consultation, a private practice with offices in Fairfax, Virginia , and Bethesda, Maryland. Dr. Seligman’s research interests include diagnosis and treatment, planning, counseling people with chronic and life-threatening illnesses, and the mind-body-spirit connection. She has completed 10 books, including Selecting Effective Treatments; Technical and Conceptual Skills for Mental Health Professionals; Systems, Strategies, and Skills of Counseling and Psychotherapy; Promoting a Fighting Spirit; and Developmental Career Counseling and Assessment. She also has authored over 50 professional articles and book chapters. In addition, she has lectured throughout the world on diagnosis and treatment planning. Dr. Seligman has been the editor of The Journal of Mental Health Counseling and has served as president of the Virginia Association of Mental Health Counselors. She was selected as a Distinguished Professor by George Mason University and as a Researcher of the Year by the American Mental Health Counselors Association.
Review:
The second edition is even better than the first. thisrelatively compact book provides the mental health worker with awealth of information regarding the professional delivery ofcounseling services. The book's chapters expound upon the changingrole of the counselor, opportunities for counselors, and future trendsand projections.In Chapter 3, Seligman does an excellent job of outlining diagnosticsystems and their use. She clearly explains the "Diagnostic and""Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders" (4th ed., DSM-IV) anddiscusses the limitations of the DSM-IV. The most helpful partaddresses the disorders found in the DSM-IV, which includes 17 verybroad categories. Treatment planning is the other cornerstone of thisbook. it is the process of plotting out the counseling process so thatboth counselor and client have a road map that delineates how theywill proceed, allowing progress to be measured and providing a senseof structure.Seligman does an excellent job of outlining the steps in making adiagnosis and writing a suitable treatment plan. At the end of mostchapters she provides exercises that allow readers to check theirlevel of comprehension. She also devotes considerable attention to thetopics of intake interviewing and includes an appendix of keyquestions that facilitate diagnosis. In addition, readers areintroduced to theories of individual, group and family counseling.While this book cannot inform the reader of all aspects of counseling, it is quite comprehensive and a good reference for anyone who works ina treatment setting.'Federal Probation, December 1998
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