A Perilous Calling The Hazards of Psychotherapy Practice

What are the consequences of prolonged exposure to the mental and emotional sufferings of others? In what ways can the practice of psychotherapy impede a person's ability to form healthy, fulfilling personal relationships? Is it true that psychotherapists are unusually prone to mental illness, drug and alcohol abuse, sexual acting out, workaholism, and suicide? Is there something about people who are drawn to a life in psychotherapy that puts them at higher risk of developing certain behavioral disorders? Now in a candid and revealing look into the private and professional lives of psychotherapists, a group of noted practitioners attempt to answer these and other hard questions about the women and men who pursue this most perilous of callings. Throughout the pages of this fascinating book, nearly thirty psychotherapists-including psychologists, psychiatrists, psychoanalysts, and social workers-provide intimate, at times painfully frank, accounts of their inner experiences and struggles. In a series of compelling first-person narratives, written in a variety of styles, they explore such topics as the therapist's personal development and unconscious motivations for becoming a therapist, the emotional impact of clinical work on the psychotherapist, the stresses and strains that the practice of psychotherapy can exert on a marriage, parenting and psychotherapy, disillusionment and the physical and psychic isolation of clinical work, the struggles of therapists who suffer from characterological problems of their own, and the extreme perils of dealing with suicidal patients. They also delve into a number of important professional, ethical, and legal hazards practitioners face in this age of the medical "quick-fix." A Perilous Calling offers readers unparalleled insight into the psychotherapist's deepest concerns and conflicts. It reveals the perils of practice and candidly explores how some psychotherapists have learned to cope with them. In reading this book, professionals will learn how to take better care of themselves both in their professional and personal lives and will find new ways to transform those perils into opportunities for growth and mastery. At the same time, their patients, friends, and loved ones will gain a deeper understanding of these complex and uniquely caring individuals. THE PERSONAL LIFE OF THE PSYCHOTHERAPIST James D. Guy A revealing look at the long-term net effects of therapeutic practice on the professional himself and his friends and family, this important study offers a realistic appraisal of both the rewards and hazards of therapeutic work. Culled from extensive research, the book examines the incidence, etiology, development, prevention, and treatment of such work-related dysfunction as anxiety, emotional drain, depression, loneliness, and career burnout. Designed to help minimize or eliminate the liabilities associated with dispensing therapeutic care, this thoughtful, well documented book enables the professional to maximize the personal benefits associated with the day-to-day challenges of therapeutic practice. 1987 (0-471-84854-9) 352 pp. PSYCHIATRIC-LEGAL DECISION MAKING BY THE MENTAL HEALTH PRACTITIONER The Clinician as de facto Magistrate Edited by Harvey Bluestone, Sheldon Travin and Douglas B. Marlowe The ethical and legal implications inherent in the day-to-day decisions of the psychiatric professional are complex and frequently beyond the purview of the professional's immediate experience. This important reference, produced by the Einstein-Montefiore Medical Center, guides the practitioner through the legal issues that are often the logical consequence of clinical decision making. Designed also as a defensive tool, the book arms professionals with foreknowledge of the legal pitfalls common to a variety of clinical settings: inpatient geriatric psychiatry; consultation-liaison psychiatry on general medical wards; and management of ass

About the editor MICHAEL B. SUSSMAN, PsyD, is Clinical Supervisor at Codman Square Health Center, Dorchester, Massachusetts, and a clinical instructor in psychology at Harvard University. Dr. Sussman spent three years (1990 to 1993) as a staff psychologist at Stoney Brook Counseling Center in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, and was a postdoctoral fellow at the Menninger Foundation, from 1988 to 1989. He holds a doctorate in clinical psychology from Hahnemann University, and a bachelor's degree in music composition and performance from Hampshire College. In 1987, he received the Randall B. Weiss Award for compassion and caring in clinical work. Dr. Sussman is also the author of A Curious Calling: Unconscious Motivations for Practicing Psychotherapy.