In this book, based on profound clinical experiences in supervising and educating practitioners to work with clients with substance abuse and mental illness, the writer suggests an integrated dynamic recovery model in helping clients with substance abuse. In doing so, a multi-dimensional model in the re-anchoring of various humanistic dimensions for persons with substance abuse and mental problems is articulated. Instead of focusing merely on detoxification of persons with substance abuse, the individual's meaning of life, self-system, emotion, body and stress and coping are re-engaged. By means of case vignettes and extracts of clients' self-narration, the whole book provides a humanistic, practical and reflective, working guideline for related professionals, family members and other parties to understand and implement effective, multi-dimensional interventions for people with drug addiction and substance abuse.

Schizophrenia has long been regarded as the most important mental problem since the twentieth century. Apart from the biochemical and genetic models, there are many psychosocial theories including psychodynamic, cognitive behavioral, phenomenological, existential, biochemical as well as social construction perspectives in explaining the cause and recovery of schizophrenia. Under the domination of biochemical and genetic models, the treatment, services and recovery work for clients with schizophrenia are undermined. Professionals may follow the recovery orientation and focus on hospitalisation as the sole concern in recovery and treatment. However in doing so, they fail to connect with the rich and solid foundation of related theories in schizophrenia in past centuries. In addition, the subjective experiences of people with schizophrenia are severely ignored and neglected by related parties. This book serves to bridge this theoretical gap by a profound revisit of different perspectives and concepts in self-fragmentation of persons with schizophrenia. Within phenomenological, psychodynamic, sociological and existential perspectives, clients with schizophrenia harbor an intense urge for an integrated self-system and ontological existence behind their fragmented psychotic experiences. Within the self-fragmentation and self-integration dilemma, three dynamic forces are identified. They are self-splitting versus self-cohesions, self-concealment versus self-visibility, and self-destruction versus self-preservation. This integration, when it occurs, can finally leas to a full mental health recovery. That includes three positive forces: self-cohesion, self-visibility and self-preservation, which enable the individual with schizophrenia to restore a normal integration system with a normal life and social functioning within an integrated and supportive community.

Research and clinical experiences show that people engaging in drug addiction for some years usually embrace severe mental illnesses including schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Schizophrenia usually occurs in patients with prolonged use of amphetamine and hallucinogens. Borderline personality disorder commonly happens in female addicts who have experienced abandonment and childhood abuse. On the one hand, drug addiction can be used to cope with symptoms of severe mental illness. On the other hand, prolonged drug addiction can also induce severe mental illness. A close look into individuals with chronic drug addiction usually review that they encounter suffering, hardship and traumas. There are two types of traumas encountered by people with drug addiction. The first one is trauma before drug addiction and substance abuse. Many of them may have suffered through abuse, oppression and abandonment in their lives. Another one is drug led traumas because of psychosocial deprivation and medical problems induced by chronic addiction. In this book, apart from describing a comprehensive model in understanding and interpreting the complexity of trauma, mental illness and drug addiction, this model is applied and illustrated in clients with borderline personality disorder and schizophrenia, drug addiction and those who have experience different forms of trauma. Related psychosocial interventions are also thoroughly discussed.

Intellectual disabilities have long been a concern for both practitioners and academics alike. With the introduction and advocacy of concepts to the public in recent decades, and the normalization and valorization of intellectual disabilities, humanistic concern has become the dominant trend in providing interventions and services for people with these issues. Today, various ideas for societal inclusion of those with intellectual disabilities have been introduced. However, many practitioners and academics have criticized these ideas as idealistic, and in many ways, inapplicable for actual social inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities. The situation is particularly serious regarding those intellectually disabled individuals presenting various forms of self-harm, aggression, disturbing behaviors, and emotional fluctuation (SADE: S =Self harm, A = Aggression, D = Disturbing behaviors, E = Emotional fluctuation). In many instances, social exclusion, labelling, punishments, deprivation of rights, physical restraints, as well as psychiatric medications are commonly used in controlling intellectual disabled clients with SADE. A thorough understanding of intellectually disabled clients has revealed that their self-harm, aggression, disturbing behaviors, and emotional fluctuations (SADE) are closely related to their unfulfilled needs, developmental traumas, abuse, neglect, and abandonment in their lives. These individuals have problems in expressing their views and emotions, as well as having severe attachment needs. Based on the writers' substantial experience, clinical practice, and supervision in working with intellectual disabled clients with SADE, this book is the first to formulate and consolidate the communication, emotionality, intimacy, and trauma based interpretation and intervention for intellectually disabled clients with SADE. This book provides methods for effective, humanistic, normalized, and integrated recovery of these individuals.

Spirituality, Christianity and mental health have long been a concern in our society. This concern is increasingly pressing in recent decades as mental problems soar because of tension, anxiety, failure and frustration in our societies. In terms of Christian belief, spirituality is interpreted as the encounter with The Almighty God and the total recognition and surrender to the salvation of Jesus Christ. Thus, mental health, in terms of Christianity, should consist of two major different types. The first type is secular mental health. The second type should be a sacred and spiritual model of mental health. This book focuses on a combination of secular discussions as well as a biblical interpretation of Christianity and mental health, hardship and resilience, rejoice and sadness, freedom and inner conflict, sins and spiritual transcendence. Chapter one starts with a comprehensive review on the concept of secular mental health. The writer describes an initial conceptualization of sacred mental health within Christian belief and biblical articulation. Chapter Two is a full articulation of secular and Christian concepts of suffering described in the Book of Job. Chapter Three is a refined comparison among secular concepts about positive psychology and happiness, existential articulation on the meaning of life, as well as the full articulation of rejoice from imitation of Christ humility in Book of Philippians written by Paul in Holy Bible. Chapter Four is a comprehensive discussion on secular and sacred conflicts in Christians as well as freedom from a connection with the Holy Spirit and immersion with Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection.

This book focuses on persons with severe depression and formulates empathic, humanistic and effective interventions in dealing with severe depression. The NICHE approach described in this book is a prolonged and accumulative crystallisation of innovative ideas, successful interventions, genuine sharing and courageous trials in the process of clinical training and supervision. The acronym NICHE refers to normalised intervention; integrated intervention; communicating and sharing unresolved emotional complex of clients with severe depression; holistic and humane self assertion of clients with severe depression and evolving hope and meaningfulness for clients with severe depression.

Gender encompasses biological sex but extends beyond it to the socially prescribed roles deemed appropriate for each sex by the culture in which we live. The gender roles we each carry out are highly individualistic, built on our biological and physical traits, appearance and personality, life experiences such as childhood, career and education, and history of sexual and romantic interactions. Each element influences perceptions and expectations. Gender-related experiences influence and shape the ways we think about others and ourselves including self-image, behaviour, mood, social advancement and coping strategies. This book brings together leading international research devoted to this subject.

The postmodern articulation of power brought along a change from structural view to a genealogy of power by stressing the circular, capillary and exercise of power implementation. The over arching frame of power implies a different kind of oppression in postmodern world. People are oppressed and depowered by an internalisation of a distorted view of right, truth and knowledge in which they unconsciously adapt a way of living and thinking that meet the needs and control of the governing bodies. This book addresses the ways in which power affects a particular culture, keeping its population in oppression.

Emotionality has long been recognised as a crucial ingredient in human beings. A good connection with emotionality is essential; it is highly complicated and dynamic in human life. It can never be fully explained or analysed by rational analysis and measurement of emotions. The writer has published a book "Emotionality " Mental Illness: A Multi-dimensional Model" in New York: Nova Science in 2012 in which various perspectives in emotionality are described. It is also related to one's meaning of life, self and ego strengths, mind, body, behaviours and deeds, interpersonal relationships, roles and social functioning. Then, a multi-dimensional model in terms of feeling, mood, affect and sense is constructed to interpret the emotionality of persons with mental problems is also described. This book is an extension and elaboration of the above mentioned book and a two volume set. Volume I is a further refined articulation of emotionality in severe mental illness. Based on the multi-dimensional model of emotionality in terms of affect, mood, feeling and sense, the writer tries to interpret and intervene with the emotionality of severe mental illnesses such as the blunt affect of schizophrenia, feelings of anger in major depressive disorder, a dissociative sense of fear in post-traumatic stress disorder and the lonely mood in borderline personality disorder. In this book, the writer begins each chapter with a focus on the various perspectives of a specific type of mental illness. Based on these perspectives, the writer attempts to integrate these perspectives with related concepts in emotionality hoping that it can provide a humanistic, yet pioneering, platform in interpreting and intervening in persons with severe mental illnesses. Volume II is a further refined articulation of emotionality in severe mental illness. Based on the multi-dimensional model of emotionality in terms of affect, mood, feeling and sense, the writer tries to interpret and intervene with the emotionality of severe mental illnesses such as the blunt affect of schizophrenia, feelings of anger in major depressive disorder, a dissociative sense of fear in post-traumatic stress disorder and the lonely mood in borderline personality disorder. In this book, the writer begins each chapter with a focus on the various perspectives of a specific type of mental illness. Based on these perspectives, the writer attempts to integrate these perspectives with related concepts in emotionality hoping that it can provide a humanistic, yet pioneering, platform in interpreting and intervening in persons with severe mental illnesses.

In 2004, recovery was adopted by the United States Federal government as the most important guiding principle in mental health services and intervention. Resilience has been the uprising concept in working with children, adolescents and families in facing hardships, sufferings and traumas. Despite the drastic development of concepts and practice of resilience and recovery in different areas of concern, they rarely encounter one another. Both concepts focus on the individuals' ability to actualize their potentials, to work through difficulties and hardships. Instead of focusing on healing power of professionals, services or members of communities, the focus of resilience and recovery shift back to the individual's potentials, ability and talents. This book provides current research in the study of recovery and resilience of children, adolescents, adults and elderly with mental problems.

Being the world's most populated country, the People's Republic of China shoulders the largest number of persons with mental illness in the world. According to related documents, there are around 16 millions of persons with mental illness that necessitate prolonged treatment and rehabilitation, 30 million children and adolescents with behavioural and emotional problems, 6 millions with persons with epilepsy and numerous elderly persons with mental problems. Facing these insurmountable needs of mental health services, despite the drastic economic development in these decades, there are various challenges for policy makers and caring professionals in providing adequate and qualitative services for persons with mental problems in China. To name a few, these challenges include insufficient mental health facilities; a great diversity in social, cultural and political contexts among different regions in China; poor mental health literacy, and highly inadequate financial support to mental health services. All these challenges occurs both in fast growing urban cities where mental problems increase drastically within a highly competitive and stressful city life as well as in deprived rural areas where mental illnesses are neglected and ignored because of unsolvable poverty problems. This book tackles these problems head on.