Philosophy's traditional concerns with the nature of knowledge, good conduct and the self cannot be ignored by psychotherapists, while the growth of psychotherapy and psychoanalysis have had a profound impact on philosophy.
The essays in the books cover topics central to both psychotherapy and philosophy such as the nature of the self, motivation and subjectivity; the limits of certainty and objectivity in interpersonal situations; and the scope of narrative, dialogue and of therapy itself. Contributions draw on a wide range of different philosophical approaches and examine how they can deepen our understanding of the processes involved in different types of psychotherapy in a wide range of clinical settings.

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This collection examines prevalent assumptions in moral reasoning which are often accepted uncritically in medical ethics. It introduces a range of perspectives from philosophy and medicine on the nature of moral reasoning and relates these to illustrative problems, such as New Reproductive Technologies, the treatment of sick children, the assessment of quality of life, genetics, involuntary psychiatric treatment and abortion. In each case, the contributors address the nature and worth of the moral theories involved in discussions of the relevant issues, and focus on the types of reasoning which are employed. 'Medical ethics is in danger of becoming a subject kept afloat by a series of platitudes about respect for persons or the importance of autonomy. This book is a bold and imaginative attempt to break away from such rhetoric into genuine informative dialogue between philosophers and doctors, with no search after consensus.' Mary Warnock

Moral Theory and Medical Practice aims to bring the practical needs of medicine closer to the theoretical interests of philosophy. While most work in the field of medical ethics has been concerned with the examination and solution of practical dilemmas, this book explores the potential benefits of philosophical analysis. By drawing directly on moral theory, philosophical analysis can help to resolve difficulties in the practice of medicine and psychiatry that arise from the obscurity of our concepts of illness and disease. The author provides a specifically philosophical contribution to an improved clinical practice, in particular in showing a new way of understanding the clinically problematic concepts of psychosis and delusion. He examines both mental and physical illness as evaluative concepts, and argues convincingly that our notion of mental illness is indeed value laden (as in anti-psychiatric theories), and reconciles these two traditional extreme views within a general theory encompassing both. This book will appeal to students and scholars of philosophy, especially those concerned with medical ethics, medicine, law, politics, sociology, social work and nursing.

Philosophy has much to offer psychiatry, not least regarding ethical issues, but also issues regarding the mind, identity, values, and volition. This has become only more important as we have witnessed the growth and power of the pharmaceutical industry, accompanied by developments in the neurosciences. However, too few practising psychiatrists are familiar with the literature in this area. The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy and Psychiatry offers the most comprehensive reference resource for this area ever published. It assembles challenging and insightful contributions from key philosophers and others to the interactive fields of philosophy and psychiatry. Each contributions is original, stimulating, thorough, and clearly and engagingly written - with no potentially significant philosophical stone left unturned. Broad in scope, the book includes coverage of several areas of philosophy, including philosophy of mind, science, and ethics. For philosophers and psychiatrists, The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy and Psychiatry is a landmark publication in the field - one that will be of value to both students and researchers in this rapidly growing area.

This book will help clinicians acquire and develop the processes and skills of values-based practice. The aim of most patient-clinician consultations is to improve health outcomes. Often they succeed, and patients are satisfied and empowered. However, some consultations are unsatisfactory and result in failure to improve health outcomes and dissatisfaction on the part of patients, carers or clinicians. When consultations fail to achieve the desired results, the cause is not usually a failure of evidence-based practice. Today's clinicians are trained in evidence-based medicine, educated, updated and appraised. The most likely reason why things go wrong is a failure of values-based practice - not ascertaining the relevant values perspectives and acting on them in a coherent and purposeful manner. If you rehearse and practise the elements of values-based practice detailed in this book, you will find your consultations more personally rewarding and your patients are likely to derive more benefit.

Ethics, communication skills, and the law ('practice skills') are important in all aspects of modern health care. Doctors and nurses must be sensitive to the ethical aspects of their work and understand the legal framework within which clinical decisions are made. Well developed skills of communication, with patients, their relatives and other members of the clinical team, are a key feature of good clinical practice
Until recently, the important of practice skills has been relatively neglected in health care education. This situation is changing. The UK General Medical Council, for example, has recently identified three aspects as part of the core of the medical course, and the move to degree courses in nursing has led to an increasing focus of practice skills in nurse education.
The Oxford Practice Skills Project (OPSP) team have developed a course, within the University of Oxford Clinical School, which covers the teaching of practice skills in an integrated manner. This course is widely recognized as one of the most systematic developments of education in these areas.
This manual describes the OPSP course in detail and provides teaching materials. Although developed initially for medical students, it should be helpful to all those involved in teaching ethics, communication skills, and law in health care.
Each Seminar is described in detail
Tutors' guides are provided
Student handouts are included
Contains guidelines for introducing 'practice skills' into a busy clinical curriculum
Includes over forty case histories for teaching and examination
Gives details of many useful sources and resources
Details a variety of teaching methodstogether with their advantages and disadvantages
Provides an ethics teaching toolkit for clinical teachers new to this area
Readers are welcome to photocopy any part of this manual for their own teaching

This volume illustrates the central importance of diversity of human values throughout healthcare. The readings are organized around the main stages of the clinical encounter from the patient's perspective. They run from staying well and "first contact" through to either recovery or long-term illness, death, and dying.

An introductory section opens up crucial issues of methodology and of practical application in this highly innovative approach to the role of ethics in healthcare. The contributions include selections from literature and poetry, canonical and newly commissioned articles, and first-hand narrative by patients, care givers, and professionals. The readings speak volumes to the diversity of human values operative in healthcare.

The volume as a whole conveys the message that these values are far more diverse than any of us normally recognize. Raising awareness of this diversity is the first step to developing a practically effective healthcare ethics.

This book will help clinicians acquire and develop the processes and skills of values-based practice. The aim of most patient-clinician consultations is to improve health outcomes. Often they succeed, and patients are satisfied and empowered. However, some consultations are unsatisfactory and result in failure to improve health outcomes and dissatisfaction on the part of patients, carers or clinicians. When consultations fail to achieve the desired results, the cause is not usually a failure of evidence-based practice. Today's clinicians are trained in evidence-based medicine, educated, updated and appraised. The most likely reason why things go wrong is a failure of values-based practice not ascertaining the relevant values perspectives and acting on them in a coherent and purposeful manner. If you rehearse and practise the elements of values-based practice detailed in this book, you will find your consultations more personally rewarding and your patients are likely to derive more benefit.