This book provides instruction in applying basic treatment strategies to patient care. Emphasis is placed on teachi. ng diagnostic skills, and especially, the therapeutic management of emotionally disturbed patients. This book is intended as a companion text to Basic Psychopathology: A Programmed Text, whi. ch focuses more on teaching the description and observational skills for diagnosing common psychopathologic syn- dromes. Basic Psychotherapeutics gives pragmatic suggestions for treating a variety of psychopathologic disorders, many of which are newly classi- fied in the Diagnostic Statistical Manual - III (DSM-II1) published by The American Psychiatric Association. We have adopted the terminology and many, but not all, of the diagnosti. c criteria used in DSM-III. The treatment recommendations proposed are eclectic in nature and the infor- mation presented is non-theoretical and patient centered. Basic Psychotherapeutics is divided into three parts. The first re- views basic data collection procedures and treatment skills; it includes chapters on interviewing, the mental status examination and pharmaco- logic, psychologic and behavioral therapy. The next section includes chapters on commonly encountered psychiatric syndromes such as schiz- ophrenic, affective and anxiety disorders. The final chapters are pre- sentations of special clinical interest, such as the management of suicidal patients, psychiatric emergencies, treating the dying patient and his family, and others.

Psychotherapy involves a deep ethical commitment to self-knowl edge, personal change, and mutual respect by both the therapist and the patient. Unfortunately, therapists have not always lived up to that commitment in understanding and treating low income and minority patients. Too often they lack the skills to understand and adjust to the patient's community and cultural experiences. The result has been ineffective and misguided treatment. Effective Psychotherapy for Low-Income and Minority Patients is a handbook for psychotherapists interested and committed to correct ing this situation and pursuing effective treatment strategies. This book is based on the author's ongoing innovative research project at the University of Southern California School of Medicine's Adult Psy chiatric Outpatient Clinic. Located in East Los Angeles, the clinic serves this nation's largest Hispanic American community and has service commitments to residents of the central Los Angeles region. Over the years the authors have noted not only a marked need to improve mental health services, but also a need to make them more accessible to minority and low income patients. Generally these pa tients have very negative ideas about treatment of emotional prob lems. They typically react to treatment with skepticism: no one has really listened to them or understood them before-why should this therapist do so now? In describing this pessimism the authors discuss the need to listen to and respect each other."