About The Book
Richard Zwolinski says: “Frankly, too many Americans are stuck in ineffective psychotherapy year after year, for no good reason at all.”
Why I wrote a different kind of self-help book: Each year, millions of people enter psychotherapy hoping and believing they’ll be helped—but studies show that many aren’t being helped. Sadly, this is considered to be a “normal” state of affairs by many therapists themselves. There are many caring, ethical, and effective psychotherapists out there who really help their patients live happier, healthier lives—but you have to know how to choose the right one.
Psychology books and self help books only go so far. If you want to find a psychotherapist you need an insider’s point of view. In my book THERAPY REVOLUTION: Find Help, Get Better and Move On (Without Wasting Time or Money) I show you:
- How to Find, Interview, and Hire a Therapist that’s right for you
- The 2 essential Therapy Tools that every effective psychotherapist must use
- The Red Flags that indicate psychotherapy isn’t working—and tell you exactly what to do if your therapist breaks the rules
- What good psychotherapy looks, sounds, and feels like
- How victims of Hit-and-Run Therapy can fight back
- How Therapy Addiction can happen to anyone—and how to prevent it from happening to you
- The 5 fundamental ingredients in the Successful Therapy Formula
- How to use the Longer-Shorter Path Plan to create real and lasting progress
- Get dozens of Insider Tips on maximizing the benefits of good therapy
- Stop wasting your Time and Money on mental health and addiction care that just doesn’t work
And much more!
My name is Richard Zwolinski, and I’m a psychotherapist and an anxiety and addiction specialist. I’ve been called a “watchdog for psychotherapist ethics and therapy patient rights”. For over 20 years I’ve been helping psychotherapy patients receive the best, most effective mental health care for the least cost in a reasonable amount of time and now I’ve put that experience in a book. Therapy Revolution will help you find the great therapist or counselor you, your family members, (or your patients, if you are a referring physician) deserve. This self-help book is a call to action – it puts the therapist on the couch and the patient in the armchair!
Chock full of revealing (and sometimes shocking) therapy-patient interviews and self-assessment questionnaires, checklists, therapist interview questions, therapist qualifications lists, charts, diagrams, essential resource list, and more, Therapy Revolution exposes the pitfalls of bad therapy and the benefits of good therapy, all while offering practical solutions for making therapy work for you.
Therapy Revolution is the self-help therapy book that offers clear answers and solutions. It explains the importance of psychotherapy treatment plans, explores the cost and length of therapy, helps readers understand how to find a therapist, shows what good therapy (and bad therapy) look like, and so much more.
Let’s face it–mental and emotional health are an important part of life. And therapy’s supposed to help. Therapy Revolution gives everyone the tools they need to make sure that therapy is effective, timely, and worth what it costs.
What Patients, Mental Health and Addiction Professionals,and Others have to say about Therapy Revolution.
“A valuable resource for patients and practitioners alike, setting the standard for therapy and counseling practice. If you know anyone considering therapy, or who is unhappy with their therapist, make sure they read this book.” Tom Butler-Bowdon, author of 50 Psychology Classics, 50 Self-Help Classics
I cannot express how grateful I am that the authors have written this book. This kind of integrity and honesty is sorely lacking in our twenty-first-century culture…The authors have given practical, common-sense applications for every stage of therapy from beginning to end and beyond. Perhaps one of the tests for finding a good therapist will be that they have this book in their bookshelf (a true testimony of their self-confidence and humility!). This book is a gift to the world! Mother of Therapy Patient, WA
National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) Recommended Book List: Therapy Revolution offers a step-by-step program that shows readers how therapy should work, what can go wrong and how to fix it. Real-life patient interviews, checklists and therapist interviews will help readers find the best therapist for their needs. (NAMI Advocate, December 2009)
Don’t let its accessible language fool you. [Therapy Revolution] is packed with salient information rooted in a solid sense of ethics. As the medical director of a psychiatric hospital, I believe that this book not only has an important place on the shelf of therapy patients but would also be valuable reading for any professional, instructor or student in the fields of mental health and addiction. Therapy Revolution will likely be relevant for years to come. Jeffrey Borenstein M.D., Psychiatrist; CEO and Medical Director, Holliswood Hospital, Queens, NY
Library Journal Review: Aiming to empower patients, mental health counselor Zwolinksi and coauthor Zwolinski offer practical information to individuals considering psychotherapy. Readers are guided through the process—from choosing a therapist and attending the first appointment, to developing a treatment plan, measuring progress, and finally ending therapy. Zwolinski pays special attention to ethical concerns, including a discussion of “red flag violations.” Medical jargon is used sparingly, and the authors incorporate humor throughout the text. Readers will appreciate the numerous patient interviews, questionnaires, and checklists. A list of useful organizations, along with their web sites, is included at the end.
Verdict: This informative book is a recommended addition for consumer health and public library collections.—John Siegel, Univ. of Arkansas at Little Rock http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6703949.html
The Therapist Phone Interview worksheet that patients can fill in before they hire a therapist is worth the price of the book alone. I would still be stuck in “Hit and Stay” therapy if not for Therapy Revolution. Therapy Patient, NYC, NY
This book has been an ambitious undertaking. And, well worth the effort! It is methodical, well structured, thorough, and easy to understand. The metaphors and analogies are superb, and help greatly in clarifying the ideas the authors wish to convey. As a retired clinical psychologist, with many years of clinical experience, I really enjoyed reading the book. I think that it will be useful not only to those who are eager to find a competent psychotherapist and a better understanding of what psychotherapy is all about, but even to practicing psychotherapists. John J. Hoffman, Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist, Retired; Formerly of Veteran’s Hospital, Buffalo, NY
Timely! The public needs a book like this. [The authors] have accomplished their task with clarity, thoroughness, and passion. This book will help you pick a competent therapist and receive the treatment you need and deserve. Not only a must-read for the intelligent consumer, but a practical guide and useful resource for the therapist as well! John Eppolito, Psy.D., Clinical Psychologist; Illinois Youth Center, St. Charles, IL
Publishers Weekly Review: A licensed mental health counselor specializing in the treatment of anxiety and addiction, Zwolinski (with help from coauthor C.R.) steps back to take a broad view of the therapy industry, and the growing problem of patients caught in the “therapy trap” by unproductive, inept or unethical therapists who “wallop” a client with inaccurate or exaggerated diagnoses in order keep that client coming back. In this guide to hiring “a great therapist,” Zwolinski reminds patients that they should be “savvy consumer[s]” when considering therapy, just as they would for any other important expense. He suggests a preliminary phone interview to check out prospective therapists’ credentials, references, fee, approach, and other details. He also suggests that, after a few appointments, a patient work with his therapist to develop a written treatment plan, including a proper medical diagnosis (which can be looked up in a professional reference like the DSM IV), a general time-frame for the length of therapy, and agreed-upon “goals.” Zwolinski’s provocative call for a “therapy revolution” is authoritative and instructive, fleshing out the common wisdom stating patients are their own best advocates, and must be proactive in all aspects of healthcare. (Nov.) http://stage.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6704528.html
Therapy Revolution is a wonderful guide to assist therapy patients and their families in choosing the most excellent therapist and receive the help they need. Waltraud Prechter, Founder of the Heinz C. Prechter Bi-Polar Research Fund at the University of Michigan Depression Center
As a psychiatrist, I know how important it is to work with experienced and ethical psychotherapists. Therapy Revolution is an eye-opener—it shows what can go wrong in therapy and how to avoid it. It really gives the reader tools with which to evaluate a therapist and get the best care possible without wasting time or money. I highly recommend this book to patients, their families, to psychotherapists, and to anyone who must make a referral to a therapist. Lyubov Gorelik, MD, Psychiatrist; Board Certified in General Adult and Addiction Psychiatry, NY, NY
Although I am angry that I wasted years in therapy with a therapist that raised almost all of Richard Zwolinski’s red flags, I’m glad I finally got some good advice. Now I have a therapist that is really helping me. Therapy Patient, Chicago, IL
To read excerpts in pdf format from the book click on the chapter links below or log onto the Therapy Revolution page at Amazon.com:
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments…………………………………………………………………….. vii
Introduction……………………………………………………………………………… xi
What’s It All About?…………………………………………………………… 1
The Successful Therapy Formula………………………………………….. 23
Don’t Hire a Therapist . . . Until You Make This Phone Call………. 43
Focus on Your First Appointment………………………………………….. 69
Developing a Treatment Plan: Your Map to Success…………………. 93
Great Expectations: What Good Therapy Looks,
Sounds, and Feels Like……………………………………………………… 113
Experienced, Ethical, Competent, and Caring—or Not……………… 133
What’s Holding Me Back?………………………………………………… 153
Tracking Progress……………………………………………………………. 171
When and How to Move On………………………………………………. 197
Bibliography…………………………………………………………………………… 213
Resources…………………………………………………………………………….. 215
Index……………………………………………………………………………………. 217
