Book Review – Doing Supportive Psychotherapy
Image: Doing Supportive Psychotherapy by Len Lantz (CC BY-NC-ND)
Synopsis: Len's Star Rating: 10 out of 10. An excellent, approachable, and succinct book on supportive psychotherapy, and it might be the only book a clinician needs in getting started doing supportive psychotherapy.
BY LEN LANTZ, MD / 12.5.2020; No. 24
Disclaimer: Yes, I am a physician, but I’m not your doctor and this article does not create a doctor-patient relationship. This article is for educational purposes and should not be seen as medical advice. You should consult with your physician before you rely on this information. This post also contains affiliate links. Please click this LINK for the full disclaimer.
Star Rating – 10 out of 10
Rating guide: 1 = horrible, 5 = average and 10 = wow
Author
John Battaglia
About the author
John Battaglia, MD, is a Clinical Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, and Medical Director for the Program of Assertive Community Treatment in Madison, Wisconsin.
General description
Doing Supportive Psychotherapy is a book written for mental health trainees and professionals on both basic and nuanced approaches to working with patients in supportive psychotherapy. Dr. Battaglia provides a persuasive argument for both the science and the spirit of supportive psychotherapy in his book, which is succinct yet packed with useful information. It is important to note that this book is oriented around performing psychodynamic supportive psychotherapy. Topics covered in this book include:
A brief history of supportive psychotherapy
The importance of the therapeutic alliance
Eliciting feedback during therapy
Transference and countertransference
Practical and powerful strategies and techniques
“Plussing”
Explaining behavior
Use of metaphor
Addressing trauma
Providing supportive psychotherapy with special populations
Borderline Personality Disorder
Substance use disorder
Schizophrenia
Managing termination
Unique and most important aspects
Doing Supportive Psychotherapy is not an ordinary psychotherapy book. It is astonishing how many immediately relevant and useful tools Dr. Battaglia has incorporated into his 131 pages of text. Dr. Battaglia’s book is different in many ways from traditional psychotherapy texts. His writing style is more conversational and personal than is found in most books on psychotherapy. He offers practical advice and many pearls of wisdom that are often only gained over the course of years in a psychiatry residency training program.
The book includes many case examples that seem genuine and not forced, and Dr. Battaglia comments on why certain approaches or phrases in the vignettes were likely to be helpful or ineffective. A significant amount of research is presented on the efficacy of supportive psychotherapy.
Doing Supportive Psychotherapy is surprising both in its brevity and utility. Dr. Battaglia draws in the reader as he shares concepts and approaches that, while powerful, are easy to understand and replicate. This book is likely to be helpful for a variety of clinicians from trainees to seasoned professionals. Important components in this book include:
Helpful questions for group discussion or individual introspection
Defense mechanisms
Basic psychotherapy skills
Pacing of psychotherapy
Boundary maintenance
Time management
4 stages for therapists in coping with countertransference
Denial
Reluctant acceptance
Acceptance
Embracement
Red flags of countertransference
The use of creative opportunities in therapy
Storytelling
“Strike while the iron is cold”
Patient consultation
The “trauma burden” experienced by therapists
Best quotes
“I want the reader of this text to feel what it’s like to do psychotherapy while learning it. I want this textbook to be supportive of the reader. Sometimes students of psychotherapy get the impression that older, wiser, experienced therapists don’t stumble, don’t feel lost, don’t feel inadequate, or don’t get burned out while doing psychotherapy. I wouldn’t trust a psychotherapist who didn’t experience these things at times. I want the reader of this book to feel that they’re not alone as they venture into the overwhelmingly complex, perplexing, and yet totally wonderful endeavor of the ‘talking cure.’”
“In a funny kind of way, one of the important goals of the first session is to get the patient to the next session.”
“Navigating the balance of how much to ‘open up’ and how much to ‘cover up’ is difficult terrain for psychotherapists, especially with beginning or novice therapists. The art of doing good psychotherapy is based upon how well the therapist handles this balance. Having strong emotional catharses is important for healing, and the more comfortable the therapist is sitting with someone in pain, the better he or she usually is able to handle it.”
Who would enjoy this book?
Any counselor, therapist, psychologist or psychiatrist looking for a high-yield resource on the background, basics and tools of supportive psychotherapy would likely enjoy Doing Supportive Psychotherapy.
Who would not enjoy this book?
Therapists who are looking for a much longer, in-depth view of theory and research on supportive psychotherapy or a layperson wanting a self-help resource might not enjoy Doing Supportive Psychotherapy.
Conclusion
Doing Supportive Psychotherapy is an excellent, approachable, and succinct book on supportive psychotherapy, and it might be the only book a clinician needs in getting started doing supportive psychotherapy.