Advancing Psychotherapy Effectiveness: A Novel Mechanism of Action

By Brad Bowins, Author

States and Processes for Mental Health presents a groundbreaking approach to understanding how psychotherapy works, by advancing key states and processes that characterize mental health. This innovative perspective is divided into three main sections.

Section 1: Identifying States and Processes for Mental Health

The first section of the book identifies seven critical states and processes for mental health, including:

• Activity
• Psychological Defense Mechanisms
• Social Connectedness
• Regulation
• Human Specific Cognition
• Self-Acceptance
• Adaptability

Section 2: How Current Forms of Psychotherapy and Non-Specific Factors Enhance Mental Health

The second section provides a comprehensive overview of 15 major forms of psychotherapy and non-specific factors, followed by an empirical and theoretical proof of concept demonstrating how these approaches enhance the states and processes for mental health.

Section 3: Conceptual and Practical Problems in the Current Approach to Psychotherapy

In the third section, Dr. Bowins explores the conceptual and practical problems inherent in the current approach to psychotherapy, where discrete forms of psychotherapy are oriented towards remedying psychopathology. He then proposes a novel, trans-therapy approach that applies general strategies and those derived from existing forms of psychotherapy to advance each of the states and processes characterizing mental health.

Key Takeaways:

• Identifies states and processes for mental health, including activity, psychological defense mechanisms, social connectedness, regulation, human specific cognition, self-acceptance, and adaptability.
• Reveals how current forms of psychotherapy and non-specific factors actually advance the states and processes characterizing mental health.
• Demonstrates problems with the current system of psychotherapy.
• Provides a novel, unified approach to psychotherapy.

Publication Details:

States and Processes for Mental Health is published by Elsevier Science, with a publication date of March 5, 2021. The book is available in English, with an ISBN of 9780323850490 or 9780323900140.