Table of Contents

Preface: Everything You Need to Know to Navigate This Book
Acknowledgments

Unit I: Traditional Treatment Approaches for Healing Psychosis
Chapter 1: Types of Psychosis and General Intervention Approaches
Chapter 2: Traumatized by "Treatment": Anthropological and Social Interactional Perspectives of the Person Who Lives with Psychosis
Chapter 3: Brief History of Iatrogenic Trauma from the Mainstream Mental Health Treatment System
Chapter 4: Evidence of Unethical and Ineffective Mainstream Mental Health Treatment
Chapter 5: Historically Ethical and Effective Mental Health Approaches for Healing the Distress of Psychotic Experiences
Summary of Unit I

Unit II: New Discoveries About the Causes and Healing Approaches of Psychosis
Chapter 6: The Relationship Between Early and Severe Trauma and Psychosis
Chapter 7: The Relationship Between Neurobiology and Psychosis
Summary of Unit II

Unit III: Ethical and Professional Obligations Impact Macro, Mezzo, and Micro Levels of Treatment Delivery
Chapter 8: Consumer/Psychiatric Survivor/Ex-Patient (C/S/X) Movement
Chapter 9: Existential and Spiritual Philosophy for Healing the Distress of Psychosis
Chapter 10: Listening with Psychotic Ears Philosophy and Clinical SkillsAppendix B: Chapter Resources
Chapter 11: Practice-Based Interventions for Engaging the Most Difficult/Impaired
Chapter 12: Survivor and Self-Care for Families and Clinicians Who Work with People Living with Symptoms of Mental Illness
Summary of Unit III

Unit IV: Where Do We Go from Here?
Chapter 13: Conclusions and Future Remarks

References
Appendix A: Related Associations
Appendix B: Website Resources by Chapter

About the Author

Shannon Dunn, PhD, LCSW (CA & IL), CRADC, is Clinical Associate Professor of Social Work in the Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work at the University of Southern California.

Reviews

"I was encouraged at how the author educates readers on how to properly engage with empathy, respect, genuine interest, and a posture of humility when meeting patients with psychotic symptoms." -- Doody's Book Reviews
"This book demonstrates in a compelling manner, through reviews of both historical and contemporary trends, that human services practitioners are best able to help clients with psychotic symptoms when they enter into their clients' subjective worlds and attend to their clients' needs to develop meaning and purpose in their lives. The author illustrates the limitations of the medical model and provides useful strategies for practitioners to connect more
personally and empathically with those who experience psychosis. She also does a fine job of comprehensively reviewing effective psychological and social interventions."
-Joseph Walsh, PhD, Professor, School of Social Work, Virginia Commonwealth University
"Healing the Distress of Psychosis is a book every mental health worker and administrator should read. It is full of practical guidance that emphasizes listening, patience, and hopefulness. It recognizes the role played by alcohol and street drugs in a way that most mental health books skip over. Funding, regulations, and training should be geared toward supporting the advice contained in Dr. Dunn's book rather than making it more difficult to
implement."
- Robert Nikkel, MSW, Founding Board Member, Foundation for Excellence in Mental Health Care; President of the Board, Dual Diagnosis Anonymous of Oregon
"Healing the Distress of Psychosis captures the struggle that exists between people who are living with a diagnosis and the traditional mental health system that relies heavily on psychotropic medications as the primary, and often only, treatment for psychosis. This book eloquently debunks myth after myth in a humanistic and compassionate manner. It is a must-read for everyone and will change the way professionals see their role."
-Guyton Colantuono, Executive Director, Project Return Peer Support Network
"An engaging and historically thorough inquiry into the nature of psychosis, and a clarion call for dramatically changing how our mental health system responds to those experiencing it. The book's subtitle provides a brilliant and poetic summation of what Shannon Dunn is arguing for."
-Robert Whitaker, Journalist and Author, Anatomy of an Epidemic; President, Mad in America Foundation