Every journey to wellness and change is unique and personal. In this book, F. Michler Bishop offers a flexible yet structured eclectic, client-centered, and collaborative approach that is thoughtful and informed by a wealth of clinical experience. He demonstrates effectively how to bring together many diverse science- and practice-based strategies, from mindfulness to medication and ACT to acupuncture, to create a personalized approach to guide clients on their journey. Counselors and therapists can learn how this can work for them but, more importantly, how it can work for their clients.
— Carlo DiClemente, PhD, ABPP, wmeritus professor of psychology, University of Maryland–Baltimore County
Finally, a book that, thinking about the well-being of the consultants/patients, integrates everything necessary to achieve it, separating psychological schools/models and integrating the important variables for the mental health of each person. If you want to know what the future of psychological therapy is, this is the book you have to read!
— Minerva Cázares Escalera, MPC, founder and director, Centro de Psicología Cognitivo Conductual de Monterrey (Monterrey Cognitive Behavioral Psychology Center), Monterrey, Mexico
Bishop’s step-by-step guide could be used daily by newer psychotherapists, and as a trustworthy handbook by seasoned ones. As psychotherapy grapples with the realization that we need to move beyond schools of psychotherapy, specific guidance about how to do so has been scarce. Bishop takes up this challenge with a research-and principles-based guide that is oriented around the events that are likely to occur in almost every course of psychotherapy. The clinical examples, including dialogues showing a master clinician at work, illustrate options for addressing typical events, how to use a range of techniques, and how important scientific evidence from outside psychotherapy can be applied for the benefit of our clients. This book will help guide the way toward more integrative psychotherapy.
— Tom Horvath, PhD, ABPP, president, Practical Recovery, California
Whether you are at the beginning of your career as a therapist or possess extensive clinical experience, this book holds the potential to answer the leitmotif question, 'What should I do next to help my clients in overcoming the challenges they face?' Dr. F. Michler Bishop presents us with a compendium that encompasses the most relevant therapy approaches, alongside an extensive collection of scientifically validated strategies. These resources can guide us in creating a personalized intervention plan. This book not only equips us with tools to aid our clients but also offers some practical self-care tips throughout this process. This is remarkable because, as therapists, we often become overly absorbed in our clients' issues. Modern Integrative Counseling and Psychotherapy: A Step-by-Step Approach is a valuable book that astonishes me with the complexity of the approach, the clarity of the writing, and the captivating way in which it is written.
— Petronela Predatu, clinical psychologist and psychotherapist, Romania; PhD student, Babes-Bolyai University Cluj-Napoca
This book is a dream come true. It is an honest and open conversation with an experienced therapist who generously shares with you his secrets and lifehacks. It gives you the most important information for practice and answers the questions you wanted to ask, but have been afraid to: about self-disclosure, spirituality, medications, and integration techniques and models. For beginners, this book is a time and money saver because it provides the cornerstones for practice. For experienced therapists, it offers a fresh perspective on practicing therapy and new ways to improve.
— Dimitri Frolov, MD, psychologist and psychotherapist, formerly based in Moscow, Russia
I haven’t encountered a book like this in my 50-plus years of studying and practicing psychology! It’s as though I was sitting in a comfortable spot, listening to wisdom born of wide study and long practice being spoken from the heart as directly and casually as one speaks to a good friend about things that really matter. With the voice of a seasoned, insightful, compassionate practitioner, Dr. Bishop openly states his aim, '…to help clients get back on track using a combination of activities, some of which are evidence-based, but some of which are not, at least not yet.' If you think you, or your students, could profit from such an experience, this book provides the opportunity.
— Hank Robb, PhD, ABPP, fellow, Association of Contextual Behavioral Science; private practice, Portland, Oregon
Dr. Bishop has done it again. His wisdom and ability to weave the science and the application is exemplified in Modern Integrative Counseling and Psychotherapy: A Step-by-Step Approach. It is a must-read for early career professionals as it is full of guidance as practitioners are beginning their journey. And it is an excellent resource for seasoned practitioners, as it reinforces best practices and ignites new applications. I am grateful this book exists as it makes practitioners a stronger resource to help those we serve. Thank you, Dr. Bishop!
— Scott B. Goldman, PhD, performance psychologist, Golden State Warriors
Modern Integrative Counseling and Psychotherapy: A Step-by Step Approach will be invaluable to early clinicians as well as seasoned clinicians who adopt an integrative approach to therapy. Drawing from years of experience, research, and a quest to find the best treatment for his clients, Dr. F. Michler Bishop provides a cogent and practical framework for integrating different schools of psychotherapy to meet clients’ unique needs. He provides highly insightful and informative case examples alongside a clear, user-friendly guide for each phase of therapy. What an amazing resource this book is!
— Candice R. S. Woo, PhD, private practice, New York, New York
This book provides a remarkably well-integrated perspective on the classic and modern approaches of psychotherapy and counseling. This is further strengthened by the great organization of the techniques and tools used at each step of the intervention process.
— Oana A. David, PhD, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca; director, Babeș-Bolyai-PsyTech Psychology Clinic; chief editor, Journal of Evidence-Based Psychotherapies
In France, we need F. Michler Bishop! All French practitioners should read this complete and great book about integrative treatments. Instead of a general model, Dr. Bishop understands that seven billion people, when they are psychologically disturbed, need seven billion answers!
— Didier Pleux, PhD, private practice, Paris, France
This book opened my eyes to the advantages of taking techniques from all the therapeutic domains. I am excited to adapt this approach in a collectivist culture and see the impact it has in Asian countries. It is an insightful and intriguing read and paves a new path in delivering therapy.
— Roshana Wickremaratchi, psychological well-being practitioner, Colombo, Sri Lanka
This book is fantastic. Modern Integrative Counseling and Psychotherapy: A Step-by-Step Approach examines the reasons many clinicians mistakenly rely on a single school of psychotherapy and proposes that integrating various therapeutic modalities provides the highest quality of client care. Dr. Bishop presents a step-by-step guide to the fundamentals of clinical care, from agenda setting and homework to ongoing assessment, and he boldly tackles the gray areas in between. Using historical context, research studies, theory, and engaging anecdotes, this book is not only accessible and useful but also interesting and memorable, besides being very enjoyable to read. I have no doubt many graduate programs will adopt this as required reading, and those of us farther along will benefit from it as well.
— J. Ryan Fuller, PhD, cofounder, My Best Practice; executive director, New York Behavioral Health
This exceptional book will help clinicians apply the knowledge and criteria for selecting the best treatment possible and present a set of general and empirically supported principles from a variety of approaches that can be used as different treatment options. This easy-to-use book addresses many aspects of emotional problems with treatment strategies that match up with different client characteristics. As Dr. Bishops says, 'Humans are much more complex than any textbook or approach,' and this book can guide psychotherapists and counselors to add to their repertoire of techniques and help many more clients efficiently.
— Hugo Galo, PhD, clinical psychologist and psychotherapist; codirector, Instituto de Terapia Racional Emotiva, Lima, Peru
F. Michler Bishop's new book, Modern Integrative Counseling and Psychotherapy: A Step-by-Step Approach, is a welcome addition to the field from a renowned senior practitioner in the field of cognitive behavior therapy, which, as we know, was one of the first supported by scientific evidence. Hearing him advocate for an integration of the best techniques from established therapies with other activities that the client has found helpful makes the book more credible. He has given much attention to detail in systematically outlining what clinicians might consider doing during each section of a semi-structured, six-part therapy session, including how to use between-session time effectively. He advocates for therapists to take into account the cultural context and to adopt a humble, curious, collaborative therapeutic stance rather than an authoritarian one, and to be open to not-knowing, leaving the onus or burden of proof to scientists and researchers to investigate the reason why something works. Therefore, this book is a welcome addition to both a college graduate’s and a seasoned practitioner’s library. I enjoyed reading it.
— Karl DeSouza, MD, director and lead psychotherapist, Listening Ear Counselling and Consultancy, Singapore
We all know how difficult it is to grasp those elements that make up a great therapist, a therapist who can deal with many different clients in terms of age, socio-economic bracket, sexual orientation, and cultural background. F. Michler Bishop has written a very important book in which he integrates all those elements in a very practical way. The approach is built on the firm base of CBT, but also on new developments in the field of emotions and body work: mindfulness, imagery, yoga, and trauma work. It integrates research-based interventions and alternative healing procedures that work for a particular client. It looks so simple and clear that one wonders why this has not been written before.
— Erik Jongman, psychotherapist, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Dr. Bishop’s book is quite refreshing. He highlights the importance of activities beyond therapy that can enhance someone’s progress. His experience goes beyond the evidence, focusing on individual nuances.
— John C. Gramuglia, MBA, LICSW, MLADC, CPT, psychotherapist/personal trainer, The Villages, Florida
This new book by F. Michler Bishop is not just another guide for effective therapy but an example of the creative integration of many types of modern cognitive behavioral therapy and other types of psychotherapy by an experienced practitioner. His half-century of experience has been combined into a coherent holistic approach. I highly recommend it to be read not only by beginners but also by experienced specialists in the field of psychology and psychotherapy to expand their view of the human phenomenon, the possibilities of therapy, and the ways of change provided by modern therapeutic technologies.
— Dmitrii Kovpak, PhD, MD, North-West State Medical University named after I.I. Mechnikov; president, Association For Cognitive Behavioral Psychotherapy of Russia; board member, International Association of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
As a therapist who specializes in the integration of Sufism into therapy sessions, I found this book's step-by-step approach to be incredibly valuable. It provides a range of mindfulness activities that are rooted in philosophy and can be effectively used in psychotherapy. This makes it an invaluable resource for therapists who want to enhance their practice. F. Michler Bishop successfully provides therapists with a perspective bridging Western-origin therapies that prioritize philosophy and rational thinking with Eastern philosophies that emphasize values such as peace, unconditional acceptance, living in the present moment, and acting collectively.
— Murat Kaan Artiran, clinical psychologist, Istanbul, Turkey
For some people in Latin America, especially in countries such as Peru, the belief that they can be truly cured through atypical or non-evidenced treatments is very real. Although it might be challenging not to question non-evidence-based beliefs, we can teach ourselves that listening, empathizing, and being present with clients of all religious beliefs and cultural backgrounds is foundational. A number of these beliefs can be protective factors. Dr. Bishop’s book advocates for such a truly integrative approach, and for that reason, it will be very helpful to new as well as seasoned practitioners as a guide to work respectfully, collaboratively, and efficiently.
This book reflects Dr. Bishop's years of experience as a clinician. Written in accessible language, it presents how therapists can structure an integrated approach to provide the best possible treatment for clients, move beyond specific schools of therapy, and consider step-by-step guiding principles. It is a must-read for therapists who want to work more efficiently and better help their clients today.
— Natalia Ferrero, clinical psychologist; founder and director, Psicotrec Institute, Lima, Peru
Consider this a guidebook to becoming an effective therapist if you're new to the field or becoming a more effective, well-rounded therapist if you've been practicing for some time. I've known Michler Bishop for nearly 30 years now, and he is one of the most thoughtful and well-respected clinicians that I have had the privilege to know. I can highly recommend Modern Integrative Counseling and Psychotherapists to practitioners regardless of their theoretical 'school' and training.
— Reid K. Hester, PhD, clinical psychologist; fellow, APA Addictions Division
This book is not just a manual—it’s a kind of manifesto that asks the counselor in training to take seriously what can be learned across a wide range of methods, once most of the limitations of “schools” are abandoned. Drawing from Bishop's extensive experience with addiction, mood disorders, and behavior change, this book provides a sure-footed step-by-step guide for addressing such issues as how to build a working relationship, set an agenda, enhance motivation, or foster acceptance, compassion, and change. In the process-based world of evidence-based psychotherapy that is upon us, these skills help build a foundation from which students across a wide range of orientations can begin to learn how to change the biopsychosocial processes that will uplift the lives they serve.
— Steven C. Hayes, foundation professor of psychology emeritus, University of Nevada, Reno; codeveloper of ACT and author of Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life
Michler Bishop achieved in this book a great synthesis of the evolution of psychotherapy in the last decades so we can practice psychotherapy better. More than 20 years ago, having Dr. Bishop as a supervisor during my training in REBT opened my mind to the great practical benefits of taking into consideration an integrative approach in order to provide the greatest treatment option for each client. In the same way, reading Modern Integrative Psychotherapy and Counseling: A Step-by-Step Approach today allows me to continue expanding on the strategies that I can integrate into my psychotherapeutic practice.
— Ana Catalina Vargas, director, Cetrec Formación Profesional, Costa Rica