Principles and Practice of Stress Management (4th Edition)

Abstract

Principles and Practice of Stress Management (4th Edition), edited by Paul Lehrer and Robert Woolfolk, is truly a unique book. While most books on stress management review general principles without providing theoretical foundations or addressing the underlying research literature, this volume takes an empirical perspective, focusing on what has been proven to work, and clearly presenting the theoretical foundations for each principle. This book also presents the “how” of each principle, addressing best practices in conducting stress management interventions in each area. Each chapter is written by an expert in the field with significant experience in using the specific approach. Clinicians and researchers alike working in mind/body medicine or health psychology will want to have their own copy of this foundational book on their shelf.Although this is an edited book with many different authors, each chapter follows the same basic organization, giving the why and the how as well as specific case studies demonstrating how to use the approach. First, the chapters begin by reviewing the history and related research (including controlled clinical trials) of the approach, examining key theories and principles that provide the foundation for the approach. This is incredibly helpful as it explains why this approach was developed and how it is specifically structured to address the stress management issue in question. Second, the how of conducting the approach is explained in detail. For many readers, this is probably the key area of interest. Because each chapter is written by a leading expert in the field, we learn firsthand how to conduct the approach according to established, empirically supported protocols. Third, the case study presentations provide incredibly helpful examples of what it looks like to use the given approach, how the technique should be applied, and for which kinds of conditions, as well as giving expected results.The first section of the book begins by building a strong foundation for stress management practice by reviewing general theoretical and philosophical issues, psychophysiological principles, and core approaches. For example, most stress management approaches involve at least some focus on breathing, muscle relaxation, and mental focus.The second section of the book focuses on stress management approaches that target psychophysiological functioning. The contributors detail progressive muscle relaxation, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy, biofeedback and neurofeedback, breathing retraining and capnometry-assisted respiratory training, and approaches to medically unexplained disorders that have a stress component.The third section of the book focuses on meditative approaches to stress management, discussing mantra meditation, mindfulness meditation, Qigong, and yoga. The next two sections of the book focus on psychotherapy and hypnosis, discussing cognitive therapy for stress, autogenics, and hypnosis for pain and stress. The last section of the book addresses music therapy and walk-and-talk psychotherapy, and ends with a chapter on being an effective stress management clinician. This last chapter emphasizes the importance of recognizing that each client is unique and complex, and that treatment should be tailored to the client. This chapter encourages a match between the patient's expectations and preferences and the characteristics of the stress management approach chosen; the chapter also identifies trial and error as a normal part of the therapeutic process. Finally, it recognizes that each client lives in a larger world and the clinician needs to understand the bigger picture of the client's life, including areas such as relationships, work, and current life events, as well as the client's cognitions and emotions.Overall, this book is a must-have for anyone interested in stress management. This updated edition gives a thorough review of where stress management currently stands today, detailing best practices based on current research findings. Perhaps most importantly, all the chapters are written by accomplished authors with reputations in the field as experts (if not the top experts) on their subject, providing clinical depth in the approach and empirical grounding in the current research literature.