Using Diagrams in Psychotherapy

Charles M. Boisvert, PhD, is a professor of clinical mental health counseling in the Department of Counseling, Educational Leadership, and School Psychology at Rhode Island College and a practicing clinical psychologist at the Rhode Island Center for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (RICBT) in North Kingstown, Rhode Island.Mohiuddin Ahmed, PhD, has over 40 years of psychotherapy and consultation experience with varied populations of all ages in inpatient and outpatient practice settings. Following his retirement from Taunton State Hospital in Massachusetts and Community Care Alliance in Rhode Island, he continues to be active in mental health publications and maintains a part-time psychology consultation practice.

• List of Figures. About the Authors 1. Introduction 2. Diagrams as Communication and Teaching Tools: The Application of Research Findings to Psychotherapy 3. Becoming a Visually Oriented Therapist: Setting the Foundation 4. Using Diagrams to Gather Information and Identify Therapy Goals 5. Using Diagrams to Explain Universal Therapy Topics 6. Using Diagrams to Build Coping Strategies for Common Clinical Problems 7. Using Diagrams Creatively and Spontaneously in Session: Writing Tips and Drawing Pics 8. Using Visually Enhanced and Multimodal Interventions with Special Clinical Populations 9. Conclusion. References. Appendices

"Over the last few decades we have learned a lot about the role of diagrams in presenting information. This knowledge has been put to good use by this well-constructed, well-researched text on using diagrams in psychotherapy. I can strongly recommend it to anyone interested in this novel area."—John Sweller, PhD, emeritus professor of educational psychology at the University of New South Wales, Australia