David Hellerstein

The Couch, the Clinic, and the Scanner by David Hellerstein is a fascinating look at how psychiatric care has changed over the past half century or so, from the dominance of psychotherapy to the current combination of psychiatry and neuroscience. What makes this a compelling read is the memoirish aspect, which makes it both informative and personal.

The changes in care during Hellerstein's career are explained and illustrated with people he has worked with. But it isn't just their journeys that make this so interesting. He is open about his own journey as well, both as a person (an ongoing requirement in psychotherapy) and as a professional. The ways he has modified his practice is an ideal way to make how these changes in understanding and treating mental health conditions impact the patient.

I would definitely recommend this to those with an interest in psychology and mental health, but I would also highly recommend this to readers who enjoy memoirs that focus on a person's professional life as a way of understanding the person.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.… (meer)