Carolyn Kaufman

This was an okay read for me, somewhere between 2* and 2.5*.

A warning first, this is a very US-centric book. Quite a few of the statements do not fit countries with national health insurance systems. Contrary to Ms Kaufman's statement it is e.g. very easy to get committed to closed psychiatric wards in such countries, and it is very hard or often even impossible to get out again, especially if you've no family or friends able to act on your behalf.

That said, it is a solid reference book for basic information about disorders, treatments and medications, and how they combine, or don't. The well-read writer however may already have reached past the information level provided here, which--if I go by what Ms Kaufman states about PTSD or paraphilias--is rather basic, though concise.

My verdict: a good reference book to quickly check what might work or not, but it won't spare you in-depth research!… (meer)

I think this is a really good, if brief, education about mental illness, personality disorders, therapy and psychiatry for the writer's eyes. The references to the screw-ups in real books and movies were an excellent feature. I would recommend this to any writer who felt they needed to know more about this topic. However, I did think it was repetitive at times, and it also focused only on what COMPETENT therapists would do. I've encountered incompetent clinicians in my time who did exactly the opposite of what the book said they would do.… (meer)

Sometimes it seems everywhere you turn, the entertainment and book industry throws mentally disturbed characters at us. Dennis Lahane’s “Shutter Island,” both the book and the movie, are good examples of this: the federal agent visits a mental institution in the 1950’s to assist in the search for an escaped patient. Great story–the book AND the movie were definitely done right, entertainment-wise.

But what about factually? As a writer, I want to ensure that my works are as accurate as possible. Accuracy lends itself to realism which lends itself to a reader’s suspension of disbelief which lends itself to the beginnings of a great novel.

Written by a practicing psychotherapist and writer, Carolyn Kaufman, Psy.D, “The Writer’s Guide to Psychology: How to Write Accurately about Psychological Disorders, Clinical Treatment and Human Behavior” is a gift to writers everywhere who need a jumping off point to ensure they are on the right path when it comes to accuracy in the area of psychology.

In the first chapter, Dr. Kaufman points out the need for consistency in research by fiction writers by talking about various public perceptions regarding psychological disorders as well as the psychology profession itself. In each chapter, she takes topical examples from popular TV shows, movies and books, showing us the inaccuracies with the characters and how they are portrayed, showing us where the writers went wrong and how that information has been disseminated into popular culture.

With chapters on fictional representations of psychological issues, how to think like a shrink, the ethics of a therapy and how therapy actually works, this book gives you a strong working background to incorporate into your story. The latter half of the book lists most of the well-known disorders, a chapter focusing on psychopathic behaviors in villains, a chapter on well-known interventions ranging from medication to electroconvulsive therapy to lobotomies as well as how to handle suicidal behavior and psychiatric hospitalizations.

“The Writer’s Guide to Psychology” is a great roadmap for writers, authors and anyone who wants to start factually based research in the field of psychology.… (meer)