[.ca] Instructions on Psychological Skills (ISBN 1931773009)

A Serious Book for Mindful People:
"Instructions on Psychological Skills" by Joseph Strayhorn, Jr., M.D. is an excellent self-help book as well as a valuable tool for psychotherapists and for educators who wish to help clients or students acquire the psychological skills that are essential for effective living in mutually satisfying relationships. Dr. Strayhorn begins this book with an explanation of methods of influence, or ways in which people effect emotional, behavioral, and psychlolgical change in themselves or others. The remainder of the book consists of esays which explain multiple facets of the sixty-two skills which have been identified by Dr. Strayhorn. These skills vary from sustaining attention to tasks and purposefulness to courage, appropriate depending on others, and independent thinking. There are superb essays on kindness, feeling gratitude, fortitude and frustration tolerance, forgiveness and anger control, respectful talk, and discernment and trusting. This is a serious book about serious matters. Yet it is refreshing in that Dr. Strayhorn illuminates a path on the way to mental health rather than focusing on mental illness. As a Licensed Professional Counselor, I frequently recommend this book (as well as Dr. Strayhorn's "The Competence Approach to Parenting") to adult clients, who consistently remark about its usefulness. I also use this book in graduate education courses: teachers are given the assignment of reading selected essays and then writing lesson plans to teach these skills to students with emotional disabilities. These graduate students usually rate this as one of the most useful parts of the class, and often indicate they have applied the readings to their personal lives as well. I've given this book to each of my young adult children, who will be able to use its wisdom to help them in their journey through life. I can think of no higher recommendation.