The Art and Science of Psychopharmacology for Psychotherapists

The Art and the Science of

Psychopharmacology for Psychotherapists

by
John Preston, Psy.D.

This course meets the qualifications for 12 hours of continuing education units

APA, BRN, CA BBS, FL, NAADAC, NASW, NBCC, OH, TX

This course introduces therapists to the art and science of psychopharmacology. This 12 unit course will enable the psychotherapist

to understand the basics of psychopharmacology
to understand the etiology, diagnosis and treatment implications of:
- Depressive disorders
- Bipolar Disorders
- Anxiety Disorders
- Obsessive-compulsive Disorders
- Psychotic Disorders
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders
- Borderline Personality Disorders
- substance-Related Disorders
to understand the psychotropic medications that your patients are using; focusing on
- Antidepressant Medications
- Mood Stabilizers
- Antianxiety Medications
- Antipsychotic Medications
To know what the Red Flags are for medications
to provide a resource for checking on medications and their side effects
to have clear guidelines on when to refer a patient for a medication evaluation
to be able to communicate with physicians and psychiatrists regarding medications
to understand the relevance of psychotropics in a clinical practic

"Ultimately, loneliness, alienation, hopelessness, and demoralization are not to be cured with chemicals, but rather must be addressed in the arena of human contact and understanding. This is what psychotherapists do best. And, in collaboration with our medical psychiatric colleagues, we can make a real difference in the lives of our clients." John D. Preston, Psy.D (Reproduced with Permission: New Harbinger Publications)

We will be discussing medications for:

Depression
Anxiety
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Bipolar Disorders
Psychosis
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders
Borderline Personality Disorders
ADD/ADHD
Substance-Related Disorders

In these days of Managed Care and Brief Therapy, it is crucial for psychotherapists to understand the appropriate use of psychiatric medications. Most psychotropic prescriptions are written by the primary care physician in what is often a 10 minute office visit. There are fewer and fewer psychiatrists, so it is falling upon the psychotherapist to be more knowledgeable regarding medications.

With properly diagnosed individuals, psychotropic drugs can reduce human suffering and facilitate brief treatment. This course covers practical and applied issues regarding psychiatric medication treatment. The focus is on the non-medical therapist as collaborator with psychiatrists or primary care doctors in medical treatment (diagnosis, referral, and follow-up).

Specific topics include:

basics of pharmacology
biologic basis of mental illnesses
diagnosis and treatment decision-making
classes of medications
effects and side effects.

Additional topics cover patient education, how to monitor medication response, compliance issues, discontinuation and relapse prevention and integrating psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy.

This course meets the qualifications for 12 hours of continuing education units
as mandated by the

is approved by the:

American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists - www.psychceu.com maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
Board of Registered Nursing (#13620)
California Board of Behavioral Science (#1540)
Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling (BAP #753)
NAADAC - The Association for Addiction Professionals (#478)
National Association of Social Workers (#886382116)
National Board for Certified Counselors (#6055)
Ohio Counselor, Social Work and Marriage and Family CPE (#RCST090402)
The Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors (#52526)
The Texas Board of Social Work Examiners (#CS3473)

www.psychceu.com
maintains responsibility for the program.

To receive credit students must

register for the course (order on-line or call 1-888-777-3773), after which you will receive the Post-Test.
read the Handbook of Clinical Psychopharmacology for Therapists, 3rd ed. by John Preston, Psy.D., Mary Talaga, R.Ph., M.A., and John H. O'Neal, M.D. (You may order it from your local bookstore, or directly from Amazon.com by pressing the book cover below.)

Pass the post-test
Upon passing the test, you will receive a certificate of completion

Table of contents

Quick Reference to Psychotropic
Medication®

John D. Preston, Psy. D

Visit Dr. Preston's website

To order

www.psychceu.com

e-mail us!

Frequently Asked Questions

888-777-3773

APA Ethics

We do adhere to the American Psychological Association's Ethical Principles of Psychologists. Our courses are carefully screened by the Planning Committee to adhere to APA standards. We also require authors who compose Internet courses specifically for us follow APA ethical standards.

Many of our courses contain case material, and may use the methods of qualitative research and analysis, in-depth interviews and ethnographic studies. The psychotherapeutic techniques depicted may include play therapy, sandplay therapy, dream analysis, drawing analysis, client and therapist self-report, etc. The materials presented may be considered non-traditional and may be controversial, and may not have widespread endorsement within the profession. www.psychceu.com maintains responsibility for the program and its content.