Complementary and alternative treatments for two of the most prevalent mental health complaints. Whether it’s the latest diet craze, acupuncture, fish oil, vitamin D, St. John’s wort, or some new “miracle mood cure,” many therapists don’t feel sufficiently well versed in the various complementary and alternative (CAM) remedies out there to give a sound opinion. Others may fear deleterious side-effects or interactions with psychiatric drugs their clients are already taking. Even more pervasive is the safety concern that their clients may inappropriately experiment with these treatments in lieu of more potent and, sometimes, necessary conventional care. This book addresses all these common concerns and more when it comes to treating anxiety and depression, providing an essential framework for understanding holistic care and helping to make sense of the alternative solutions available. Bongiorno, a naturopath who regularly works with mental health clients, walks readers through the fundamentals, laying out the basic principles of holistic care, the most salient CAM research to date as well as its safety concerns, and steps to take to determine if it’s appropriate to introduce a CAM modality to your client’s treatment. He also explains when holistic approaches may not be appropriate. Readers are then taught how to assess lifestyle and physiological factors that can contribute to a client’s anxiety and depression, such as sleep, diet, caffeine intake, exercise, sunlight exposure, media use, low blood sugar, cholesterol levels, thyroid issues, hormone issues, digestive health, and more. With an understanding of these underlying factors in place, the book goes on to outline the most effective vitamins, minerals, botanicals, and mind-body therapies for anxiety and depression—from amino acids to zinc, acupuncture to Qi gong, and everything in between—including dosages, best applications, and contraindications. How to work integratively when a client is already on an anxiolytic or antidepressant is also covered. A final chapter explains exactly how to make recommendations and design a successful treatment plan best suited to your client. With instructive graphics and loads of case vignettes, this resource is your go-to guide for understanding the complementary and alternative options for two of therapy’s most ubiquitous problems.

Everyone is affected by anxiety, whether their own or that of an anxious loved one, colleague, boss, or friend. According to the NIMH, nearly 20% of all American adults (40 million) experience an anxiety disorder in any given year--including panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and related phobias. In Put Anxiety Behind You, naturopathic doctor and licensed acupuncturist Peter Bongiorno offers a holistic approach for healing from these disorders and avoiding relapse. In a warm and compassionate tone, this book addresses causes, provides perspective, and offers natural remedies that work quickly and without any nasty side effects. Readers will learn about the many possible underlying causes for their anxiety--biochemical, physical, situational, spiritual, etc.--and will find suggestions for non-pharmaceutical remedies including specific nutrients, plant-based medicines, yoga poses, massage techniques, exercises, and acupuncture/acupressure points to try on their own for lasting relief. Bongiorno also tackles how to safely wean from anti-anxiety medication and how to supplement conventional medications with herbal and other natural remedies to increase efficacy and reduce side effects. Dr. Bongiorno recounts his own battle with anxiety and throughout the book shares his own experiences to help readers realize that anxiety can be a positive thing that becomes an inspiration and helps move us forward in a happier, calm life.

With up-to-date research, illustrative examples, and a practical approach forindividuals and families, this handbook features an overview of mental healthdisorders, basic strategies for improving as well as preventing mental healthissues, and more.

Depressive disorders affect almost 10% of the North American adult population age 18 and older in a given year, and about 25% of adults will have a major depression episode. It is projected that depression will be the second largest killer after heart disease by 2020. Conventional medicine is adept at prescribing medications for depression, but not well versed at addressing the causes of depression or preventing this disease. Fortunately, naturopathic medicine has proven to be especially effective and safe in doing do. Healing Depression is an authoritative guide for the naturopathic, conventional, and integrative practitioner, providing comprehensive information about the underlying factors that contribute to depression, how to diagnose the disease properly, and how to safely and effectively treat depression using natural medicines, while weaning patients from medications. Depression is a multifactorial disease best treated by a multifaceted integrative approach. Treating the cause affords the most complete and long-lasting clinical result, while cooperating with the healing power of nature (vis medicatrix naturae) is the guiding principle of naturopathic medicine, unifying its multifaceted modalities, from clinical nutrition and botanical medicine to homeopathy and mind-body therapy. Based on the most current research and evidence-based practices, Healing Depression will become a standard text for medical libraries, healthcare practitioners, and patients for years to come. "Living a life without joy is what living with depression is like. Dr Bongiorno has provided an excellent overview of depression as well as a guide to how it is treated in both standard and naturopathic models. His book will help healthcare providers of all licenses raise their patients out of the pit of depression." -- Dr Walter Crinnion, ND, Professor, Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine

Scott Shannon is an MD, president elect of the American Holistic Medical Association, and considered a national expert on holistic psychiatry. In this book he brings together a comprehensive overview of CAM treatments, with information on their effectiveness and safety for specific patient populations and for use in treating specific disorders. Modalities covered include Acupuncture, Nutritional Medicine, Herbal Medicine, Meditation, Biofeedback, Aromatherapy and others. Coverage also includes chapters on the best CAM modalities for treatment of Anxiety and PTSD, Depression, ADD, and Addictions. Each chapter will be in a similar template, beginning with a description of the treatment, its safety, compatibility with conventional treatments and/or contrindications, scientific documentation of its efficacy, discussion of which disorders it is best used for, and references. Most comprehensive overview of rapidly expanding field Includes chapters by 24 leading psychiatric/psychological experts in these fields Documents and rates the research base in each area Offers practical clinical approaches for four common mental health concerns—depression, anxiety, ADHD, and addictions Areas not yet covered in professional training Practices commonly employed by the public (40-50% of the American public use complementary or alternative approaches) No previous book of this nature or scope

Integrative Medicine for Depression A disease that has long plagued humankind, depression is debilitating. Despite the frequency with which they’re prescribed, drugs alone don’t always provide relief, and often have side effects that limit effectiveness. There’s new hope for treatment, as emerging evidence suggests depression can be triggered by biochemical imbalances and nutritional deficiencies. In the newly updated edition of Integrative Medicine for Depression, mental health expert Dr. James M. Greenblatt emphasizes the treatment of depression using an integrative regimen that first seeks to understand the whole person. This book offers fresh new possibilities for those who suffer from depression. Incorporating decades of research and treatment in this groundbreaking work, Dr. Greenblatt explains: ■ The biologic mechanisms that cause depression ■ Why previous treatments may have failed ■ Nutritional approaches to improve mood ■ Ways to minimize the side effects of antidepressants ■ Strategies for a personalized supplement program

**Selected for Doody's Core Titles® 2024 with "Essential Purchase" designation in Complementary & Integrative Health**

An all-natural, practical program for anxiety relief from the naturopathic doctor and author of How Come They’re Happy and I’m Not. With twenty years of research on the subject and more than a decade of helping patients free themselves from the grip of anxiety, naturopathic physician Peter Bongiorno now shares the insights, information, and tools you need to beat anxiety naturally. Taking all aspects of the mind and body into consideration, Bongiorno looks for and addresses the underlying causes of different types of anxiety disorders, and helps readers consider and develop new anti-anxiety habits. If you're one of the forty million Americans trying to stop panic attacks or overcome social anxiety, learn how to safely wean yourself off of medication and consider naturopathy treatment. In addition to case studies and a handy instruction guide, you’ll find information on: Food, vitamins, and herbs for anxietyAnxiety-reducing yoga poses and massage techniquesAcupressure points

This groundbreaking book explains the "whats" and "how-tos" of metacognitive therapy (MCT), an innovative form of cognitive-behavioral therapy with a growing empirical evidence base. MCT developer Adrian Wells shows that much psychological distress results from how a person responds to negative thoughts and beliefs?for example, by ruminating or worrying?rather than the content of those thoughts. He presents practical techniques and specific protocols for addressing metacognitive processes to effectively treat generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive?compulsive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and major depression. Special features include reproducible treatment plans and assessment and case formulation tools, plus a wealth of illustrative case material.

Healing and Wholeness: Complementary and Alternative Therapies for Mental Health provides a comprehensive overview of complementary and alternative treatments for mental health, with information and research on their effectiveness for treating specific disorders. Twenty-two chapters document research and the current practice of using complementary and alternative therapies in treating a number of disorders, including depression, anxiety, ADHD, autism, and addictions. The therapies covered are both state-of-the-art and ancient, including naturopathy, psychotherapy, hypnotherapy, nutritional therapy, herbal medicine, meditation, and others. Each chapter begins with a description of the classification of the disorder, followed by discussions of scientific documentation on diet, nutritional therapy, herbal medicine, complementary and alternative therapies, psychotherapy, and lifestyle changes. This compendium of integrative and holistic therapies provides the reader with access to a multitude of options for improving their mental health. This is a thorough guide to alternative therapies in the mental health field, organizing a large amount of information in a relevant, easy-to-use format. Healing and Wholeness: Complementary and Alternative Therapies for Mental Health can be used as a standard reference for the mental health care professional, the graduate student, or anyone looking to improve their emotional health. To learn more about Healing and Wholeness: Complementary and Alternative Therapies for Mental Health and to read excerpts, visit www.HealingandWholeness.org.