Psychotherapy in Corrections
- Peter N. Novalis, M.D., Ph.D.,
- Virginia Singer, D.N.P., PMHNP-BC, CARN-AP,
- Carol M. Novalis, M.A.
To practice psychotherapy in a correctional setting is to encounter a range of cultural issues reflecting the various ethnic, class, gender, and physical subgroups of the prison population—as well as to navigate the culture of the prison, staff, and justice system that underpins the patients' circumstances.
Drawing on the authors' extensive professional experience, Psychotherapy in Corrections offers mental health professionals a comprehensive look at the most common situations they are likely to face and provides practical advice on dealing with them.
Diagnostically oriented chapters cover core issues that include self-harm and substance use disorders, as well as mood and personality disorders. Specific supportive therapy techniques for addressing these issues, as well as special situations—including the experience of women in prison, behaviors that can disrupt care, and efforts to reduce recidivism—are illustrated by clinical vignettes.
In tackling the social and developmental conditions that lead individuals to interact with the correctional system, Psychotherapy in Corrections also acknowledges the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the movement for social justice in society. Anyone who conducts psychotherapy in a prison setting will benefit from an approach centered on treating the human in front of them, regardless of the setting or their crime.
Peter N. Novalis, M.D., Ph.D., has more than 30 years of clinical experience, most of it in public psychiatric institutions, including state and federal psychiatric hospitals and correctional facilities. He was the primary author of the first major textbook on supportive psychotherapy, Clinical Manual of Supportive Psychotherapy, which was recently published in its second edition in 2020. Recognizing a need for the application of supportive psychotherapy in correctional facilities, he has developed the current project along with his coauthors.
Virginia Singer, D.N.P., PMHNP-BC, CARN-AP, is a nurse practitioner, board certified in psychiatric mental health and addictions. She has more than 25 years of experience in mental health and has worked in jails, state prisons, inpatient psychiatric hospitals, and inpatient and outpatient drug and alcohol treatment centers.
Carol M. Novalis, M.A., is an adult educator and researcher with 30 years of experience in both private and public institutions. She has a special interest in improving the education of socially disadvantaged adults.
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9781615379637 |
| Publisher: | American Psychiatric Publishing |
| Copyright Year: | 2022 |
| Print Date: | September 13, 2022 |
| Online Date: | December 5, 2024 |