The Therapist’s Guide to Psychopharmacology: Working with Patients, Families, and Physicians to Optimize Care

Dive into the essential pharmacology knowledge every mental health therapist needs with “The Therapist’s Guide to Psychopharmacology” by Michael J. Gitlin — essential reading for psychologists, licensed counsellors, social workers, marriage and family therapists, and any non-prescribing clinician working with patients who are taking psychiatric medications.

Therapists are frequently on the front line of identifying when a patient’s medication may need adjustment, when side effects are affecting engagement in therapy, or when a patient’s concerns about their medication are getting in the way of adherence — and yet most therapy training provides minimal education in psychopharmacology. This book fills that gap directly, covering the major classes of psychiatric medications — antidepressants, antipsychotics, mood stabilisers, anxiolytics, stimulants, and sleep medications — with enough pharmacological detail to understand what each medication does, how it works, what side effects to be aware of, and how medication effects interact with the therapy process. It also covers how to communicate effectively with prescribing physicians on behalf of patients, how to discuss medications with patients and their families, and how to navigate disagreements about treatment approaches within a collaborative care team.

Whether you are a newly qualified therapist building your clinical knowledge, an experienced counsellor wanting to work more effectively alongside psychiatric colleagues, or a therapy educator developing clinical training curriculum, this guide provides the most accessible and practically focused pharmacology resource available specifically for non-prescribing mental health professionals.