Providing Competent Care During Advanced Illness and the Dying Process

Abstract

Reviews the books, Counseling Clients Near the End of Life: A Practical Guide for Mental Health Professionals edited by James L. Werth Jr. (see record 2012-32839-000) and Counseling Individuals with Life-Threatening Illness by Kenneth J. Doka (see record 2008-17601-000). Doka provides a clear and compassionate overview of holistic and family-centered care for persons with life-threatening illness. The expressed goal of the book— “to make the struggle with life-threatening illness a little more understandable, and perhaps less lonely and frightening” is realized, making much of it applicable to a broader professional care audience than the title initially may suggest. The majority of the content discusses the phases of life-threatening illness beginning with a pre-diagnositic phase and ending with bereavement or remission/recovery, highlighting individuality in experiencing and managing predicable challenges or tasks. The book by Werth an advanced text that contains thoughtful and pragmatic guidance from expert clinicians in the field. The authors of each chapter draw heavily from the empirical literature to ensure information is evidence-based. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)