The Nurses’ Guide to Psychotherapy

This book is a guide for nurses who plan to incorporate psychotherapy into their field of work. Mental illness continues to be on the rise with increases in anxiety disorders, suicidality, and depression among others. Psychotherapy is a well researched intervention that helps individuals to improve and maintain their mental health and well-being. Recently in Ontario, Canada the proclamation of the controlled act of psychotherapy enabled certain members of six professional colleges, including Registered Nurses, to initiate and implement this controlled act. Registered Nurses exist in every nook and cranny across the world, from urban to rural and remote regions and can provide a far reach and excellent care, bridging the gaps for those needing access to psychotherapy services. Nurses have the skill, ability, legislative and regulatory rights to initiate the controlled act of psychotherapy. Nurses can provide psychotherapy treatment and interventions to address the growing needs of the population who experience mental distress. This book is unique in that the target audience is not only the experienced or expert nurse but was also created for nurses looking to shift the primary focus of their career to psychotherapy, for undergraduate student nurses, and for newly graduated nurses pursuing psychotherapy as part of their field of work. This book will build upon the experiences of the nurse client relationship that has always been foundational to nursing and will discuss nurses clinical expertise and knowledge in relation to a holistic approach to care when implementing psychotherapy interventions.