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A Primer of Drug Action

A Primer of Drug Action – Julien, Advokat and Comaty

While not the primary author, contributors Dr. Claire Advokat and Dr. Joseph Comaty are the writing associates for long-time expert Dr. Robert Julien for the 11th edition of the enduring textbook, A Primer of Drug Action.

The first edition was published over 30 years ago, and the work has evolved right along with the science of psychopharmacology, with new discoveries and findings integrated and explained through 21 chapters. Primer continues to be the definitive work on psychopharmacology of drugs and how they impact the mind and behavior of individuals.

Drs. Advokat and Comaty bring their many contributions in the field of psychology and psychopharmacology research to this publication, and provide the second chairs in this indispensable text of biological psychology and neuroscience.

Worth Publishers note that, “With over 40% new research citations, there is no clearer, more current presentation available on the mechanisms of drug action, etiologies of major psychological disorders, rationales for drug treatment, and the uses of psychopharmacology in patient care.” The publisher’s website includes a workbook section where instructors and students can log on to review key concepts, take quizzes, and support the educational experience with a variety of tools

“Once any of it is written,” Claire said, “It goes to Joe or Julien and then back. There are layers and layers in the writing.” Between Claire and Joe, the writing process is “surprisingly smooth.” She said that Joe is a great resource for the work. “I focus on the neuroscience. Bob’s a PhD and MD, but not a psychiatrist or psychologist. Joe’s the clinician, and it’s great to have a spouse so knowledgeable.” Bob Julien has recently asked Claire and Joe if they would complete about 50 percent of the 2011 edition, and they have agreed.

Claire Advokat received her Ph.D. in Physiological Psychology from Rutgers and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Division of Neurobiology and Behavior, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University. She came to LSU from the Department of Pharmacology at the U. of Illinois, and here focuses on her primary research interest, Psychopharmacology. “My primary interest is in understanding the clinical effectiveness and the mechanism of action of drugs used in the treatment of mental illness…”

Joseph Comaty is Chief Psychologist/Medical Psychologist, HIPAA Privacy Officer, and Director of the Division of Policy, Standards, and Quality Assurance of the Louisiana State Office of Mental Health. He holds an adjunct faculty appointment at LSU where he collaborates with Claire in research that helps to address why some medications are less effective in practical applications than indicated from results from controlled clinical trials. His primary area of research is clinical psychopharmacology.

A Primer of Drug Action can be purchased at the publishers’ web site: www.worthpublishers.com or at your online bookseller.

My Big Fat Secret: How Jenna Takes Control of Her Emotions and Eating by Dr. Lynn Schechter

“I love to write,” Dr. Lynn Schechter said, explaining that she comes from a long line of literary people, including a grandmother who was one of the first graduates of Wellesley College, English teacher and Dean of a high school. “I’ve always written, whether it was poetry or journaling. I’m a creative person, and I just love to write.”

When her practice in New York and then in Louisiana led her to work with many overweight children, she began to have a growing concern for the struggles of these youngsters. “I saw how they were bullied and teased,” she said, “and how often they were eating out of emotional reasons, turning to food much as adults can.”

She stated that obesity was a multi-factorial problem, and often there are medical issues involved. But her collaborations with pediatricians alerted her to the need for behavioral approaches for these children. And she said, “I saw how often they were eating out of emotional reasons. Many had histories of trauma, anxiety and depression.” Lynn said, “I was motivated by care and a great concern for how these kids are suffering from being overweight.”

But when looking for a children’s book for them, she found “absolutely nothing. There were books for adults about emotional eating. But not one book for children.”

Lynn wrote her book in about an hour and a half, in a flurry of activity. But getting published was a bit different. “It was a journey, a fortuitous and challenging journey,” she said. First, she sent out thirty inquiries and received thirty rejections. Then her book sat for a year until she decided to self-publish. It took another year to find an illustrator, publish, and create sales via a website. But as her work began to be acknowledged and praised, and sales increased, a trip back to APA’s children’s books division, Magination Press, yielded an enthusiastic request from an editor to republish her work.

My Big Fat Secret: How Jenna Takes Control of Her Emotions and Eating is a publication of the American Psychological Association’s children’s book division, Magination Press. It is the featured selection this month and can be purchased at www.maginationpress.com

Dr. Schechter currently works in private practice in Baton Rouge, specializing in psychoeducational assessment and treatment of learning disabilities, attention disorders, developmental and emotional and behavioral problems, emphasizing a culturallysensitive family approach. Her degrees are from Cornell and Columbia University, and she has worked in schools, public clinics, hospitals, and private practice.

In 2007 she presented a paper about experiences as a helper in post 911, post Katrina and Gustav, at APA. It was published in the journal, Traumatology, a Sage Publication.

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Hypnotically Enhanced Treatment for Addictions by Dr. Joseph Tramontana

Dr. Joseph Tramontana has been a Licensed Clinical Psychologist in Louisiana and Mississippi for 38 yrs. He completed a BS degree at the University of New Orleans (then UNO), MA and Ph.D. degrees in clinical psychology from the University of Mississippi, and a clinical internship at the University of Tennessee Medical School in Memphis. He received Certification in Clinical Hypnosis from the American Society for Clinical Hypnosis, and is a certified counselor through the National Institute of Sports Professionals. Joe also is a longstanding member of the American, Mississippi, and Louisiana Psychological Associations.

While a mental health administrator, Joe authored and secured a number of federal grants for alcohol and drug abuse treatment. He has been in private practice for the past 31 years; after Hurricane Katrina he moved his office to Baton Rouge. Joe belongs to the Southern Pain Society and the Mississippi Pain Society. One day a week he works at a Pain Management Clinic in the New Orleans area. In addition, once a month he travels to the Mississippi Gulf Coast to see his long-standing, chronic pre-Katrina patients.

Joe has written a comprehensive book for clinicians entitled Hypnotically Enhanced Treatment of Addictions: Alcohol Abuse, Drug Abuse, Gambling, Weight Control, and Smoking Cessation, recently released by Crown House Publishing, Ltd.

The book offers treatment strategies, techniques, and scripts, and also reviews traditional methods of treating addictions in an outpatient population.

According to Bruce Eimer, author of Hypnotize Yourself out of Pain, stated: “This is the book I’ve been waiting for……It is a must read for every conscientious therapist.” Kris Kumar, a faculty member of the American Society for Clinical Hypnosis, described it as “a truly practitioner-oriented book . . . user friendly with plenty of metaphors, stories, scripts, and techniques.” Dabney Ewin, M.D., former President of the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis and a highly regarded expert in the hypnosis field, stated ”It is surprising that so little has been written about hypnosis for treating addictions, since it has been so successful in treating other refractory medical and mental disorders. Dr. Tramontana uses it skillfully, and his strategy and scripts are easy to follow.”

Joe is well into writing his next book, Enhancing Peak Performance through Sports Hypnosis.

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Health Psychology by Dr. Linda Brannon

Dr. Linda Brannon is a Professor of Psychology at McNeese State University, where she teaches a variety of courses in the undergraduate and graduate curricula. Dr. Brannon has been part of the McNeese faculty since she received her Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin. She also is a licensed psychologist in the state of Louisiana and the 1998 recipient of the MSU Alumni Association’s Distinguished Professor Award.

Dr. Brannon recently completed the 7th edition of Health Psychology: An Introduction to Behavior and Health, co-authored with Jess Feist. This book, a mainstay in the field of health psychology since the first edition in the 1980s, is known for its scholarship, strong research base, and balanced coverage of cognitive, behavioral, and biological approaches to health psychology. Topics include stress, pain, coping, behavior and chronic disease, and injuries and disease prevention through behavioral modification. Chapters include tips in how to check health risks and how to become healthier. Translations are available in Chinese, Korean, and Spanish.