1st Edition
Living Well with Psychosis Practical Strategies for Improving Your Daily Life
By Aaron P. Brinen
Copyright 2025
260 Pages
by
Guilford Press
Guilford Press inspection copies are only available as eBooks.
260 Pages
by
Guilford Press
Guilford Press inspection copies are only available as eBooks.
For people with psychosis, recovery is a winding path, not a straight line. And the best person to steer your recovery is you. Leading psychologist Aaron P. Brinen busts myths and helps you build the life you want in this empowering book. Dr. Brinen provides step-by-step guidance for becoming a strong self-advocate, navigating treatment options, managing symptoms that cause distress, and... Read more
Introduction
I. Preparing to Live Well Again: Orienting the Captain
1. The Lay of the Land: Treatment
2. The Shadow Obstacles
3. Medications
4. Families
II. Specific Obstacles to Living Well: The Usual Suspects
5. Motivation
6. Connection
7. Distressing Voices and Visions
8. Threat Beliefs about Others
9. Beliefs of Exceptionality
10. Anger
11. Communication Disturbance
12. When the Past Haunts You
13. When Hopelessness Preys
III. Living Life
14. Friends and Lovers
15. Work and School
16. Your Temple, the Body
17. Living Your Best Life
Resources
Index
I. Preparing to Live Well Again: Orienting the Captain
1. The Lay of the Land: Treatment
2. The Shadow Obstacles
3. Medications
4. Families
II. Specific Obstacles to Living Well: The Usual Suspects
5. Motivation
6. Connection
7. Distressing Voices and Visions
8. Threat Beliefs about Others
9. Beliefs of Exceptionality
10. Anger
11. Communication Disturbance
12. When the Past Haunts You
13. When Hopelessness Preys
III. Living Life
14. Friends and Lovers
15. Work and School
16. Your Temple, the Body
17. Living Your Best Life
Resources
Index
Biography
Aaron P. Brinen, PsyD, is a clinical psychologist in private practice, where he employs evidence-based treatments to help people recover from serious mental health conditions. He is also Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. Dr. Brinen is a codeveloper of recovery-oriented cognitive therapy (CT-R), and has been active in adapting CT-R for different settings and training therapists from around the world.
"I wish this book had been available when I really needed it 25 years ago! I am so glad Dr. Brinen acknowledges that a person with psychosis or other mental health challenges can truly be the captain of their own ship. The worksheets, the concrete steps, and ways to think about treatment are different than any other therapy or self-help book I have encountered."--Rob W., Boston
"Brains are complex and odd, and life can be tricky. Getting lost in all that can result in psychosis. If that has happened to you, you won’t be able to fix all the strangeness of life and of your brain, but you can learn to make enough sense of it to live a rewarding life. That’s where this book comes in. It touches on many of the facets of the recovery journey with insight, clarity, and even humor. Well worth reading, whether you are struggling with psychosis or looking for ways to help someone you care about."--Ron Unger, LCSW, private practice, Eugene, Oregon
"Superb. This is a wonderfully encouraging book with a big heart. It is packed full of helpful information and never fails to recognize the uniqueness of each person's journey. An indispensable guide to psychosis."--Daniel Freeman, PhD, DClinPsy, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
"Psychosis can be a terrifying experience, but Dr. Brinen helps you navigate it with less fear. Reading this encouraging book is like walking hand in hand with a knowledgeable and caring friend. If I had had this valuable resource at the beginning of my psychosis journey, it would have demystified the condition and helped me to stabilize in an unstable time."--Carolynn Ponzoha, mental health advocate
"This unique, much-needed book is loud and clear in its message--people with psychosis deserve to and can have a rich and meaningful life! Drawing from the latest research and his years of experience as a cognitive behavioral therapist, Dr. Brinen provides practical strategies for managing the challenges of psychosis, creating a vision for your life, and turning it into reality."--Dimitri Perivoliotis, PhD, VA San Diego Healthcare System and Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego School of Medicine-






