BOOK REVIEWS
191
The book reads like a review article or a dissertation for a degree and this makes it difficult to say to whom it is addressed. The publisher’s blurb states: ‘. ..its primary readership will be occupational psychologists, clinical psychologists, occupational medics, managers, trade unionists . . .’, but any of those readers - as I wrote above - will need to go back to reading and assessing
any of the 600 references or just blindly believe what Baring has written. An unsatisfactory book, because it does not permit satisfying and scientifically valid conclusions to be drawn from its contents.
Autogenic Training - The Effective Holistic Way to Souvenir Press 1990 Price: Better Health. KAIKERMANI.
clinical assessment by the therapist. There are virtually no situations in which one could recommend the practice of Autogenic Training to unscreened and unsupervised clients. Patients who would benefit from the effect of supervised AT could find themselves in difficulty working on their own. For examples, those wishing to come off tran: quillizers or beta blockers may attempt sudden unsupervised withdrawal which can precipitate severe anxiety or angina. Similarly, those trying to ‘go it alone’ with AT who have severe underlying depression, anxiety, or obsessions, can get abruptly worse and require professional intervention. Some ‘neurotic’ patients can get exacerbation of their symptoms in the early stages of Autogenic Training and will continue to suffer these, even after stopping the exercises. This is not necessarily improved by off-loading, and is only avoided by careful supervision and management, aided by the feedback that the experienced therapist receives from the trainee’s diary and weekly reporting sessions. Whereas the author claims that the intentional offloading exercises are optional, in these clients they are mandatory. He also encourages depressed patients to practise these exercises alone. In these, and in certain psychotic individuals, the unsupervised use of some exercises is dangerous and can unlock violent anger which may then be unleashed on other members of the family, especially children. Although he refers to several experts in different areas of Autogenic Training, it is unfortunate that he did not check the text with them before going to press, as this would have avoided a number of technical errors which are quite serious. An example of this would be his advise to sportsmen, which is likely to dramatically impair athletic performance if used in the way described, rather than improve it. Sadly this book will probably also result in a rash of unauthorized and unqualified practitioners of Autogenic Training teaching it badly and being totally unaware of the damage they may do. By this book Dr Kermani has done a disservice to BAFATT and the cause of Autogenic Training in this country.
f18.50
Autogenic Training is a deceptively simple but surprisingly powerful therapeutic technique which needs to be learned with the help and supervision of an experienced and skilled instructor if it is to be effective and safe. Unfortunately Dr Kermani completely disregards this fundamental point in devoting a large part of this book to ‘A step by step guide on how to learn the technique of Autogenic Training without a qualified Autogenic Training instructor’. No amount of disclaimers to readers and special pleading on behalf of seriously ill groups such as AIDS patients, can absolve him from the basic error in approach which seriously marrs what otherwise might have been a useful book for those interested in Autogenic Training. This attempt to present AT as a ‘Teach Yourself method is as irresponsible as a book saying that if you don’t happen to have a local driving instructor, a complete novice can learn to drive any vehicle, even a heavy lorry, by leaping into the driving seat, starting the engine, letting off the brake and controlling what happens afterwards with the help of this handy ‘Do It YourselfGuide’. Most people would just stall and not get anywhere, while an unfortunate few might hurtle downhill out of control into a ditch or brick wall! Similarly, learning AT from this book is likely to be ineffective for the majority of readers who would lack the motivation and encouragement which a trained teacher provides. It could be dangerous for some with physical or emotional problems in which AT is contraindicated. This is compounded by the absence of any mention of the need for preliminary medical assessment and screening for everyone, as recommended by the international authority, Dr Wolfgang Luthe. This has been re-emphasised in books, manuals, and articles on the subject by both British Association for Autogenic Training and Therapy (BAFATT) and the International Committee for Autogenic Therapy (ICAT). Although he has quite correctly pointed out the contraindications for some client groups, he has failed to recognize that these were contra-indications for people who would be actually working with a therapist. These contraindications would be picked up during the inital careful
MAXB. CLYNE
DR MALCOLM CARRUTHERS, MD, FRCPath., MRCGP Chairman, BAFA TT; Chairman ICAT
