Best Medical Psychology Research Books of 2025

The Gift of Therapy by Irvin D. Yalom is a must-read for therapists and patients alike. The book offers 85 personal and thought-provoking tips for beginner therapists, based on the author's 35 years of clinical practice. Yalom's fresh approach and valuable insights are presented through real case studies, making it an entertaining and insightful read for anyone interested in the subject. Yalom's writing style is engaging and humorous, making complex ideas easy to understand. Overall, The Gift of Therapy is an essential guidebook that enriches the therapeutic process and offers valuable lessons for improving relationships and self-understanding.

The sixth edition of Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches by John W. Creswell and J. David Creswell is an exceptional guide for designing research projects or developing research proposals. The book provides clear and concise instruction on research methods, addressing qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. The authors use numerous examples from a wide variety of disciplines to encourage readers to choose the approach that best fits the research question. The book has been updated to reflect the latest developments in mixed methods, best practices, and new trends in research. Overall, this book is an invaluable resource for anyone involved in social science methodology research.

This book, titled "Writing Literature Reviews: A Guide for Students of the Social and Behavioral Sciences," is an excellent guide for students to prepare literature reviews for their academic projects. The authors provide practical instructions and examples to navigate digital libraries, use bibliographic and plagiarism detection software, and break down the larger review exercise into smaller, manageable steps. The book is a masterpiece, carefully crafted for both undergraduate and graduate students. Overall, it is an exceptional resource that helps students succeed in their literature reviews with clarity, organization, and easy-to-understand tips.

The Myth of Mental Illness by Thomas Szasz is a groundbreaking book that challenges the psychiatric profession's diagnosis of unwanted behavior as a mental illness. With a new preface and bonus essays, this 50th-anniversary edition remains a significant critique of the moral implications of psychiatry's practices. Szasz's views on mental illness and drug addiction are presented with consistency and courage, making for fascinating reading. Although controversial, this classic work is a must-read for anyone interested in popular psychology and mental illness books.

Strategies and Tactics of Behavioral Research and Practice is a comprehensive guide for behavioral researchers and practitioners to measure and evaluate behavioral changes. The book provides an in-depth explanation of various methodological alternatives for measuring behavior and designing within-subject comparisons between control and intervention conditions. It also covers experimental designs, behavioral assessment, statistical analysis of data, and ethical issues associated with research methods. The authors have revised the classic text to make it more accessible and practical, including updated examples and suggested readings. This book is an invaluable resource for students and researchers in behavior analysis, psychology, education, social work, and other health science programs.

Thematic Analysis: A Practical Guide is a definitive guide to one of the most popular qualitative data analytic techniques in psychology and the social and health sciences. Written by Virginia Braun and Victoria Clarke, the book covers all aspects of thematic analysis, from contextualization to writing TA reports. It is highly accessible and practical, making it an essential addition to the evaluator's library. The engaging writing style and clear understanding of the wider terrain of qualitative research make this book a must-read for anyone interested in the field.

In "Love's Executioner," Irvin Yalom shares his experiences as a psychotherapist, providing insight into the personal desires and motivations of ten patients. Yalom's writing style is both captivating and humorous, offering a glimpse into the mysteries, frustrations, pathos, and humor at the heart of the therapeutic encounter. This classic and bestselling book has inspired generations of readers with its wise, humane, and stirring narratives. Yalom's ability to tell the fascinating, moving, enervating, inspiring, and unexpected stories of psychotherapy is what makes this book unique and a must-read for anyone interested in the field of psychology.

The updated tenth edition of Understanding Research Methods by Mildred L. Patten and Michelle Newhart is an excellent resource for anyone interested in learning about the principles of qualitative and quantitative research. The book covers all the important concepts traditionally taught in a research methods class and provides numerous case studies and exercises to help readers master the material. One of the unique features of this book is that each concept is treated independently, making it easy to adapt the material to any course. Overall, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in research methods and is a valuable addition to the field of popular psychology research books.

The book "Action Research in Education: A Practical Guide" is a comprehensive resource for both pre-service and in-service educators who want to improve their instructional practices. The book covers qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches to classroom and school-based studies. The newly revised edition also includes expanded coverage of collaborative and participatory action research, examples, and checklists to help readers self-assess their progress. Overall, the book is a valuable tool for educators looking to conduct research to enhance their teaching practices.

This book, titled "Writing the NIH Grant Proposal: A Step-by-Step Guide," by William Gerin, Christine Kapelewski, and Niki L. Page, is a valuable resource for researchers looking to secure NIH funding. The third edition offers practical advice for every step of the application process, including administrative details, budgeting, and building a research team. The book has been updated to cover the new Application Submission System & Interface for Submission Tracking (ASSIST) online submission form and the new scoring and reviewer reporting system. Overall, this book is an essential tool for researchers seeking to navigate the NIH grant application process successfully.