Written for an audience that includes private practitioners; counselors working in mental health centers, psychiatric hospitals, employee assistance programs, and other community settings; as well as counselor educators and their students, this helpful guide breaks down the concepts and terminology in the DSM-5 and explains how this diagnostic tool translates to the clinical situations encountered most frequently by counselors.

After describing the major structural, philosophical, and diagnostic changes in the DSM-5, the book is organized into four parts, which are grouped by diagnostic similarity and relevance to counselors. Each chapter outlines the key concepts of each disorder, including major diagnostic changes; essential features; special considerations; differential diagnosis; coding, recording, and specifiers; and, where applicable, new or revised criteria. Clinical vignettes, for illustration and study, help both clinicians and students visualize and understand DSM-5 disorders. Author notes interspersed throughout the text assist readers in further understanding and applying new material.