When a Loved One Won’t Seek Mental Health Treatment
By C. Alec Pollard, PhD, Melanie VanDyke, PhD, Gary Mitchell, LCSW, Heidi J. Pollard, RN, MSN, and Gloria Mathis, PhD
I saw the main author, Dr. Alec Pollard, speak at a conference in 2024 and ordered his book within 20 minutes of his presentation starting. Beyond Dr. Pollard being an engaging speaker, the book itself successfully bridges the gap between being a helpful resource for both clinicians and family members. It does an excellent job of reinforcing the message that a loved one’s mental health challenges do not mean we should accommodate or modify our behaviors, especially if those accommodations exacerbate their difficulties.
As a child and adolescent psychologist, I have spent my career helping parents understand how their reactions can become part of the issue. One of the most valuable lessons family members can learn—and one this book strongly reinforces—is that when we validate our loved ones’ emotional experiences while expressing confidence in their ability to handle tough situations, they build a genuine sense of safety and self-security. This feeling of safety and security can thereby help move a loved one toward wanting to make changes.
