From the Foreword, by Arnold Lazarus, PhD, ABPP: "I shudder when I think... when I, as a newly minted PhD in clinical psychology, was certified as competent and qualified... it is not farfetched to say I knew next to nothing..." "Newly minted" therapists aren't alone in making mistakes, of course; even seasoned professionals can benefit from discovering the 50+ most common errors therapists make, and how to avoid them. Newly revised and updated, this indispensable guide includes more case examples and adds seven ways "to fail" with child patients, too. How to Fail... details how to avoid errors such as not recognizing limitations, performing incomplete assessments, ignoring science, ruining the client relationship, setting improper boundaries, terminating improperly, therapist burnout, and more.

Bad Therapy offers a rare glimpse into the hearts and mind's of the profession's most famous authors, thinkers, and leaders when things aren't going so well. Jeffrey Kottler and Jon Carlson, who include their own therapy mishaps, interview twenty of the world's most famous practitioners who discuss their mistakes, misjudgements, and miscalculations on working with clients. Told through narratives, the failures are related with candor to expose the human side of leading therapists. Each therapist shares with regrets, what they learned from the experience, what others can learn from their mistakes, and the benefits of speaking openly about bad therapy.

How do you choose between hundreds of available therapies - offered by psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and counselors - to help you conquer painful feelings, dysfunctional relationships or out-of-control behavior? What are the sessions really like? What do they cost? Will you be required or encouraged to take medication? How will you know if it's working, and when it's time to stop?Sherman deconstructs the tower of psychobabble, giving you the tools you need to get the most out of therapy.

This thought-provoking book examines the clinical dilemmas faced by therapists who, for a variety of reasons, are working with involuntary or reluctant clients. These individuals often come to therapy through the judicial system but might also be problem employees or spouses persuaded to enter therapy by their mates. Under these circumstances, working together can be frustrating for both therapist and client. The typical therapist's skills of reflecting, probing, and supporting often fail with individuals who did not enter into therapy of their own accord--or who, once there, do not engage readily with the therapist. The inquiring approach to therapy, with its frequent questioning of the client, can have an unwelcome and intrusive quality for poorly motivated clients. Stanley Brodsky demonstrates how therapists can tailor their interventions to avoid impasses, build a firm alliance with the client, and help him or her develop more productive behaviors. Specifically, Brodsky proposes that therapists adopt a variety of techniques that largely avoid asking questions. Instead, he shows how therapists can make assertive statements about what is happening in the client's life, identify behaviors, and describe choices the client might make. Through the use of case material, the author demonstrates that interacting creatively with reluctant clients can lead to significant breakthroughs. The provocative ideas in this book will be welcomed by therapists and counselors who work with offenders, probationers, involuntarily committed patients and, more broadly, other clients who fail to make progress.

Learn from master therapists and bring your skills to the next level Bringing a breath of fresh air to the therapy profession, this compelling and thoughtful resource urges readers to move from competency to full mastery in the mental health field. Combining the findings of hundreds of previous studies, interviews with a wide range of master therapists, own unique experiences and perspectives, Jeffery A. Kottler and Jon Carlson have devised a guide that takes therapists out of their comfort zones. Professionals in the fields of psychology, counseling, social work, and human services, as well as graduate students studying for these professions, will find a level of honesty and candor in this resource, which tackles a range of essential topics in a frank, personal tone, and closes with a meaningful discussion about the challenges of striving for mastery. Master therapists and authors Kottler and Carlson explore a range of hot-button topics, such as: Cultural misunderstandings Disliking your clients (or having clients dislike you) Receiving negative feedback from clients Injecting creativity into the therapeutic process Finding time for social justice and advocacy On Being a Master Therapist provides a much-needed look at a range of topics that aren't often given such genuine and insightful treatment, with the goal of helping you attain the attributes that truly distinguish excellence in clinical practice. Start on your journey toward mastery with this thoughtful resource.

Leading experts reveal systemic and integrative approaches to family therapy When Marriages Fail: Systemic Family Therapy Interventions and Issues presents several leading experts in the field discussing the full spectrum of clinical interventions and family therapy for troubled and divorcing families. This comprehensive resource presents a broad overview of the literature that provides a foundation for the entire field, then narrows its focus to clearly review clinical assessment models and the special issues that may be factors in conflicted families. Therapists, psychologists, counselors, and social workers learn cutting-edge recommendations for policies protecting the well-being of children involved in divorce, plus practical, specific systemic treatment interventions that are illustrated with case studies. When Marriages Fail is separated into three logically organized sections. Part one provides a helpful overview of the field’s evolving literature as it stands now and gives tools to therapists and their clients to explore their internal and dyadic processes in considering whether or not to divorce. The second part presents two systemic models that explore the dynamics of conflicted couples moving toward divorce and considers specific family circumstances that affect the entire divorce process, such as family violence, disclosure of gender orientation, and the unhappiness of the family’s children. Part three discusses in detail specific and practical treatment interventions, considering factors involved when diverse families separate, divorce, and remarry. The text also provides a fitting tribute to William C. Nichols, a pioneer of marital and family therapy. Topics in When Marriages Fail include: the therapist’s choices in helping couples process their own choices an ecosystemic look at the rights of children in divorce interventions for mourning, adulterous triangles, incongruent goals, cultural differences, or family of origin disclosing gay or lesbian orientation in marriage domestic violence issues children’s trauma in the parental break-up family therapy interventions through three systemic stages of divorce remarriage of the first spouse in post-divorce families trauma of the betrayed spouse parent loss and serial relationships “gay divorces” and more! With Forewords by Douglas Sprenkle and Augustus Y. Napier as well as several international contributors who shed light on how this compelling subject is addressed outside of the United States, When Marriages Fail is an invaluable source of the latest knowledge and interventions for family therapists, counselors, social workers, and psychologists.

The Courage to be Disliked meets The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: an essential, inspirational, wise and forgiving book that will liberate the people pleaser inside us all.