On Becoming a Psychotherapist explores how psychotherapists develop as practitioners through both professional training and the training that can only be obtained through personal experience.
Revised and expanded for the digital age, this trusted guidebook and text helps novice psychotherapists of any orientation bridge the gap between coursework and clinical practice. It offers a window into what works and what doesn't work in interactions with patients, the ins and outs of the therapeutic relationship, and how to manage common clinical dilemmas. Featuring rich case examples, the book speaks directly to the questions, concerns, and insecurities of novice clinicians. Reproducible forms to aid in treatment planning can be downloaded and printed in a convenient 8 1/2" x 11" size. New to This Edition *Reflects two decades of technological changes--covers how to develop email and texting policies, navigate social media, use electronic medical records, and optimize teletherapy. *New chapters on professional development and on managing the impact of therapist life events (pregnancy and parental leave, vacations, medical issues). *Instructive discussion of systemic racism, cultural humility, and implicit bias. *Significantly revised chapter on substance use disorders, with a focus on motivational interviewing techniques. *Reproducible/downloadable Therapist Tools.
Why do people want to become a psychotherapist? How do they translate this desire into reality? On Becoming a Psychotherapist explores these and related questions. Ten leading therapists write about their profession and their careers, examining how and why they became psychotherapists. The contributors, representing a wide cross-section of their profession, come from both Britain and America, from different theoretical backgrounds, and are at different stages in their careers. They write in a personal and revealing way about their childhoods, families, colleagues, and training. This absorbing and fascinating book offers a fresh perspective on psychotherapy and the people attracted to it. This Classic Edition of the book includes a new introduction written by the authors and will be invaluable for qualified psychotherapists and those in training.
This well-respected guide to psychoanalytic psychotherapy addresses key issues for both beginning and practicing therapists, from the rhythm of the initial, middle, and final stages of therapy to the setting up of an office and the handling of fees and insurance. The book also deals with the management of borderline and potentially suicidal or homocidal patients in an out-patient setting. Unique in their direct approach to problems in a therapist's own life, the authors also discuss transference and contertransference issues that arise with pregnancy, changes in the therapist's love attachments, age, illness and a death in the practitioner's family. New in this second edition is a chapter on women therapists and women patients.
Nina Coltart's classic work, How to Survive as a Psychotherapist, was written over a quarter of a century ago and yet still resonates today with sage advice for the aspiring and established psychotherapist. This reissue contains a new Foreword from celebrated psychoanalyst David E. Scharff and an updated Further Reading section. Not simply a "how to" manual, this compact book is an amalgam of down-to-earth practicality about assessment, the pleasures of psychotherapy as opposed to analysis, details of how to run a practice, vivid clinical stories which don't necessarily turn out well, discussions of Buddhism, and an autobiographical finale on the balance between life and work, including Coltart's choice to live alone. Written in deceptively simple language, it reads easily and encourages beginners, but its backbone is the accrued wisdom for a career containing "survival-with-enjoyment" that offers new perspectives to both mid-career and experienced therapists and teachers. The professional autobiographical quality of the book reveals a lot about Coltart: her love of psychotherapy over full analysis and the number of strictures in analysis that she feels bind rather than guide. She describes the first years, in training and beyond, as full of anxiety: trying to get things right whilst an inner critical voice and the judgement of supervisors and teachers hangs over it all. Slowly, as time goes by, the ability to relax into a career with confidence in one's own voice, knowledge, and intuition leads to a capacity for enjoyment of what can seem to outsiders a grim profession dealing only with suffering. Coltart's book celebrates psychotherapy and its practitioners, and is full of interesting and practical advice that both experienced and novice psychotherapists will find invaluable. This enduring classic has stood the test of time and should be a feature of every aficionado's bookshelf.
Lessons from the personal experience and reflections of a therapist. The difficulty and cost of training psychotherapists properly is well known. It is far easier to provide a series of classes while ignoring the more challenging personal components of training. Despite the fact that the therapist's self-insight, emotional maturity, and calm centeredness are critical for successful psychotherapy, rote knowledge and technical skills are the focus of most training programs. As a result, the therapist's personal growth is either marginalized or ignored. The Making of a Therapist counters this trend by offering graduate students and beginning therapists a personal account of this important inner journey. Cozolino provides a unique look inside the mind and heart of an experienced therapist. Readers will find an exciting and privileged window into the experience of the therapist who, like themselves, is just starting out. In addition, The Making of a Therapist contains the practical advice, common-sense wisdom, and self-disclosure that practicing professionals have found to be the most helpful during their own training.The first part of the book, 'Getting Through Your First Sessions,' takes readers through the often-perilous days and weeks of conducting initial sessions with real clients. Cozolino addresses such basic concerns as: Do I need to be completely healthy myself before I can help others? What do I do if someone comes to me with an issue or problem I can't handle? What should I do if I have trouble listening to my clients? What if a client scares me?The second section of the book, 'Getting to Know Your Clients,' delves into the routine of therapy and the subsequent stages in which you continue to work with clients and help them. In this context, Cozolino presents the notion of the 'good enough' therapist, one who can surrender to his or her own imperfections while still guiding the therapeutic relationship to a positive outcome. The final section, 'Getting to Know Yourself,' goes to the core of the therapist's relation to him- or herself, addressing such issues as: How to turn your weaknesses into strengths, and how to deal with the complicated issues of pathological caretaking, countertransference, and self-care.Both an excellent introduction to the field as well as a valuable refresher for the experienced clinician, The Making of a Therapist offers readers the tools and insight that make the journey of becoming a therapist a rich and rewarding experience.
“[A] unique addition to the sparse literature on learning to become a nurse psychotherapist.... focuses not only on psychotherapeutic techniques, but also the work a nurse must be willing to do to become a skilled and helpful therapist.... a valuable resource for both psychiatric nursing graduate students and the practicing nurse psychotherapist.” —Angie S. Chesser, PhD, RN, APRN, CNS “Human beings are hot-wired biologically for relationship-building, and as such, it is the nurse–patient relationship that becomes central to healing.... This much-needed book gives voice to the very real perils of abandoning patients to pills. It is a clarion call to return to our roots and our strengths.” —Patrice Rancour, MS, RN Fast Facts for the Nurse Psychotherapist is the first book to guide the novice and experienced psychiatric APRN on the process of truly becoming a psychotherapist. It is grounded in the concept of self-reflection as a foundation for successful psychotherapeutic practice and addresses a variety of strategies and styles that foster positive outcomes; the use of dreams and other conscious/unconscious techniques; the clinical supervision process; and how to continually grow as an individual and therapist. This resource includes a variety of tools to promote self-reflection and provides practical considerations for the work environment, billing and other administrative responsibilities, and political concerns. Abundant case examples allow the reader to “sit in” on therapy sessions. The book also offers an overview of the history of the psychiatric nurse as therapist and the seminal work of Hildegard Peplau. Written in an approachable and conversational style, this unique resource will prepare nurse psychotherapists to become mindfully ready to help their clients to the fullest. Key Features: Highlights the importance of self-reflection and delivers helpful tools to promote it Provides strategies and styles for effective therapeutic practice Allows the reader to “sit in” on therapy sessions with vivid case examples Provides a foundation for independent professional and personal growth Written in an approachable, conversational style
This book helps therapists-in-training evaluate the different theories of psychotherapy and shows that there is no "right" theory -- rather, there are different therapeutic approaches that fit for each therapist and client. Through a thorough overview and reflection of the main theories of psychotherapy, this useful book will help graduate students in psychology find a theory that is compatible with their worldview and will encourage them to become more effective therapists by matching therapeutic approaches to themselves and their clients. By reading this book, students will be able to align their own values in their beginning practice to the major theories on which psychotherapy is based; they will be able to easily choose a model for practice maximizing their satisfaction, confidence, and effectiveness as a therapist. Author Derek Truscott skillfully presents the nine leading systems of psychotherapy, the underlying rationale and approach to treatment for each, and their seminal theorists. Each chapter showcases a specific theory's therapeutic goals, its assumptions about the therapist-client relationship, client tasks, and the related change processes. Chapters end with thought-provoking journal exercises, learning tasks, and case examples for the psychology student to use as an evaluation, as well as discussions of how each approach has evolved and is practiced today.
Choosing a career can be a major turning point in your life. This decision has the potential to open the door for success or close the door of opportunity. You may find yourself aspiring to a career that follows your family and societies norms and values without developing your own sense of self because you do not have the proper coaching and the right tools to create that clarity. The i in Life provides tools and exercises that allow you get to know your ito understand how you can serve your purpose professionally. The path you take in life should be influenced by your personal growth and aligned with the talent you were born with. By completing the exercises in this book you will be able to create clarity on who you are, where you are going, and how to get there.
Barry L. Duncan presents therapists with a comprehensive, evidence-based program for monitoring your clinical effectiveness and tracking your professional development, one client at a time.