Compassionate therapy : working with difficult clients / Jeffrey A. Kottler.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Kottler, Jeffrey A.

Series:

Jossey-Bass social and behavioral science series

The Jossey-Bass social and behavioral science series

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Psychotherapist and patient.

Resistance (Psychoanalysis).

Countertransference (Psychology).

Physical Description:

xvii, 252 pages ; 24 cm.

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

San Francisco : Jossey-Bass, [1992]

Summary:

How does a therapist handle a manipulative or controlling client? How can one overcome intense hostility in an uncooperative client? What can be done with a bitterly combative couple? It is the clients who defy the textbooks that challenge therapists to the limits of their personal as well as professional abilities. In Compassionate Therapy, seasoned therapist Jeffrey A. Kottler explores the characteristics of difficult clients and the nature of client resistance. Arguing that therapeutic conflict can be a constructive force, he shows how therapists can use this struggle to examine their own abilities, deepen their compassion, and develop flexibility. Kottler draws on his own extensive experience as well as the stories of his colleagues to offer proven approaches in overcoming the therapeutic impasse. Recognizing, for example, that clients are often most resistant when faced with threatening situations, Kottler suggests setting boundaries within the therapy that can reassure the client. Blending professional development with personal growth, Kottler demonstrates how a resourceful, inquiring therapist can overcome obstacles in therapeutic encounters and unlock the difficulties they hide.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 229-244) and index.

ISBN:

1555424228

OCLC:

24550155