The art of using and losing control : adjusting the therapeutic stance / Richard G. Whiteside.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Whiteside, Richard G.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Psychotherapist and patient.

Control (Psychology).

Physical Description:

xvi, 213 pages ; 24 cm

Other Title:

Using and losing control

Place of Publication:

Washington, DC : Brunner/Mazel, [1998]

Summary:

The idea of control in therapy has been widely debated for years, with views often influenced by theoretical orientation and emotion. The author suggests that it is time to drop politically correct viewpoints and admit that any time therapists and clients interact, their patterns of cooperation influence the outcome of treatment, no matter what systems of therapy are used.

Therapeutic effectiveness can be enhanced if therapists accept the control issues of clients and adjust their own stances accordingly, a method the author calls transpositional therapy. By using this approach therapists are able to systematically evaluate the level of control clients are willing to give during sessions so that they can respond in a way that most effectively meets the client's needs. The author stresses that in each phase of therapy, clients control the therapeutic process because it is they who determine how much information is shared, how cooperative they will be, and if they will show up for the sessions. Therapists must be the tool that helps clients achieve their goals, no matter how much control is yielded or retained. The transpositional model presented in this book should be seen as a superstructure that can be applied to many existing therapeutic models to increase the effectiveness of therapy.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 207-208) and index.

ISBN:

0876308639

OCLC:

37024979