Description
For almost forty years, On Being a Therapist has inspired generations of mental health professionals (and their clients) to explore the most private, confusing, and sacred aspects of helping others. In this classic text, Jeffrey Kottler explores many of the challenges that therapists face in their practices today, including pressures from increased technology, economic realities, and advances in theory and technique. He also examines the stress factors that are brought on from managed carebureaucracy, conflicts at work, and clients' own anxiety and depression. This seventh edition includes updated sources, new material on technology, an emphasis on teletherapy and navigating ethics and practice logistics remotely, and an increased focus on the “inner journey” of therapists over the course of their careers. Generations of students and practitioners in counseling, psychology, social work, psychotherapy, marriage and family therapy, and human services have found comfort, support, and renewed confidence in On Being a Therapist, as each edition builds upon this solid foundation as it continues to educate, inform, and inspire helping professionals everywhere.
Table of Contents
Preface to the Seventh Edition Acknowledgments About the Author 1. The Therapist's Journey 2. Struggles for Power and Influence 3. Personal and Professional Lives 4. On Being a Therapeutic Storyteller-And Listener 5. How Clients Change Their Therapists 6. Hardships of Therapeutic Practice 7. Being Imperfect, Living With Failure 8. Patients Who Test Our Patience 9. Boredom and Burnout 10. Pervasive Myths, Unexplained Mysteries, and Secrets of the Profession 11. Lies We Tell Ourselves-And Others 12. Self-Care Prospects and Realities: Becoming Models for Our Clients 13. Alternative Therapeutic Delivery Systems 14. Toward Creativity and Personal Growth Discussion Questions Appendix: On Being a Student, Client, or Supervisee: How to Get the Most From Your Own Sessions References and Sources Index
