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Contents for The Gift of Therapy  


The Gift of Therapy has 85 short chapters, each offering a suggestion or "tip" for therapy. Excerpts from the book may be accessed via the highlighted links below. 

Contents

  1. REMOVE THE OBSTACLES TO GROWTH

  2. AVOID DIAGNOSIS (EXCEPT FOR INSURANCE COMPANIES)

  3. THERAPIST AND PATIENT AS "FELLOW TRAVELERS"

  4. ENGAGE THE PATIENT

  5. BE SUPPORTIVE

  6. EMPATHY: LOOKING OUT THE PATIENT'S WINDOW

  7. TEACH EMPATHY

  8. LET THE PATIENT MATTER TO YOU

  9. ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR ERRORS

  10. CREATE A NEW THERAPY FOR EACH PATIENT

  11. THE THERAPEUTIC ACT NOT THE THERAPEUTIC WORD

  12. ENGAGE IN PERSONAL THERAPY

  13. THERAPIST HAS MANY PATIENTS; PATIENT, ONE THERAPIST

  14. THE HERE-AND-NOW. USE IT, USE IT, USE IT

  15. WHY USE THE HERE-AND-NOW?

  16. USING THE HERE-AND-NOW — GROW RABBIT EARS

  17. SEARCH FOR HERE-AND-NOW EQUIVALENTS

  18. WORKING THRU ISSUES IN THE HERE AND NOW

  19. THE HERE-AND-NOW ENERGIZES THERAPY

  20. USE YOUR OWN FEELINGS AS DATA

  21. FRAME HERE-AND-NOW COMMENTS CAREFULLY

  22. ALL IS GRIST FOR THE HERE-AND-NOW MILL

  23. CHECK INTO THE HERE-AND-NOW EACH HOUR

  24. WHAT LIES HAVE YOU TOLD ME?

  25. BLANK SCREEN? FORGET IT! BE REAL

  26. THREE KINDS OF THERAPIST SELF-DISCLOSURE

  27. THE MECHANISM OF THERAPY — BE TRANSPARENT

  28. REVEALING HERE-AND-NOW FEELINGS — USE DISCRETION

  29. REVEALING THE THERAPIST'S PERSONAL LIFE: USE CAUTION

  30. REVEALING YOUR PERSONAL LIFE — CAVEATS

  31. THERAPIST TRANSPARENCY AND UNIVERSALITY

  32. PATIENTS WILL RESIST YOUR DISCLOSURE

  33. AVOID THE CROOKED CURE

  34. ON TAKING PATIENTS FARTHER THAN YOU HAVE GONE

  35. ON BEING HELPED BY YOUR PATIENT

  36. ENCOURAGE PATIENT SELF-DISCLOSURE

  37. FEEDBACK IN PSYCHOTHERAPY

  38. PROVIDE FEEDBACK EFFECTIVELY AND GENTLY

  39. INCREASE RECEPTIVENESS TO FEEDBACK BY USING "PARTS"

  40. FEEDBACK: STRIKE WHEN THE IRON IS COLD

  41. TALK ABOUT DEATH

  42. DEATH AND LIFE ENHANCEMENT

  43. HOW TO TALK ABOUT DEATH

  44. TALK ABOUT LIFE MEANING

  45. FREEDOM

  46. HELPING PATIENTS ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY

  47. NEVER (ALMOST NEVER) MAKE DECISIONS FOR THE PATIENT

  48. DECISIONS: A VIA REGIA INTO EXISTENTIAL BEDROCK

  49. FOCUS ON RESISTANCE TO DECISION

  50. FACILITATING AWARENESS BY ADVICE GIVING

  51. FACILITATING DECISIONS — OTHER DEVICES

  52. CONDUCT THERAPY AS A CONTINUOUS SESSION

  53. TAKE NOTES OF EACH SESSION

  54. ENCOURAGE SELF-MONITORING

  55. WHEN YOUR PATIENT WEEPS

  56. GIVE YOURSELF TIME BETWEEN PATIENTS

  57. EXPRESS YOUR DILEMMAS OPENLY

  58. DO HOME VISITS

  59. DON'T TAKE EXPLANATION TOO SERIOUSLY

  60. THERAPY ACCELERATING DEVICES

  61. THERAPY AS A DRESS REHEARSAL FOR LIFE

  62. USE THE INITIAL COMPLAINT AS LEVERAGE

  63. DON'T BE AFRAID OF TOUCHING YOUR PATIENT

  64. NEVER BE SEXUAL WITH PATIENTS

  65. LOOK FOR ANNIVERSARY AND LIFE-STAGE ISSUES

  66. NEVER IGNORE "THERAPY-ANXIETY"

  67. DOCTOR, TAKE AWAY MY ANXIETY

  68. ON BEING LOVE'S EXECUTIONER

  69. TAKING A HISTORY

  70. A HISTORY OF THE PATIENT'S DAILY SCHEDULE

  71. HOW IS THE PATIENT'S LIFE PEOPLED?

  72. INTERVIEW THE SIGNIFICANT OTHER

  73. EXPLORE PREVIOUS THERAPY

  74. SHARING THE SHADE OF THE SHADOW

  75. FREUD WAS NOT ALWAYS WRONG

  76. CBT IS NOT WHAT IT'S CRACKED UP TO BE . OR, DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE EVT BOGEYMAN

  77. DREAMS — USE THEM, USE THEM, USE THEM

  78. FULL INTERPRETATION OF A DREAM? FORGET IT!

  79. USE DREAMS PRAGMATICALLY: PILLAGE AND LOOT

  80. MASTER SOME DREAM NAVIGATIONAL SKILLS

  81. LEARN ABOUT THE PATIENT'S LIFE FROM DREAMS

  82. PAY ATTENTION TO THE FIRST DREAM

  83. ATTEND CAREFULLY TO DREAMS ABOUT THE THERAPIST

  84. BEWARE THE OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS

  85. CHERISH THE OCCUPATIONAL PRIVILEGES