Not as enamoured as everyone else seems to be
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I'm beginning to wonder if I've been reading the same book as everyone else. I found it all 'too nice' and ultimately quite boring. As for suggesting that a therapist should give a patient a hug, hold their hand or whatever if that's what the client wants - tell that to the judge! Actually, you can't can you because it's not against the law is it? - so really this just once again highlights that there can still be pretty fuzzy boundaries in the counselling relationship if an 'expert' deems such contact ok.
I am reading Between Therapist and Client by Michael Kahn and so far, I much prefer it to the Gift of Therapy.
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An uplifting and relaxing book
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I bought this amongst a lot of work related text books, for my work as a metaphysician and therapist. I've found this invaluable and the insight into the author's work an absolute delight.
Beautifully written, in meaningful and free flowing language, this is an effortless read which really brings great ideas for one to one therapy.
I'd recommend it highly and am now on a mission to read everything by this author.
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Worthwhile and easy to read
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All therapists should read this, as you are likely to gain some useful insights, tips and advice. It's really easy to read, you can pick it up and put it down within minutes and resume reading without feeling lost. So, it's good for the busy therapist!! I love Yalom's writing, his down to earth approach, and his honesty. All characteristics that should be admired. Read it!
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an invaluable resource
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Well, after reading "Loves Executioner" I couldn't wait to get stuck into this one. A slightly different format this time, but a natural successor and designed to be exactly what it was - a treasure trove of hints and tips for counsellors and therapists. Yalom states at the outset that he drew up a list, words of advice that he wanted to impart, but upon finding that he had over 200, had to whittle it down to essential key issues. This he does well, using lots of mini-chapters and case histories to illustrate what might happen, how he dealt with it, how he and the clients benefitted and of course, the pitfalls that we may encounter. The advantage of his hindsight and experience provides us with a wonderful tutorial. The chapters may sometimes only be a paragraph long, but they keep things nicely succint, grouped together in themes which helps the flow. Just as easy to read as "Loves Executioner", just as interesting, but much more useful for the trainee or novice counsellor. Im sure many of us have experienced situations that we felt might have been better handled - this book will give you ideas for future encounters. For me, it showed me where I may have gone wrong and how to remedy things should a similar situation occur in the future. I thoroughly recommend this book.
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"Thought for the day" for counsellors and therapists!
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As always, Yalom's writing is immediately accessible and free from jargon. As is his thinking. What I most like about this book is his honesty; the fact that he sometimes goes overtime on sessions with clients; that he sometimes double-books his appointments; that he sometimes gets bored with clients. What I also like is what he suggests as creative ways to work with all of the above. This is the voice of an experienced therapist who has learned the 'rules' well, and can now play with them. I guess for therapists who are less well experienced, it may not be wise to become too idiosyncratic until we have the years of experience that Yalom does - but at least he keeps alive the awareness that therapy does not exist for the sake of the therapist or his/her school of training, but for the client. My favourite quote: "the difference between good mothers and bad mothers (and hence therapists) is not in the commission of errors, but in what they do with them".
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