Being a Therapist—A Practioner's Handbook

Our contemporary world is one in which "the customer is always right," and therapists, like many other professionals, are increasingly beset by rules and regulations that undermine their authority and autonomy. While many books emphasize the therapist s duties and obligations in maintaining the wellbeing of his or her clients, this book is intended to redress the balance in favor of emphasizing the wellbeing of the therapist. It covers the topics of our present cultural zeitgeist, issues of professionalism, humanistic-existential assumptions, diagnosis, therapy, and the overall psychological wellbeing of the practitioner. It also offers a taster of the author s original theory of five basic personality types. It will be invaluable as a supplementary text on all therapy and counselling training courses.The personality typology presented in this book, which was developed by the author over twenty years of her practice, will be of particular interest to experienced practitioners, as well as to beginners, in providing them with a new conceptual framework to add to their established repertoire.The book is singular in its style personal, opinionated, humorous, self-revelatory, anecdotal and jargon-free. It addresses the philosophical and practical issues relevant to the practice of all types of humanistic therapy, while not favouring any particular theory. It probes issues related to the profession of therapy in depth while, at the same time, being exceptionally easy to read. It contains a plethora of advice and is full of humor and informality.