May/June 2013

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Editor's Note

Rich Simon

There are some clients who yell at us, manipulate us, go broodingly silent on us, have uncontrollable emotional breakdowns in session, disappear for weeks at a time, ignore our advice, and later blame us when their lives don’t improve. The normal rules of genteel reciprocity, so willingly respected by our “nice” clients, are routinely trashed by these “tough customers.” What do we do?

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Is Resistance Dead?

Or Have the Rumors Been Exaggerated?

Clifton Mitchell

With all the recent developments in research, theory, and practice, we have more treatment options to choose from than ever before. Why then do so many practitioners still find client “resistance” a regular companion in their consulting rooms? Read More
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When Therapy Is Going Nowhere

Escaping the “Groundhog Day” Cycle

William Doherty

Why do we get stuck in “Groundhog Day therapy”—cases in which we spin our wheels from session to session? Before lurching on to alternative treatment strategies, the key to progress is recognizing the need to shift the therapist–client relationship. Read More
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Depathologizing The Borderline Client

Learning to Manage Our Fears

Richard Schwartz

Inevitably, given their history of trauma, many borderline clients will trigger their therapists from time to time. But forgoing the urge to blame these clients and taking responsibility for what’s happening inside you can become a turning point in therapy. Read More
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Breaking The Spell

7 Questions to Ask When Therapy is Stuck

Steve Andreas

When therapy goes wrong, it’s typically because we’ve entered our clients’ trance, joining them in their myopic misery. Once there, our job is to break the spell, broaden the vision, and open ourselves to possibilities outside the tunnel. Read More

Extra Feature

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Symposium Highlight

On With The Show

Celebrating the Craft at Symposium

Rich Simon

This year, 3,000 practitioners came to our annual Symposium to explore the fundamental question: are we any closer to unraveling the mysteries of psychotherapy than when Freud became the first therapist to complain about client “resistance”? Read More