Each therapeutic contact provides unique opportunities to ameliorate suffering and cultivate change - that is, of course, if therapists can find a way to create the conditions that will allow those who seek their services to reveal personal difficulties, experience painful emotions, and take the risks necessary to solve their problems. Meeting that challenge is what this books is about.

There is ample evidence that therapy can be effective. Most clients who participate in psychotherapy can be effective. Most clients who participate in psychotherapy claim substantial and lasting benefit. It doesn't seem to matter whether the helper is a counselor, psychologist, social worker, or psychiatrist. When the helper is skillful, therapy not only alleviates symptoms and speeds up natural healing but also provides coping strategies for handling future problems.

This book is designed to offer some fundamental suggestions for implementing these basic therapeutic skills:

• Building workable therapeutic relationships with your clients
• You must be responsive to finding sources
• Maintain sensitivity to diverse groups and cultures
• Take care of yourself in order to maintain the intense concentration the providing therapy requires
• You should build strong collegial relationships to ensure opportunities for both professional growth and personal support

Providing mental health services is a challenging career that changes constantly. If you are either a new therapist or have many years under your belt this book will give you a fresh outlook of new ideas and suggestions to getting the most out of the therapy session.