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There are certain assumptions about the practice of counseling that are accepted as "truths," beliefs that are so pervasive that they remain unchallenged by almost all practitioners of all persuasions and approaches. In this book noted authors Jeffrey Kottler and Rick Balkin cover a wide range of myths, misconceptions, and assumptions that have remained unchallenged or that have little research to support their efficacy. From the so-called 50-minute hour to how talk therapy even works and why it is effective, the book will tackle long-held assumptions and train a critical eye on the field.
List of contents
- Preface
- Introduction
- 1. What We Know, What We Think We Know, and What We Really Don't Know Much at All
- 2. How Myths and Misconceptions Have Shaped Our World
- 3. How and Why Myths and Misconceptions Endure
- 4. Some Tenuous Assumptions and Conceptions
- 5. If Research is So Important, Why Do We Often Ignore the Results?
- 6. When Therapy Tails
- 7. How We Really Learn to Do Therapy
- 8. Intake Interviews, the "Real" Problem, and How to Fix It
- 9. What's So Special About the 50 Minute Hour?
- 10. Who Are the Most Exceptional Clinicians?
- 11. Why the Effects of Therapy Don't Often Last
- 12. Scolding Therapists About Social Justice and Advocacy
- 13. Mythology and Ethics
- 14. Balancing Hope and Despair, and the Real Reasons for Burnout
- 15. Last Chapter but Not the End
- References
About the author
Jeffrey A. Kottler, PhD, is Clinical Professor, Menninger Department of Psychiatry, Baylor College of Medicine and Professor Emeritus, Department of Counseling, California State University, Fullerton.Richard Balkin, PhD, Professor, Department of Leadership and Counselor Education, University of Mississippi and Editor, Journal of Counseling and Development.
Summary
There are certain assumptions about the practice of counseling that are accepted as "truths," beliefs that are so pervasive that they remain unchallenged by almost all practitioners of all persuasions and approaches. In this book noted authors Jeffrey Kottler and Rick Balkin cover a wide range of myths, misconceptions, and assumptions that have remained unchallenged or that have little research to support their efficacy. Topics covered include the sacrosanct "50 minute hour," how basic research is conducted and whether the results inform actual practice, why progress made in therapy often doesn't last, what social justice actually means, and what makes someone an effective therapist.
Each chapter describes an issue, explores the way it operates in daily practice, and then presents empirical evidence to question or challenge its current use. In cases where there is little or no definitive research to support or refute the procedure, belief, or practice the authors present some critical questions that will at the very least encourage counselors to reflect on what they do and why.
Additional text
Kottler (Baylor College of Medicine) and Balkin (Univ. of Mississippi) provide a comprehensive summary of what therapists think they know about psychotherapy, alongside (or in contrast to) what is actually true about it.
