Becoming a Therapist: What Do I Say, and Why?

Abstract

Reviews the book Becoming a Therapist: What Do I Say, and Why?, by Suzanne Bender and Edward Messner (see record 2002-11492-000). This is a practical, no-nonsense guide to the process of psychotherapy. The primary focus of this text is to provide novice clinicians with strategies to weather the many challenges and pitfalls of conducting psychotherapy. Although the bulk of the book focuses on psychodynamic psychotherapy, it contains a valuable discussion about the rationale for nonpsychiatric mental health providers obtaining comprehensive medical and psychiatric information on all patients. One of the shortcomings of the book is that it makes little if any reference to how ethnicity and gender affect aspects of psychotherapy. This book is a valuable and refreshing resource for both novice therapists and their patients. Though the target audience for this text is psychotherapists in training, it also provides valuable insights for clinicians of all levels and for anyone who wants to take a peek at the inner workings of psychotherapy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)