Trusting in Psychotherapy

Trusting in Psychotherapy is an important book that fills a lamentable void:
although virtually everyone-therapists, students, and patients alike-believes
that trust is the foundation of psychotherapy, the topic has been neglected in
the psychiatric literature, to the detriment of the therapeutic relationship.
The author, who brings five decades of study and practice to the enterprise,
posits that cultivating trusting psychotherapy bonds-especially for patients who
have experienced developmental trauma in close relationships-is complex,
challenging, and a critically important topic for examination. Whereas
therapists are inclined to focus on patients' problems with trust, the author
argues that trusting cannot be understood apart from trustworthiness and that
therapists should give equal attention to the task of becoming trustworthy to
their patients. Blending developmental science and ethical thought in an
interdisciplinary spirit, the author draws on contemporary writings of
philosophers to elucidate the concepts of trust and trustworthiness. What it
means to trust in the practice of psychotherapy; the many facets of trusting and
trustworthiness; attachment relationships, both secure and insecure; the central
role of hope in trust; and the ethical-moral basis of trusting and
trustworthiness-these and other topics are addressed with competence and
care.

Intellectually engaging and designed to provoke thought, the book:
Offers a broadly developmental perspective, reflecting the belief that
attachment trauma plays a profound role in many severe psychiatric disorders and
emphasizing that the resulting and pervasive distrust and social alienation pose
significant obstacles to developing therapeutic connections. Provides an
overview of the professional literature on developing expertise in conducting
psychotherapy, with discussion of current research.Addresses the proliferation
of new therapies in the context of competing schools of thought and what this
proliferation means for the therapist caught between science and practice,
academics and clinicians. Is aimed chiefly at psychotherapists, yet its
conversational, generally nontechnical style makes it accessible to those who
are not mental health professionals, including patients who might wish to listen
in on the conversation and families who desire a more complete understanding of
the therapeutic process. Includes key points at the end of each chapter to help
the reader stay oriented and focused on the most important concepts.

Trusting in Psychotherapy argues persuasively that we should shift the
balance of our efforts from developing therapies to developing therapists, a
view that deserves to inform mental health research and thought leadership.