New DVDs:

Coping with the Suicide of a Loved One: An REBT Approach, with Albert Ellis

Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy for Addictions,
with Albert Ellis

Experiential Therapy, with Augustus Napier

Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy, with Sue Johnson

Depression: A Cognitive Therapy Approach,
with Arthur Freeman

Dear Colleagues,

"It's the relationship that counts." How many times have we heard this? I recall during my first day of graduate school a professor asking about the necessary conditions for therapeutic success, and my fellow students chanted back like a Greek chorus something about a safe, trusting relationship. Seemed like they already knew something that I didn't.

Over the years I have become a strong convert of this belief, based on my own clinical experience, and an occasional reading of the research, which repeatedly validates that the strength of the therapeutic alliance trumps all other factors. Of course establishing a working relationship with some clients is not as easy as it sounds--and although the relationship does count quite a bit, it is not the only thing that counts. Techniques do matter, especially for certain difficult-to-treat conditions and challenging clinical situations.

Working with families is an important area where skill and experience are critical. In our Featured Interview, Augustus (Gus) Napier quotes from his teacher Carl Whitaker that "family therapy is like heart surgery: it's very complex, and you'd better not do it by yourself because you're in over your head." And as Napier makes clear, the question of who the client is that we're supposed to be forming an alliance with is in itself not so easy to answer. Making changes in a family system often involves challenging their status quo--and he advocates making risky interventions that may ruffle quite a few feathers. Even in regards to individual therapy, he exhorts us to think beyond the therapist-client relationship, but rather to the larger system that the client lives in. Napier is nothing if not passionate and provocative, and we hope this interview will stimulate some new thinking on your part. (Two CE credits available.)

The treatment of obsessive and compulsive disorders is another common scenario where talented therapists are easily defeated. Experienced therapists often pull out all their tricks: clever interpretations, catharsis, prescribing the symptom, cognitive interventions, all the while developing that cherished alliance--often all to little avail. Elias Aboujaude, a psychiatrist specializing in OCD and impulse control disorders contributes H₂O Under the Bridge: A Case of Trichotillomania. You may have never treated a client with this condition, but it's actually more common than you might think, and this story makes for a good primer and a fascinating read. (Two CE credits available.)

For further explorations regarding the therapeutic relationship, see my latest Cartoon.

Cheers,

p.s. If you've enjoyed this newsletter, please forward it to a colleague.

p.p.s. You can now view clips from many of our videos on YouTube.

You can now see one of the most bold and influential therapists of our generation demonstrate his signature style: Albert Ellis is headstrong, confrontative, forceful and rational. Whether you espouse his techniques or not, he certainly leaves an impression.

In two DVDs he demonstrates his REBT approach in actual therapy sessions: In Coping with the Suicide of a Loved One: An REBT Approach, Ellis works with a client whose husband committed suicide in front of her and her daughter ten years ago. Ellis works with the irrational beliefs she still holds about the event. (2.5 CE Credits available.)

In Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy for Addictions, Ellis works with a client addicted to several drugs, and prone to distraction and tangential stories. Ellis remarkably keeps him focused on the task at hand: the irrational beliefs that sustain his drug addiction. (One CE Credit available.)

As a special promotion for our newsletter readers, we are offering free CE when you order either of these DVDs! Just add both the DVD and the CE course to your shopping cart, then enter promocode FREECE1109 during checkout. This promotion only lasts 10 days, and will end on November 14th.

Psychotherapy.net is continually on the look out for new articles and interviews. We publish compelling pieces on relevant clinical issues, theory, and techniques. We look for real, in-the-trenches accounts that include the personal experience of the therapist.

Do you have a piece that might fit with what we are looking for? Send it to us!

Do you have an idea for an article that you would like to share with us? Write to us! And review our Submissions Guidelines for pointers and inspiration.

Our readers want to hear your stories, accounts of interesting cases, and lessons learned from the therapist's chair. Send your pieces or ideas to us at submissions@psychotherapy.net. We compensate contributors with up to $500 in DVDs and CE Credits.