OnBecomingaBetterTherapistReview

ReviewsOn becoming a better therapist outcome either by changing our approach, or making a referral to a colleague. In the light of this, he mountsBarry L. Duncan a strong argument against the punitive use of outcomeAPA, 2010. HB. RRP $64.95. measurement and tracking that will lead therapists to This is a highly valuable and very fear rather than welcome it and respond constructively. readable book containing much for The second is the idea of the therapist’s treasure chest in both the beginner and experienced which memorable therapy moments and client feedback is therapist. It is grounded in the stored. It made me reflect on those very special moments experience of counsellors either in in therapy when we are privileged to share with clients in private practice or in agencies who profound moments of their lives. are required to deal with a wide The points made in the book are illustrated with a rich variety of people and a range of collection of clinical examples. The client’s contribution issues on a day-to-day and week- and wisdom is emphasised and it is always clear that we to-week basis while also coping with are talking about people rather than cases or examples of increasing accountability to third a DSM diagnosis. This is reflective of Dr. Duncan’s work party payers. Dr. Duncan focuses and for those who have not read any of his other bookson the human encounter that is at the core of therapy or papers this is an excellent piece to start. It is practiceemphasising the importance of the therapeutic alliance and grounded in research and research grounded in practice.referring back to the seminal ideas of Carl Rogers such as For those who want to pursue these ideas directly withempathy and unconditional positive regard. Lest anybody Dr. Duncan, free webinars are offered through his websitejump to conclusions however, this book, while warm and www.heartandsoulofchange.com.affirming of clients and therapists alike, is not a warm andfuzzy alternative to research-based practice. It is based on Review by Bill Robinson, counsellor, manager and seniorthe solid foundation of research into the effectiveness of supervisor with Relationships Australia, Mandurah, WA.therapy that has pointed repeatedly to the centrality of theclient contribution and the therapeutic alliance in achievingsuccessful therapy outcomes. This leads the author toanother key point of the book which is the importance offeedback, and the use of the outcome and session ratingscales on a session by session basis to monitor both theclient’s perception of change and their rating of the alliancewith the therapist. He demonstrates how this can beseamlessly woven into the work and can function as bothan evaluative and a clinical tool. As the results are sharedwith the client and discussed with them, therapy becomessomething the therapist and client do with each other, ratherthan something the therapist does to the client.While Dr. Duncan is deeply respectful of the courage shownby clients and their contribution to the work of therapy, he isalso affirming of therapists. Early in the book he reflects onthe research of Orlinsky and Ronnestad and their conceptof the therapists healing involvement. This has threesources; their sense of cumulative career development,theoretical breadth and currently experienced growth. Heemphasises that the overwhelming majority of therapistsare in the profession because they want to help peopleand therefore want to get better at what they do. They justneed to find the best way of doing this, which is not throughlearning yet another model but by developing their abilityto listen to clients, respond to their feedback, and relate tothem in a constructive and accepting manner.There are many other valuable ideas presented in thisbook and I will refer briefly to two of them. First, negativefeedback can be of great value to the therapist who wantsto learn how to become better at their craft, and acceptingthis can mean that ‘getting it wrong’ and acknowledgingthis can enable us to help the client to achieve a successful84 PSYCHOTHERAPY IN AUSTRALIA • VOL 17 NO 1 • NOVEMBER 2010

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OnBecomingaBetterTherapistReview

by Barry Duncan on Jan 25, 2011

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