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Myths, Misconceptions, and Invalid Assumptions of Counseling and Psychotherapy

by Jeffrey Kottler

A critical examination of counseling’s accepted practices

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Hardcover New English

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AlbakiReads Editorial

A critical examination of counseling’s accepted practices

Kottler and Rick Balkin examine widely accepted ideas in counseling and psychotherapy that may rest on limited evidence or go largely unquestioned. Organized chapter by chapter around a specific assumption, the book connects each issue to everyday clinical practice before bringing in empirical research and, where evidence remains inconclusive, pointed questions for professional reflection. Topics include the standard 50-minute session, the relationship between research and practice, the durability of therapeutic progress, social justice, and therapist effectiveness. The emphasis is on scrutinizing how professional habits become normalized and on clarifying the evidence—or uncertainty—behind them.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Counseling and psychotherapy practitioners examining established clinical conventions
  • Students and educators in counseling or psychotherapy programs
  • Professionals interested in research-informed clinical reflection

Themes

Counseling practicePsychotherapy researchEvidence and professional assumptionsTherapist effectivenessSocial justice

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

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.
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