The Discriminating Therapist: Asking "How" Questions, Making Distinctions, and Finding Direction in Therapy

Rather than following the psychological tradition of endlessly analyzing why people make the choices they make, Dr. Yapko's innovative and refreshing book, The Discriminating Therapist, focuses on how people make the important life choices they make. When responding to a therapist's well considered "how" question, such as, "How do you determine whether you have control in that situation?" the client's strategy for making choices is revealed, especially what distinctions the client is or isn't making that can lead to poor choices. Thus, therapists can more quickly and efficiently identify targets of treatment. What factors should our clients take into account when they try to answer life-determining questions such as, "How do you know whether to listen to your feelings or override them?" or "How do you know whether you should stay in or leave a relationship? The Discriminating Therapist provides answers. Dr. Yapko addresses twelve common discrimination issues that underlie the most common problems therapists are asked to treat, including depression, anxiety and PTSD. He offers typical examples of client statements therapists regularly hear that highlight what the client doesn't know that ends up hurting him or her. Dr. Yapko provides the therapist with a "clinical compass" that helps aim the therapy in the right direction. The Discriminating Therapist makes identifying and hitting therapeutic targets faster and easier. Dr. Yapko, an internationally respected psychologist who has lectured in more than 30 countries and authored 14 previous books, has spent nearly 40 years developing an approach to therapy that is brief, highly practical, and easily integrated with anyone's existing approaches. The Discriminating Therapist represents his most original insights and methods for providing effective treatment. Discover "how" you can apply these in your own work.