
Trusting in Psychotherapy
Jon G. Allen(Author)
American Psychiatric Association Publishing
Published on 21. August 2021
Book
Paperback/Softback
250 pages
978-1-61537-391-8 (ISBN)
Description
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.
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.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
VA
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
US School Grade: College Graduate Student and over
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
2 Figures; 9 Tables, unspecified
Dimensions
Height: 226 mm
Width: 151 mm
Thickness: 15 mm
Weight
416 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-61537-391-8 (9781615373918)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Jon G. Allen
Trusting in Psychotherapy
E-Book
06/2021
American Psychiatric Association Publishing
€37.99
Available for download
Person
Jon G. Allen, Ph.D., is Clinical Professor of the
voluntary faculty in the Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral
Sciences at the Baylor College of Medicine, a member of the faculty emeriti
at the Center for Psychoanalytic Studies in Houston, and an adjunct faculty
member of the Institute for Spirituality and Health at the Texas Medical
Center.
voluntary faculty in the Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral
Sciences at the Baylor College of Medicine, a member of the faculty emeriti
at the Center for Psychoanalytic Studies in Houston, and an adjunct faculty
member of the Institute for Spirituality and Health at the Texas Medical
Center.
Content
About the
Author
Foreword
Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction: The
Scope of Trust in Psychotherapy
Chapter 1. From Trusting Therapies to
Trusting Therapists
Chapter 2. Developing Trust and Trustworthiness
Chapter 3. Trusting
Chapter 4. Becoming
Trustworthy
References
Index
Author
Foreword
Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction: The
Scope of Trust in Psychotherapy
Chapter 1. From Trusting Therapies to
Trusting Therapists
Chapter 2. Developing Trust and Trustworthiness
Chapter 3. Trusting
Chapter 4. Becoming
Trustworthy
References
Index