Working Together in Therapy

Introduction


Part 1: Working together


Part 2: The journey into therapy
What is therapy?
Different ways of making sense of how therapy can help
Could therapy be useful for me?
How to decide on whether or not to try therapy
Finding the right therapist or therapy service
Why now?
Stuck in the queue: waiting for therapy


Part 3: Making a start on working together
The welcome
Informed consent
Connecting across difference
What you bring
What are we trying to achieve in therapy?
What resources might we use in therapy?
Who else might be involved
Looking at the bigger picture and keeping a sense of perspective 
Dealing with things step by step


Part 4: In the thick of it
Helpful activities during therapy sessions 
Helpful activities between sessions
Things not said
Using humour and positive experiences 
Being creative in our work together
Repairing your relationship
Using nature
Using religion and spirituality
Shifting your time horizon 
Using technology
Using medication: holding the conversation open
What if things get really bad and I want to harm myself? 


Part 5: Staying on track
Keeping track of progress
Dealing with interruptions
Is this a safe place for me? 
Part 6 Bringing things to an end
Deciding when to end
How to end
Staying well 


Further reading and resources 
Index

Working Together in Therapy has been written to support clients and therapists to develop a better mutual understanding of how each of them can best contribute to creating a therapy experience that is relevant for the client. The book explores the most common concerns and questions that people have about therapy and looks at how these issues can be discussed and resolved by the therapist and client during therapy sessions. Working Together in Therapy aims to de-mystify therapy, so that anyone entering therapy can maximise its value in relation to enhancing their well-being and ability to fulfil their capacity to be productive and members of society.