Bristling with recognizable and illuminating case vignettes, this long overdue book starts right where the beginner lives, in anxiety and confusion, and then - patiently, reassuringly, comprehensively, supportively - provides practical answers to the question every beginner invariably asks: "But what do I do?" As an added bonus, ethical and risk management issues are also covered in clear, clinically savvy language. All beginner and trainees should have this book on their shelves. -- Thomas G. Gutheil, MD, Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School I wish The Beginning Psychotherapist's Companion had been available when I began seeing clients. Without talking down to readers or overwhelming them with excess detail, Jan Willer manages to educate them about virtually everything their graduate programs left out of their training. The writing is lively, readable, and full of clinical illustrations that support the author's incomparably useful advice. This book not only fills a critical gap in the literature for early-career practitioners, but also can be tapped by therapists of any experience level when they inevitably find themselves facing new clinical challenges. -- Nancy McWilliams, Ph.D, Professor, Graduate School of Applied & Professional Psychology, Rutgers University, Author of Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy: Jan Willer has written a book that is a lodestone for new therapists and should be a must-read for them. She has provided much needed information on numerous topics, some of which are not discussed elsewhere, and presented the material in a way that is very readable and easy to comprehend. Additionally, this book is is diversity-sensitive and uses examples to illustrate many of the topics. I learned things in reading it (even though I've been in practice for 25 years) and recommend it highly. -- Christine A. Courtois, Ph.D., Author, Recollections of Sexual Abuse: Treatment Principles and Guidelines and Healing the Incest Wound: Adult Survivors in Ther Beginning therapists face cascading challenges that can be confusing and intimidating. Dr. Willer has provided an informative and reassuring guide to an amazing diversity of topics that can trip up the unaware therapist: self-doubt, self-presentation, fees, boundary crossings, charting, web sites, referrals, informed consent, crisis readiness, medications, mandated reporting, and burnout prevention, to name but a few examples. Beginning psychotherapists of all disciplines and theoretical orientations will find here an immensely useful and user-friendly resource. -- Kenneth S. Pope, Ph.D., Diplomate in Clinical Psychology, Coauthor of Ethics in Psychotherapy and Counseling: A Practical Guide The Beginning Psychotherapist's Companion should be on the bookshelf (or desk) of every soon-to-be or newly practicing psychotherapist. It contains the kind of information rarely taught in graduate school and often acquired only through trial and, all too often, error. Willer's sage advice is nuanced enough to address the real-world complexities of contemporary psychotherapy and concrete enough to reduce the universal anxiety among new practitioners. The book masterfully synthesizes theory, research, and practice in a clear and engaging fashion. It contains culturally diverse clinical vignettes, thought provoking discussion questions, and useful recommendations for additional reading on a broad array of topics. I will recommend it to all of my practice-bound students. -- Jeffrey A. Hayes, Ph.D., President, North American Chapter of the Society for Psychotherapy Research Every new and early career therapist has countless questions about the nuts and bolts of conducting psychotherapy, handling common clinical dilemmas, and the supervisory process. The Beginning Psychotherapist's Companion presents a roadmap with practical guidelines and insightful suggestions for mastering the myriad challenges encountered by therapists early in their career. This readable and engaging book offers the essential details for becoming and being an ethical, responsible, compassionate, and effective psychotherapist. It also provides tools for benefiting maximally from supervision, engaging in rejuvenating self-care, and having a successful career as a psychotherapist. This book is a great idea and every new psychotherapist will want to have this well-written and comprehensive book in their "back-pocket," on their PDA, or simply on their bookshelf. -- Nadine J. Kaslow, PhD, Emory University
