On being a therapist kottler pdf

Adobe DRM. For more than thirty years, On Being a Therapist has inspired generations of mental health professionals to explore the most private and sacred aspects of their work helping others. In this thoroughly revised and updated fifth edition, Jeffrey Kottler explores many of the challenges that therapists face in their practices today, including pressures from increased technology, economic realities, and advances in theory and technique.

This new edition includes updated sources, new material on technology, new problems that therapists face, and two new chapters: "On Being a Therapeutic Storyteller-and Listener" and "On Being a Client: How to Get the Most from Therapy.

Add to cart. Jeffrey Kottler. Antonio Sacre: Solving Problems Together epub. Learn to solve problems together with this nonfiction book.

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This then give him the a-ha moment where he realizes that he was indeed incompassionate then turn on a dime, renames his book so it now talks about how to be compassionate with difficult clients and leaves his job because that must have been why he lost his compassion. Reading through the book it seems that his compassion was never regained but he may of figured out how to get through the day in a career he doesn't really like. He takes a little too much joy in listing out every imaginable insult that he's said to a client and does so in a repetitive cycle.

It reminds me of the divorced middle aged man trope, "You two so young and happy, one day you'll see love's all bullshit! It's all just hormones, one day is the honeymoon and the next day she's out banging the pool boy! What I got out of this is that on my path I need to find people who have the positive qualities I want and learn from them so I have the lowest possibility of becoming like the author.

Jan 07, Bill Zoelle rated it liked it. This book felt more like an outlet for Kottler to publicly examine himself, than to provide a resource for those looking to understand the profession.

He owns all the best aspects of his practice, yet when it comes to the darker side of the profession and his personal struggles, he deflects ownership by including multiple examples of other therapist's behaviors that are worse than the traits he admits to.

I enjoyed this window into the profession despite the litany of humble brags masquerading a This book felt more like an outlet for Kottler to publicly examine himself, than to provide a resource for those looking to understand the profession. I enjoyed this window into the profession despite the litany of humble brags masquerading as vulnerability. Many client relationship examples in the book reach beyond the therapist profession into other professions which also maintain long term client relationships.

Over and over again Kottler speaks of the powers that therapists possess due to their training. It is as though he doesn't want to believe that those in other professions can be as effective or even more effective leveraging the tools of psychology to create change in the people they work with. Business consultants and teachers regularly use psychology to improve the lives and performance of others.

Kottler comes across as someone who doesn't really like people. It's more like he learned how people work through his studies, but his admitted lack of patience outside work and his frequent references to the extreme effort required to maintain hours of rapt attention tells me he doesn't really feel fulfilled by his profession on an emotional level.

This was originally required reading for a clinical class the instructor assigned another book , but ended up being something I read for personal fun and learning.

That said, On Being a Therapist is an honest and uncensored exploration of the profession. Kottler writes in an accessible and engaging style with plenty of personal anecdotes I could relate to in my own experience as both counselor and client. He begins by laying the foundation of how people get into the field and the basics of the This was originally required reading for a clinical class the instructor assigned another book , but ended up being something I read for personal fun and learning.

He begins by laying the foundation of how people get into the field and the basics of the therapeutic relationship. Then he explores personal and professional roles, how clients change their therapists, and the hardships of the profession. The following chapters cover dealing with failure, difficult clients, and boredom and burnout.

The chapters covering the unsaid things about the profession and lies therapists tell were particularly enlightening and hilariously relatable. Finally the last two sections end on a more reassuring note and address self-care and creativity. Given the broad scope he covers, there are plenty of areas to revisit and consider as a professional depending on which topic may come up at a particular time.

I read this book out of the pure curiosity of how a therapist's mind works. Attempting also to gain insight and understanding to how a therapist could possibly be understanding and compassionate without having acceptance or tolerance of someone's actions. This is an intriguing skill to me! Kottler's book On Being a Therapist provides insight into the mind of a therapist and tends to be focused on the negative aspects of the profession.

Stressing the need for constant self-reflection and supervisi I read this book out of the pure curiosity of how a therapist's mind works. Stressing the need for constant self-reflection and supervision. This is the fourth edition of the book. The book was a bit repetitive and seemed to generalize Kottler's views on being a therapist, lacking in depth examples and explanations that could have created a more compelling read.

Jul 01, Zachary rated it it was ok. It's in my own opinion that this book was unbalanced and favored exploring the downsides of providing therapy to the positives.

Much of the book felt pessimistic, nihilistic, and like it was intent on giving a warning to stay away from the field of therapy. While it has its' good parts, and while I think much of what the author had to share and say are important, I felt it was extremely unbalanced, and was by no means what I was expecting upon reading it.

I cannot say whether or not I was glad I It's in my own opinion that this book was unbalanced and favored exploring the downsides of providing therapy to the positives. I cannot say whether or not I was glad I read it. It's certainly not going to inspire enthusiasm in those studying to become therapists or those with the intention to work in the field. If anything, it leaves me questioning my decisions and struggling with the work I have done in my own therapy and the relationship with my own therapist.

Overly pessimistic? Oct 08, Rose Boyer added it. I did not really enjoy this book. I was assigned it in a graduate school class and read the first half even though it was not assigned that way. This author is terribly negative and repeats himself ad infinitium. At the end of each very negative chapter he would add a page or two of positive thoughts and rebukes of his negative thinking. Although he has some positive things to say, over I did not really enjoy this book.

Although he has some positive things to say, overall I disliked this book very much. Kottler is so cynical to the point of being unattractive. This book did not discourage me from the profession, but I can see how it would discourage many beginning counselors trying to enter the field. Things should not be sugarcoated. Sep 02, Emily Degnitz rated it really liked it. A really great book. I'm so glad that I read it as part of my graduate program.

I'm pretty sure the intended title was On Being a Masochist. Kottler here takes hating one's own life to the next level. He makes sure to work in a way that ensures not only he'll despise himself but also the people he sees which mostly don't seem to think very highly of him either.

Good God I'm glad I'm coming across a crazy book such as this only now when I'm past my more suggestionable years and have accumulated a satisfactory record of helping people by being as much of a functional adul I'm pretty sure the intended title was On Being a Masochist. Good God I'm glad I'm coming across a crazy book such as this only now when I'm past my more suggestionable years and have accumulated a satisfactory record of helping people by being as much of a functional adult as I can and helping them do the same.

I can only hope other people, too, will read this book only after having a firm grasp on the sociology of our times and the infantilizing process of some therapeutic practices. Oct 30, Asher J. I liked this book quite a bit better than the last one I read that had Kottler as an editor--perhaps because in this one, he was so transparent about the personal and professional struggles that I suspect contributed to the tone of the last one!

I appreciated his willingness to speak honestly about the challenges of therapy, and the complex internal processes of many therapists. There were several moments where I felt like he was overgeneralizing about others' experiences.

On the whole, though, I liked this book quite a bit better than the last one I read that had Kottler as an editor--perhaps because in this one, he was so transparent about the personal and professional struggles that I suspect contributed to the tone of the last one! On the whole, though, it felt like he found a pretty workable balance between speaking from his experience, while acknowledging that similar processes might operate differently, for order clinicians. I'd love to see an edition of this book with more detailed, practical interventions built in--this one mostly revolved around reflection questions, and rather broad suggestions to do things like travel and attend to one's bodily well-being.

But--lots of good points for consideration, and it's always refreshing to read clinicians who are intent on doing something other than presenting a perfect, polished image of themselves to the world. So I gave this three stars even though I didn't particularly like it or finish it because two seemed unfair.

One of my professors in grad school raved about this book so I decided to check it out. For context I am in my first year in my profession as a counselor and my second disappointing job so am in a bit of a career crisis as it is. I may not be in the right frame of mind to be open to the message of this book. A lot of the reviews mentioned how cynical the author is and I really did not see i So I gave this three stars even though I didn't particularly like it or finish it because two seemed unfair.

A lot of the reviews mentioned how cynical the author is and I really did not see it. My issue was more the way he romanticized therapy and therapists, to where it seemed like an almost impossible ideal.

There was a particular chapter about how therapists are models of behavior for their clients and basically need to be charismatic and lovable and well, practically perfect in every way to be effective that lost me. He also made the whole process of therapy sound more like magic than evidenced-based treatment.

It just didn't resonate with me. I don't want to deter anyone else from reading this who maybe is a charismatic magician therapist or potential therapist but for me it was eye-roll inducing and discouraging.

Apr 27, Leanne Hunt rated it it was amazing Shelves: psychology. This book is a real gem. As someone who has worked in the counselling field and enjoys reading books on psychology, I found it most insightful. The author shows a real passion for helping people in therapy and a real commitment to the equipping of therapists themselves. Each chapter addresses a separate area of concern and his anecdotes are both fascinating and true to life.

I enjoyed the frank style of the writing in particular. The field of therapy is fraught with complications and demands a gr This book is a real gem. The field of therapy is fraught with complications and demands a great deal from the people who care for the mentally and emotionally disturbed. I appreciated the humility of the author in sharing many of his own failings, as well as his honest passion for high standards and expertise.

Although this book portrays the career of a therapist in raw, unsentimental terms, it nevertheless makes one admire those who devote their lives to understanding the depths of the human psyche. I highly recommend it to anyone in or approaching the field of therapy. May 04, Ghenadie Virtos rated it really liked it. An honest account from across the sofa. I liked the author's honesty about the troubles of the profession.

It is always a personal treat to find out the ways in which other humans are humans. There is little news in the fact the therapists also struggle with the challenges of a permanent job - tediousness, boredom, distraction, questioning oneself, however, Kottler did a nice job going into details and being courageous about revealing some of the suspected sercrets of the profession. It does hel An honest account from across the sofa. It does help understand the therapy process better and it gains some sympathy for the therapist.

On the minus side, there were many points in which the author didn't go below the surface, got too often entangled in theoretical and abstract musings about the profession, to the point of falling into the trap of excessive romanticising.

Some more case studies and stories would have been welcome. May 30, Zach Adams rated it liked it. Functioning a lot like a memoir, Kottler goes through the mind of not only other therapists' minds, but his own as well. As candid as a therapist gets, Kottler explores many different upspoken truths regarding therapy and being a therapist. I found his ideas on letting the client change YOU as opposed to the other way around most helpful as well as his theory that no therapist can be completely unbiased.

This epistemological truth is found in any professional arena whether the public admits it o Functioning a lot like a memoir, Kottler goes through the mind of not only other therapists' minds, but his own as well. This epistemological truth is found in any professional arena whether the public admits it or not.

Recommended to those just entertaining the idea of being a therapist, or just starting to practice even though they have been in psych classes for many years. Many of his comments are things you have never heard or should hear again. Oct 06, Cameron rated it really liked it.

I enjoyed reading this no-nonsense book on becoming a counselor. The author has a writing style that is straight-forward, friendly, easy to read much better than a textbook and engaging. The author discusses the issues in becoming a counselor and spends several chapters discussing roadblocks that one may encounter as a counselor.

I found myself feeling down as I read some chapters as he doesn't try to sugarcoat anything, yet the author would also point out the joys of this career path, remindi I enjoyed reading this no-nonsense book on becoming a counselor. I found myself feeling down as I read some chapters as he doesn't try to sugarcoat anything, yet the author would also point out the joys of this career path, reminding us why we do this.

I would highly recommend this to those who are just starting out and recommend it to those who have been doing this for awhile, as it is a good reminder. Sep 13, David Teachout rated it really liked it Shelves: psychology. Whatever may be said about Kottler's therapeutic philosophy and I find much I'm not in full agreement with, particularly with how therapy occurs, but within any of the contrary opinions, his breath and depth of experience cannot be ignored.

There is an openness to exploring the therapeutic exchange that is daunting in its authenticity and should serve as a beacon call for any who wish to serve in such a capacity or who are already doing so. Apr 10, Chris Hunt rated it it was ok. For anyone considering being a therapist this is a book I'd recommend. It provides insight into the mind of a therapist. For anyone else, however, it's not exactly thought-provoking.

The author also tends to ramble on and on and while that makes it easier to read, it makes it less interesting. Overall, ho-hum. May 16, Paige rated it liked it. This book had some good insights sprinkled here and there, but the overall tone was somewhat narcissistic and a little condescending at times. Kottler struck me as burned out in many places and definitely egotistical. It made for a hard read, even in audio form. I had to keep taking breaks. But the good gems here and there were worth it.

Jan 31, Cara rated it liked it. I wanted this book to be good. Perhaps if I read it when I started out in this profession many years ago. Some of it was good, other parts I completely disagree with, and other parts are shallow and could use more depth.

Ok if you are just getting into counseling. Oct 16, Rachel is currently reading it. A broad overview of challenges faced by therapists that had potential to be informative, but was overshadowed by the author's cynicism.

He might need to revisit the chapter on burnout. Very "meh". Not bad.