Preface

      This seventh edition of Counseling and Psychotherapy: Theories and Interventions presents a representative variety of theories and conceptual frameworks that are used across helping professions to organize client case conceptualization and guide the path for therapeutic transformation. Although there are hundreds of discrete therapies, they are offshoots of greater branches of the therapeutic tradition tree. This book has been created by a diverse group of experts, who share their theoretical knowledge of different branches of theory as well as the intersectionality of their lived experience and culture. The book covers not only traditional counseling and psychotherapeutic theories but also theories that have emerged in response to multicultural and social justice work with clients. The greater a counselor’s or therapist’s awareness of the strengths and possibilities inherent in numerous theoretical frames of reference, the greater the potential for understanding the uniqueness of a particular client and for developing the most effective treatment plan.

      This edition presents dynamic and fresh perspectives and includes critical material not addressed in other counseling and psychotherapy textbooks, such as a chapter that focuses on multicultural and social justice counseling through relational-cultural theory, a chapter that addresses psychodynamic models used by today’s practitioners rather than only classic psychoanalytic theory, a chapter that examines third-wave cognitive behavioral theories with mindfulness-based interventions, a chapter on feminist theory, a chapter on integrating theories via emotion-focused therapy, and a chapter on using creative approaches in the context of counseling and psychotherapy. The book’s unique approach and expanded perspectives enhance its contemporary relevance and should increase reader interest in the material.

This book is unique in both format and content. All the contributing authors are experts who provide state-of-the-art information about theories of counseling and psychotherapy (see the “Meet the Contributors” section for their backgrounds). In addition, each chapter discusses applications of the theory as it relates to one particular case study of a hypothetical client named Clarita, who is introduced here in this Preface.

FEATURES OF THE BOOK

      This book is designed for students who are beginning their study of individual counseling and psychotherapy. It presents a comprehensive overview of relational-cultural, psychodynamic, Jungian, Adlerian, existential, person-centered, Gestalt, cognitive behavioral, third-wave cognitive behavioral, rational emotive, reality therapy/choice, family, feminist, constructivist, and emotion-focused theories, along with a discussion of how to use creative approaches in the context of those theories.

      We know that one book cannot adequately address all the factors connected with a given theory; entire texts have been written discussing each of the theories in this book. We have, however, attempted to provide readers with a consistent approach to analyzing and studying each theory and have included examples of how to apply the theory to the case of Clarita.

      The format for the book is designed so that readers can compare how adherence to a theory influences the counseling and treatment plan. Each chapter contains theoretical and applied content. The theories presented are bookended by an opening chapter on the helping relationship and an ending chapter on using creative approaches in the context of counseling and psychotherapy.

THE FORMAT FOLLOWED FOR CHAPTERS 2–17

      As noted earlier, we wanted the reader to be able to make comparisons between and among the theories by having all the contributors follow the same outline and develop a treatment plan, focused