Therapy With Coerced and Reluctant Clients

This thought-provoking book examines the clinical dilemmas faced by therapists who work with involuntary clients. These individuals often come to therapy through the judicial system but also are problem employees or spouses persuaded to enter therapy by their mates. Under these circumstances, working together can be frustrating for both therapist and client. The typical therapist's skills of reflecting, probing, and supporting often fail with individuals who did not enter into therapy of their own accord-or who, once there, do not engage readily with the therapist. The inquiring approach to therapy, with its frequent questioning of the client, can be unwelcome and intrusive for poorly motivated clients.

Stanley L. Brodsky demonstrates how therapists can tailor their interventions to avoid impasses, build a firm alliance with clients, and help them develop more productive behaviors. Brodsky proposes that therapists adopt a variety of techniques that avoid asking questions. Instead, he identifies assertive statements about what is happening in the client's life and behaviors, and then he describes subsequent choices that clients make. Through the use of case material, Brodsky demonstrates that interacting creatively with reluctant clients can lead to significant breakthroughs.

Stanley L. Brodsky is a professor in the Department of Psychology at The University of Alabama, where he coordinates the psychology-law PhD concentration. His work specializes in the application of psychological knowledge to offenders, law, and legal issues. In 2006 he was the recipient of the Distinguished Contribution to Psychology & Law Award of the American Psychology-Law Society.