In Tales from the Therapy Room, the author provides ten fictional short stories that give students of counseling and psychotherapy a unique insight into what actually goes on in therapy. Exploring aspects of the client-therapist relationship, the reader is given a fly-on-the-wall view of the therapeutic process. Rather than suggesting a ‘correct’ approach, they explore possibilities and provide entertaining, vivid and thought-provoking descriptions of the therapeutic journey. Issues explored include contracting, boundaries and confrontation, self-disclosure on the part of the therapist, dream interpretation, the influence of the consulting room environment, and conflicting belief systems. These are much more than just engaging stories – Phil Lapworth draws on over 25 years of clinical experience to show how the student can integrate theory into real practice with real clients. The final chapter explicitly highlights the specific theories, models and issues that are illustrated throughout and provides questions, learning objectives, exercises and Further Reading to encourage critical thinking.
