Think Like a Therapist: Six Life-Changing Insights for Leading a Good Life

Description

Life throws a lot of unexpected and unpleasant things at us. Many people just struggle on, but others find someone to talk to, someone like Stephen Joseph, who, as a therapist, is trained to listen to their concerns. They turn up with problems - failing relationships, stalled careers, conflicts, feelings of upset - that all seem very real to them in the moment. They may say they just want to 'get back to normal' or 'get back on track'. But sometimes the truth is that things have changed too much to go back. More than that, they come to realise that their life wasn't really on track in the first place. Getting on track now means something much bigger. Over months, or years, Joseph works with his clients to peel away the layers and find something deeper behind their discontents and identify new understandings of what really matters. These revelations often seem to come out of the blue - lightbulb moments in which people suddenly gain a new perspective on how to lead their lives. In this new book, Joseph shares the most important of these realisations: the six ways in which we can begin to see ourselves and the world anew, without distortion, and embark on a road to personal growth and a more emotionally mature life. These are often hard-earned lessons that come at great cost, such as illness or bereavement. But, Joseph says, with an open mind, at the right time, such lessons can be learned by anyone. Drawing on his work over three decades as a psychologist, psychotherapist, university professor and researcher, he distils this vital knowledge for general readers and reveals how the secrets of enduring change are available to us all.

Stephen Joseph is a professor at the University of Nottingham and the convenor of the Centre for Research in Human Flourishing in the School of Education. Previously he was co-director of the university's Centre for Trauma, Resilience and Growth and an honorary consultant psychologist in psychotherapy. His expertise is in client-centred therapy and positive psychology. He is on the editorial board of several leading journals, has published more than 200 academic papers, and has written or edited 10 books and been a keynote speaker at numerous conferences. His first popular book, What Doesn't Kill Us, deals exclusively with personal growth in survivors of trauma. His second popular book, Authentic, deals with the issue of what it means to be yourself. He is often asked to comment in the media on topical events that relate to his research and has been quoted in many publications including The Times, Guardian, Independent, Daily Mail and Psychologies magazine. He blogs for Psychology Today and previously for the Huffington Post.

Illuminating, insightful, and a lovely read. Stephen Joseph has beautifully distilled the essence of psychotherapy to bring a book of wisdom and compassion with powerful lessons in living. Whether it is to untangle emotions or seek a new direction, this book will help you look at life afresh. It challenges us to ask ourselves the hard questions that we must answer if we are to learn to value ourselves, reclaim our personal power, and live a richer life. Anyone wanting a more balanced and happier life will benefit from this book -- Julia Samuel, psychotherapist, bestselling author & speaker Stephen Joseph has crafted the art of conveying complex concepts and ideas in an accessible way whilst maintaining the depth and rigour of the research and philosophical bases from which they are built. And he conveys these ideas in a kind, compassionate, and warm way that reflects him as a person. I would like to thank him for writing this book. THINK LIKE A THERAPIST will enrich the process of self-development for anyone in a way that is made possible only by his depth and wealth of understanding the human condition. I will recommend it to students thinking about becoming therapists and to clients in therapy. Anyone thinking about therapy and self-development will learn a lot -- David Murphy, Professor of Psychology and Education at the University of Nottingham & editor of COUNSELLING PSYCHOLOGY: A TEXTBOOK FOR STUDY AND PRACTICE I love this book. The concept of sharing with people what an experienced therapist has learned about living life well is brilliant. The way Stephen Joseph mixes together his personal experience, clients' stories and research is a perfect balance. His writing is so conversational that people are going to feel like they are in a personal relationship -- Richard G. Tedeschi, Ph.D., Distinguished Chair, Boulder Crest Institute for Posttraumatic Growth I love this book. The concept of sharing with people what an experienced therapist has learned about living life well is brilliant. The way Stephen Joseph mixes together his personal experience, clients' stories and research is a perfect balance. His writing is so conversational that people are going to feel like they are in a personal relationship -- Richard Tedeschi, Professor of Psychology at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte & Distinguished Chair, Boulder Crest Institute for Posttraumatic Growth