Working With Resistance

Rating:
Summary: Is there a higher rating than 5 stars?
Review: As far as I'm concerned, Dr. Stark is the most gifted writer in the field. She's a teacher! I understand that her courses are in demand, and I can see why. She's a graduate of Harvard Medical School and the Boston Psychoanalytical Institute who can write for people who aren't!

Synthesizing the major theories in psychotherapy, she normalizes the process of healing which tends to go, well, like the illustration on the cover of the book. We fight those who caringly try to change us, and we fight ourselves. It's a struggle!

As a professional coach (personal, not sports), as a parent, as a friend, I've relied on the depth of understanding this book gave me about a phenomenon which can be pervasive and frustrating in relationships with others. It helped me see my own resistances and helped me see how to work with others'.

Through the book shines Dr. Stark the therapist -- there's not one hint of the arrogance or patronization one finds in some therapy books, but rather the sincere compassion, tact and respect of a seasoned professional who loves her work.

It takes patience to deal with resistance, and you have to understand the nature of the beast. "Back and forth," she says, "back and forth, over and over again. Systematically, repeatedly, again and again. This is what is meant by working through the resistance. It is a process requiring that the therapist demonstrate to the patient the same thing again and again, at different times, and in various connections. Here too. Here now. Here also."

As one of the reviewers on the cover of the book said, "Martha Stark ... is able to clarify without sacrificing complexity." Read this book for the best description of working with resistance you're likely to find, and it is through working through the resistance that healing takes place.

Rating:
Summary: The best book on the theraputic process I have ever read
Review: Working with Resistance is a book that clearly outlines the theraputic process and it's impact on both the client and the therapist. The book is targeted to a theraputic audience, but Dr. Stark continuously defines the clinical language she uses making the work accessible to anyone. This book has been immensely helpful to me as a client, giving me a road map to help me understand where I have been with my therapist and where I have yet to go. A must read for anyone interested in how therapy heals.