How to Fail as a Therapist

Bernard Schwartz, Ph.D., and John V. Flowers, Ph.D.

Foreword by Arnold A. Lazarus, Ph.D., ABPP

"...amazing...book plus wonderful appendices of measurement tools and other resources. ...should be required reading..."

—  Division 42 Independent Practitioner's Bulletin  
Winter 2007  

"...this book shares a wealth of valuable information that should be readily implemented by readers... and shares numerous lessons of relevance for all psychotherapists. For those new to the profession, it will be a valuable guidebook for the journey on which they are embarking. For experienced psychotherapists, it will serve as a useful reminder of many important lessons learned from years of experience. It should also whet psychotherapists' appetite for further education, study, and training as they seek to enhance their clinical competence and expertise in both the art and the science of psychotherapy."

—  PsycCRITIQUES - APA Review of Books 
December 6, 2006 Vol. 51 (49), Article 5  

"...(the book) stimulates you to think... Drs. Schwartz and Flowers have obviously done a lot of creative thinking and reading and experimenting to have produced such a useful book. If you treat, coach, or counsel people or engage in clinical supervision, it will make your work a lot easier and more effective."

— Arnold A. Lazarus, Ph.D., ABPP  
Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Psychology, Rutgers University  
Executive Director of The Lazarus Institute, Skillman, New Jersey  
Author, The 60-Second Shrink; Marital Myths Revisited; 
Don't Believe It for a Minute!   

"...written in a straight-forward style with no fluff or filler. Each example is well-written and relevant. I highly recommend How to Fail as a Therapist for both the novice therapist and the more seasoned of us who want a nice check list to make sure we stay at the top of our game."

— Richard Landis, Ph.D.  
The Milton H. Erickson Foundation Newsletter   

“This book is a must read for therapists starting out in private practice and a gem for clinicians already working in the field. It is practical, entertaining, and full of tips that most practitioners have to learn the hard way.”

— R. Chip Tafrate, Ph.D., Psychologist  
Co-Author, Anger Management:  
The Complete Guidebook for Practitioners  

“Drs. Schwartz and Flowers have written a superb and exceptionally practical book that addresses issues relevant for all psychotherapists to consider... especially well-suited as a text for graduate students and novice therapists. I am quite impressed with their use of numerous clinical vignettes and very concrete suggestions. I very highly recommend this well-written and thoughtful book.”

“How to Fail as a Therapist synthesizes clinical experience and trends in the emerging research on psychotherapy process... Readers of this book will find benefit for their assessment and therapy work, including their ability to engage patients in between-session learning."