The Therapist's Ultimate Solution Book: Essential Strategies, Tips & Tools to Empower Your Clients

by Judith Belmont

Overview

Simple psychoeducational strategies to keep clients on track during and in-between sessions.

Clients go to therapy wanting to change, but often they have no inherent knowledge of how to change. It’s up to the therapist to build a well-stocked toolkit of life skills and psychoeducational strategies. This book answers the call, delivering an array of basic “solutions”—in the form of handouts, worksheets, exercises, quizzes, mini-lessons, and visualizations—to use with your clients and tailor to fit their needs.

No matter your preferred course of therapy—whether it’s CBT, DBT, EMDR, or EFT—having at your disposal a variety of easy-to-learn and easy-to-teach techniques for a host of common therapy issues goes a long way in keeping your clients on track, both during and in between sessions.

Each chapter offers loads of skill-building tips and techniques to teach your clients, followed by practical take-aways for in-between sessions and additional recommended resources that they can turn to (websites, books, videos, and social media). Topics covered include:

• stress Solutions
• anxiety Solutions
• depression Solutions
• anger Solutions
• conflict Solutions
• regret Solutions
• low Self-Esteem Solutions
• life-Imbalance Solutions, and more.

This book is one-stop shopping for a variety of simple, practical, educational techniques to help your clients make longstanding life changes.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780393709889
Publisher:	Norton, W. W. & Company, Inc.
Publication date:	05/04/2015
Pages:	384
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.40(h) x 1.70(d)

About the Author

Judith A. Belmont, MS, LPC, has been a therapist, wellness speaker, workplace wellness consultant, and mental health Continuing Education provider for over 35 years. She is the author of four previous books for mental health professionals and their clients.  

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Introduction 1

The Therapist as Teacher: Psychoeducation in Solution-Oriented Treatment 2

The Therapeutic Relationship: The Basis for Healthy Change 3

Solution-Oriented Treatment: Catching the Wave 4

How This Book Is Organized 9

Recommended Resources 11

Chapter 1 The Stress Solution: Tension as Motivation 13

Treatment Tips 17

A Toolkit of Metaphors for Treating Stress 25

Therapeutic Takeaways 26

Handouts 26

Recommended Resources 38

Chapter 2 The Anxiety Solution: Calming Irrational Fears 40

Treatment Tips 43

A Toolkit of Metaphors for Treating Anxiety 59

Therapeutic Takeaways 61

Handouts 62

Recommended Resources 73

Chapter 3 The Depression Solution: Beating the Blues 75

Treatment Tips 77

A Toolkit of Metaphors for Treating Depression 95

Therapeutic Takeaways 96

Handouts 96

Recommended Resources 106

Chapter 4 The Anger Solution: Giving Up the Grudge 108

Treatment Tips 110

A Toolkit of Metaphors for Treating Anger 125

Therapeutic Takeaways 127

Handouts 128

Recommended Resources 138

Chapter 5 The Procrastination Solution: Helping Your Clients Implement Good Habits 139

Treatment Tips 141

A Toolkit of Metaphors for Treating Procrastination 159

Therapeutic Takeaways 161

Handouts 162

Recommended Resources 172

Chapter 6 The Conflict Solution: Improving Problematic Relationships 174

Treatment Tips 177

A Toolkit of Metaphors for Conflict 190

Therapeutic Takeaways 192

Handouts 193

Recommenced Resources 205

Chapter 7 The Forgiveness Solution: Helping Your Clients Set Themselves Free 207

Treatment Tips 210

A Toolkit of Metaphors for Forgiveness 224

Therapeutic Takeaways 226

Handouts 227

Recommended Resources 237

Chapter 8 The Low-Self-Esteem Solution: Busting Core Irrational Beliefs 238

Treatment Tips 241

A Toolkit of Metaphors for Treating Low Self-Esteem 256

Therapeutic Takeaways 257

Handouts 258

Recommended Resources 268

Chapter 9 The Regret Solution: Moving Past Remorse 280

Treatment Tips 273

A Toolkit of Metaphors for Treating Regret 286

Therapeutic Takeaways 287

Handouts 287

Recommended Resources 295

Chapter 10 The Change-Resistance Solution: Flexibility for Personal Transformation 296

Treatment Tips 299

A Toolkit of Metaphors for Treating Change Resistance 313

Therapeutic Takeaways 314

Handouts 314

Recommended Resources 322

Chapter 11 Putting Solutions Into Practice: 10 Ultimate Therapeutic Solutions 323

1 Use Psychoeducation to Teach Clients in Almost Every Session 323

2 Start Each Session With a Mood Check 324

3 Start the Session by Clarifying Goals and Agenda 324

4 Use Creative Visualizations and Experiential Activities 325

5 Use Self-Help Assignments Between Sessions 326

6 Get in the Habit of Asking for Feedback 327

7 Use Metaphors to Unlock Emotion and Insight 328

8 Use Metaphorical Props 329

9 Using Role-Play Variations for Skill Building 330

10 Use Positive Psychology and Wellness Resources Available Through Social Media and the Internet 331

10 Ultimate Therapeutic Solutions Checklist 332

Bibliography 335

Index 343

Editorial Reviews

"When I was a beginning therapist I would have memorized this book—Belmont tells us how to do therapy. And she does so in an extremely practical way, not endorsing one approach to fit all, but rather giving several approaches to the typical problems our clients bring to therapy. Her style is engaging, her pragmatism refreshing. Better yet, her handouts, worksheets and resource sections are by themselves a gold mine of ideas that will help clients move from the desire for change to accomplishing it. This book is a resource that every therapist will want on the bookshelf—no, open on the desk!"

Margaret Wehrenberg

"The Therapist’s Ultimate Solution Book lives up to and exceeds its title, delivering straightforward and effective philosophies, resources, and interventions for a variety of clinical situations. Belmont draws from well-researched concepts and the best evidence-based approaches to put a wide range of clinical tools in the hands of frontline therapists. Frankly, there are few books on the market that reach this level of practicality—a must have for new and experienced therapists."

Dr. Lane Pederson

"The Therapist’s Ultimate Solution Book is exactly that: 366 pages of exhaustively detailed guidance for therapists . . . . [A] useful reference for the experienced therapist and an ideal resource for the novice."

Hypnosis Depot

"The Therapist’s Ultimate Solution Book is a resource that belongs on your desk, not your bookshelf. It addresses issues that most every client is actively dealing with in treatment, and Belmont’s therapeutic tips and takeaways make it both accessible and directly applicable to clinical practice. As a national trainer on skills-based approaches, I will be referencing this work across the country and in my own clinics."

Mark Carlson

"Belmont’s book is an invaluable resource containing the latest and most effective treatment techniques that clinicians can use to teach clients how to quickly address their symptoms. This book has it all: clinical theory; evidence-based, well-organized, and easy-to-implement skills; as well as handouts, treatment tips, therapeutic takeaways, and resources that help clients change and learn new skills. You will wonder how you ever got along without this book."

Debra Burdick