The Person of the Therapist Training Model

"Here is a book that claims ‘personal use of self can be trained, refined and enhanced to make for more effective therapy’ (p12). Intrigued, I found the Person of the Therapist Training model (POTT) had some very interesting things to say about personal development in counsellor training...Here is a course that is firmly embedded and clearly supported by the institution, both in terms of philosophy and finances – a far cry from much personal professional development here in the UK. I recommend the book to course directors and trainers as an example of what might be achieved given such an environment." - Chris Rose, Therapy Today

This outstanding and deeply compassionate book charts new territory through its descriptions of the development of the therapist’s use of self. Clinicians in training as well as those with many years of experience will learn a great deal from its vivid case examples and descriptions of the Person of the Therapist Training Model. Training programs in psychology, social work, marriage and family therapy, nursing, counseling, etc., will benefit from its step-by-step descriptions of the implementation of the model. I plan to use this book in all of my classes to deepen the experience of my students in developing more meaningful connections with their clients.—Nancy Boyd-Franklin, PhD, is a Distinguished Professor at Rutgers University and the author of Black Families in Therapy: Understanding the African American Experience.

Editors Aponte and Kissil have culled a group of contributors to provide a solid amalgamation of the essential principles that constitute the POTT training model. This long awaited text offers clinicians and researchers a treasure trove of concepts and techniques for using their own life experiences in facilitating therapeutic change. This comprehensive work is an essential resource for students as well as seasoned researchers and clinicians.—Frank M. Dattilio, PhD, ABPP, works in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

Immediately engaging, the authors whisk readers into the private and intimate world of trainees/supervisees and themselves as they experience POTT step-by-step. They generously give everything needed to implement it professionally, with ample examples of overlaying it on a therapist’s favored approach. This is a rare glimpse into the marrying of the personal and professional that should be a part of every therapist’s training history as they "master" the use of self.—Cheryl L. Storm, PhD, is a couple and family therapy supervision and education consultant in Sunriver, OR.