Emotion-focused therapy : coaching clients to work through their feelings /

Greenberg's thorough presentation of using emotions in the therapy process draws on psychodynamic, Rogerian, and cognitive-behavioral theories. Greenberg (York Univ., Toronto) examines the importance of focusing on the client's emotional state to help him or her integrate emotions and reason in resolving issues. Arguing that emotions paired with reason enhance survival and well-being and promote change, the author believes that the therapist's role is to help the client learn to transform "unhealthy" emotions into adaptive emotions by accurately reading and putting them into a perspective that allows organizing oneself for decisions and actions. Greenberg describes steps to expand emotional awareness, identify triggers, shift out of a strong emotion, heal maladaptive emotions, restructure image, and focus on current needs and wants that can be acted on. He presents specific exercises for helping clients (be they individuals, parents, or couples) to increase emotional awareness. Numerous case examples, including session transcripts, provide a thorough illustration of the process and techniques. Due to the level of detail and numerous examples, the book can be used effectively in a graduate-level counseling class, and it will be equally useful to new and seasoned professionals seeking to develop or hone therapeutic skills. D. L. Loers Willamette University