Motivating Clients in Therapy

Clients who come to psychotherapy unmotivated, or who become discouraged as treatment progresses, pose a singular challenge to practitioners. Despite the central importance of motivation for the therapeutic healing process, little has been written that addresses this issue. Motivating Clients in Therapy questions the widely accepted assumption of the adequately motivated client. Richard Rappaport presents a four-phased model of motivation that emphasizes the fear of loss of what is known and familiar as the central inhibitor to personal growth. The motivation to love oneself and others must by catalyzed by an active psychotherapy relationship. Rappaport offers therapists a practical and theoretical guide to increase treatment effectiveness with a wide variety of clients.

Richard Rappaport is a psychologist in private practice in Philadelphia and is the director of the Center for Comprehensive Therapy in Washington, D.C. He is the co-author of Working with Adult Incest Survivors.

Word About Words Chapter 1: Motivation and Psychotherapy: An Introduction Chapter 2: Why Motivation is an Ignored Construct in Psychotherapy: The Myth of Client Motivation Chapter 3: An Evolutionary Model of Psychological Health and Motivation: Toward Individuation Chapter 4: Motivation in Everyday Life Chapter 5: Motivation in Psychotherapy Chapter 6: Separating Motivational and Psychopathological Phenomena: The Role of The Theory in Psychotherapy Chapter 7: The Therapeutic Basis for Selecting Interventions: The Place of Values in Psychotherapy Chapter 8: Motivating Clients in the Beginning of Therapy Chapter 9: Motivating Clients in the Midphase of Therapy Chapter 10: Motivating Clients in the Endphase of Therapy Chapter 11: Post-Therapy Motivation.