This text describes the elements of the psychotherapy relationship and offers a theoretical conception of the relationship. The author divides the relationship into three primary components: the working alliance, the transference configuration, and the real relationship. He integrates theory with research while providing suggestions aimed at facilitating practice and outcome.

The concept of the real or personal relationship between client and therapist has existed since the earliest days of psychotherapy. Yet the real relationship-with its twin components of genuineness (the intent to avoid deception, including self-deception) and realism (perceiving or experiencing the other in ways that befit the other) has often been misunderstood or ignored. Instead, psychotherapy research has focused largely on the concepts of the working alliance and of transference and counter-transference. In this engaging book, Charles Gelso argues the case for the relevance of the real...

Developed as the first extensive overview of counseling psychology, this detailed and engaging work has been an invaluable resource for everyone from undergraduate students to veteran practitioners and researchers for over 20 years, even those working in other disciplines. This long-anticipated 3rd edition has been updated to incorporate contemporary research and theoretical approaches, including feminist multicultural counseling. This book has also been reorganized into three distinct sections that provide readers with easy access to specific information. The first section provides a general...