We all face adversity, both man-made and natural. How do we survive the loss of a loved one, a betrayal, illness, even impending death, and still find meaning in our lives? Even a "normal" life can seem empty, in spite of material possessions, success, power, and pleasure. In our search for fulfillment and meaning, we work through our past and present conflicts, cuddle our inner child, and redesign our outer adult. We attend workshops on life and secular spirituality and explore the comforts of traditional religion. We get married and divorced, experiment with drugs and alcohol, change jobs....

Dr Karasu's voice transcends the usual boundaries of the profession as he introduces to all therapists - of different disciplines, backgrounds, allegiances, specialties and areas of expertise - a broader, more universal view of healing psychic pain. Using verbatim clinical exchanges, he reveals his own internal dialogue (including the interpretations he might have made), considers what varied experts have said on the subject, and intervenes with an astonishingly creative voice.