Personally Speaking

Come and look over my shoulder while I do therapy. Face to face, on the phone or by email, I use exactly the same techniques, and even turns of phrase, to form an alliance with my clients against the problems that distress them. In this book, you will see pretty well every way people can make themselves or each other miserable. If you have ever been overwhelmed by life, you will probably find someone here who is facing a similar issue. And so, my response to them may speak to you as well. The book consists of three introductory chapters, and fifty of my answers to email clients. Some are actually addressed to more than one recipient who had presented with very similar problems. Finally, as a warning to would-be suicides, an appendix reproduces a heartrendingly wonderful statement by a person who is suffering from the aftereffects of several failed suicide attempts. The material is accessible through the use of keywords, with an index in the front, so that particular themes can be followed. Each little chapter consists of a cry for help, reproduced in a way that hides identity but gives all the evidence I had to go on. This includes even typos, and poor grammar or spelling. My answer follows. You can gain an idea of the scope of the book by glancing through both the Table of Contents and 'Contents by Keywords'. People have always had a fascination for 'Dorothy Dix' columns. The difference is that this 'Dorothy Dix column' is based on scientifically valid techniques, and the answers are the work of a skilled, highly trained therapist. It speaks to those suffering from any of the fifty problems, and that's most of us from time to time. The book is also useful to trainee therapists, particularly those interested in Cognitive-behavioural or Narrative approaches. In fact, it is a resource used by a British program for training therapists to use the internet at http://onlinecounsellors.co.uk/. In 2002, Personally Speaking was a finalist in the 'non-fiction, self-help' Category of the EPPIE Awards, an international contest for electronic books. It is currently available in electronic format from Anina's Book Company, but all rights are held by the author.