The Making of a Therapist

A Practical Guide for the Inner Journey

By: Louis Cozolino

Narrated by: Stephen Bel Davies

The difficulty and cost of training psychotherapists properly is well known. It is far easier to provide a series of classes while ignoring the more challenging personal components of training. Despite the fact that the therapist's self-insight, emotional maturity, and calm centeredness are critical for successful psychotherapy, rote knowledge and technical skills are the focus of most training programs. As a result, the therapist's personal growth is either marginalized or ignored.

The Making of a Therapist counters this trend by offering graduate students and beginning therapists a personal account of this important inner journey. Cozolino provides a unique look inside the mind and heart of an experienced therapist. Listeners will find an exciting and privileged window into the experience of the therapist who, like themselves, is just starting out. In addition, The Making of a Therapist contains the practical advice, common-sense wisdom, and self-disclosure that practicing professionals have found to be the most helpful during their own training.

The first part of the book, "Getting Through Your First Sessions", takes listeners through the often-perilous days and weeks of conducting initial sessions with real clients. Cozolino addresses such basic concerns as: Do I need to be completely healthy myself before I can help others? What do I do if someone comes to me with an issue or problem I can't handle? What should I do if I have trouble listening to my clients? What if a client scares me?

The second section of the book, "Getting to Know Your Clients", delves into the routine of therapy and the subsequent stages in which you continue to work with clients and help them. In this context, Cozolino presents the notion of the "good enough" therapist, one who can surrender to his or her own imperfections while still guiding the therapeutic relationship to a positive outcome. The final section, "Getting to Know Yourself", goes to the core of the therapist's relation to him or herself, addressing such issues as: how to turn your weaknesses into strengths and how to deal with the complicated issues of pathological caretaking, countertransference, and self-care. Both an excellent introduction to the field as well as a valuable refresher for the experienced clinician, The Making of a Therapist offers listeners the tools and insight that make the journey of becoming a therapist a rich and rewarding experience.

©2004 Louis J. Cozolino (P)2018 Tantor

Amazing for new therapists!

I am a new intern at a private practice and found this book extremely helpful. I learned a lot and truly feel like I got what I needed to begin the process of therapy and trust my intuition.

Relatability

During a time of questioning, I appreciate this reassurance. It was perfectly timed and intentionally listened to. It made me feel a whole lot better especially because majority of what was mentioned is already how I show up. So thank you.

Good for beginning therapists

Loved this book! I found the information given to be insightful and inspiring to new therapists. The narrator was good as well.

Concise advice and interesting testimony

If you are starting your psychotherapy practice or you have a few years of it, this book is very helpful to clarify many concepts and practice vices we may have. It also highlights the importance of counter transference and working with it. Cozolino comes across to me as an experienced and fresh therapist who, with a humble and non pretentious approach, helps his clients live better inner and outer lives.

Excellent for Therapists at All Stages

I am just starting out as an MFT, and found this book to be so helpful, guiding me through some of the fears and concerns I had during the first few sessions with clients. I feel that this will be a book I will reread over and over again, as there is much wisdom to be gained from it at all points in one's career.