Respect-Focused Therapy

Therapists have a unique opportunity and responsibility to provide a respectful environment for their clients, yet respect has not received adequate attention in the psychotherapy community and related research. Respect-Focused Therapy: Honoring Clients Through the Therapeutic Relationship and Process sets forth the formulation of respect-focused therapy (RFT), a new approach to psychotherapy that addresses the quality of the client-therapist relationship and therapeutic process. This volume treats respect as a combination of action, attitude and open-mindedness, urging therapists to recognize their own biases and beliefs and be willing to suspend them for the benefit of their clients. Using Martin Buber's "I-Thou" relationship as a conceptual model, Slay-Westbrook provides core principles of respect and demonstrates how to incorporate these into the therapeutic relationship to best foster a healing environment.

Susanne Slay-Westbrook is a practicing professional counselor and marriage and family therapist in Texas, USA.

1. Setting the Stage: The I-Thou Therapeutic Relationship 2. Establishing the Central Theme in the Discussion: Bringing Respect into the Room 3. Processing Disrespect: Honoring Pain and Loss 4. Rebuilding the Self: Growing into Personal Respect 5. Interpersonal Respect: Couples Relating Respectfully 6. Parenting Respectfully: Families Developing Healthy Bonds 7. Group Therapy: Strangers Learning to Respect Themselves and Others 8. Enlarging the Circle: Transpersonal Respect, Multiculturalism and Social Justice 9. Therapist Respect Thyself: Maintaining Balance and Self Care. Conclusion