When Therapists Cry

When Therapists Cry addresses one of the most authentic and singularly human experiences a therapist can have in therapy: crying. While therapist crying in therapy is the explicit focus of this book, it is used as a springboard for understanding the various ways in which therapists' emotions come alive-and become visible-in the therapy room. In depth clinical examples and conceptualizations from expert contributors illustrate what the experience of therapist crying looks and feels like: why therapists cry, how crying impacts the therapist and the treatment, what therapists feel about their tears, and the many ways in which therapists may engage with their own tears in order to facilitate therapeutic progress, ensure appropriate professional conduct, and deepen their clinical work.

Amy Blume-Marcovici, PsyD, has published numerous articles on topics ranging from psychological testing to clinical work with dreams. Her research focuses on process-oriented and relational aspects of psychotherapy, particularly therapists' emotional expressions in therapy. She is on the editorial board of the journal Psychotherapy.

Part I: The Tracks of Our Tears: An Orientation to Crying. 1. Why Humans Weep Lauren M. Bylsma, Asmir Gracanin, and Ad J. J. M. Vingerhoets 2. Tracking Our Tears: Research on Therapist Crying in Therapy Amy Blume-Marcovici, Ronald A. Stolberg, Mojgan Khademi, Anthony Mackie, and Catelijne 't Lam Part II: Constructs of Crying: Understanding Tears Through Theory 3. The Feeling is Mutual: Therapist Crying From an Attachment/Caregiving Perspective Judith Kay Nelson 4. An Eye-Opening Eye Infection: Treating Therapists' Tears as Self-Disclosure Andrea Bloomgarden 5. Therapeutic Immediacy: If Your Tears Could Speak, What Would They Say? Mark J. Hilsenroth, Jason Mayotte-Blum, Klara Kuutmann, and Kristen L. Capps Umphlet 6. The Psychoanalyst's Tears: From Abstinence to Authenticity Patricia Harney 7. Hearing the Cries of the World: The Role of Therapists' Tears in Compassion Focused Therapy Dennis Tirch and Laura R. Silberstein 8. Existential Therapy and the Transformative Possibilities of Therapists' Tears Paul McGinley Part III: The Clients With Whom We Cry 9. The Tears of Abuse Maxine Harris 10. Tears and the Dying Client Eleanor F. Counselman 11. Entering the No-Cry Zone: Men and the Chords of Connection Fredric E. Rabinowitz 12. M. Night Shyamalan's The Sixth Sense: Relational Authenticity, Self-Disclosure, and a Child Therapist's Tears Jerrold R. Brandell 13. Tears of the Emerging Parent: Therapists' Tears in Working with Pregnant and Postpartum Clients Wendy N. Davis 14. Supervising Our Tears: A Guide for Supervisors and Trainees Amy Blume-Marcovici, Kelsey E. Schraufnagel, Mojgan Khademi, and Ronald A. Stolberg