1st Edition
The Conscious Therapeutic Alliance A Framework for Building Transformative Relationships
1. A Framework for the Conscious Therapeutic Alliance 2. Unconscious Conflict and the Conscious Therapeutic Alliance 3. How to Understand the Client’s Conflict 4. Internal Problem 5. Positive Goal 6. Specific Example of the Problem 7. Understanding Causality 8. Agreement on Task 9. Will 10. The Six Triangles in Practice 11. Limitations, Complexities, and Conclusion
Biography
Michelle M. May, LPC, is a psychotherapist, author of What I Couldn't Tell My Therapist, and chair of the ISTDP core training program at the New Washington School of Psychiatry. She maintains a private practice in Arlington, Virginia; Washington, DC; and Sedona, Arizona.
“This book is a tour de force and required reading for all therapists committed to enhancing their effectiveness. With copious examples, May shows us how to maneuver tricky therapeutic landscapes to achieve strong and resilient alliances.”
Patricia Coughlin, PhD, author of Intensive Short Term Dynamic Psychotherapy and Lives Transformed
“This book provides a practical, step-by-step guide to building a strong working relationship with patients. Through detailed clinical examples, you’ll see exactly what to say and how to respond in challenging situations. Direct, practical, and grounded in real-world practice, this book equips therapists with the tools to become more effective—and help more patients succeed."
Jon Frederickson, MSW, author of Clinical Thinking in Psychotherapy: What It Is, How It Works, and Why and How to Teach It
“The Conscious Therapeutic Alliance is a masterful, deeply practical, and profoundly insightful guide to the heart of psychotherapy: the therapeutic alliance itself. With clarity, precision, and grounded psychodynamic insight, May presents a framework that is both sophisticated and remarkably accessible, helping therapists, trainees, and interested clients understand not only the what but also the how of creating a conscious, resilient, and deeply compassionate therapeutic relationship.”
Martha Stark, MD, faculty member at Harvard Medical School, and award-winning author of nine books, including Relentless Hope
