1st Edition
Perspectives of Divorced Therapists Can I Get It Right for Couples?
Through interviews with divorced therapists from diverse cultures, philosophies, and generations, this book explores how a therapist’s divorce impacts their work with clients in couples therapy. Interviewees speak of their own experiences with trauma recovery, countertransference, self-disclosure, resilience, and other issues during and after divorce. These experiences are also correlated to previous studies exploring the counseling process and variables that might affect the outcome. Through the stories of other professionals, therapists will gain insight into developing self-awareness and utilizing the person-of-the-therapist model to successfully navigate the impact of their own life crisis as they work with clients. This text will provide enlightenment and courage for divorced or divorcing therapists, as well as any therapist who lives through the experience of managing their own relationship struggles while continuing to lean in and support their clients.
Introduction 1. Being a Mental Health Professional 2. Our Stories 3. Exploring Previous Views of Divorce; Impact of Our FOO 4. Working on Self-Awareness and Recovery 5. Is My Own "Stuff" Getting in the Way? 6. Do I Have Wisdom to Share? Am I Credible? 7. To Tell or Not to Tell 8. Am I More Likely to Encourage Disconnection 9. Moving Forward
Biography
Tanya Radecker, PhD, LPC-S, NCC, RN, is an ICEEFT-certified EFT supervisor with a private practice in New Orleans, Louisiana. She serves as the executive director of the Louisiana Community for Emotionally Focused Therapy. Dr. Radecker lectures at universities and conferences and provides educational workshops across the state for other clinicians learning EFT. She is also a certified clinical hypnotherapist who specializes in working with couples who deal with trauma, high conflict, and sexual assault/abuse.
"This timely and innovative book helps transform the shame and stigma of divorce into a powerful instrument of empathy to reach deeper and connect more intimately to the most vulnerable parts of ourselves and our clients."
George Faller, LMFT, President of New York Center for Emotionally Focused Therapy, Director of Training- Greenwich Center for Hope and Renewal
"Dr. Radecker’s compelling interviews, interwoven with her authentic self-of-the-therapist disclosure throughout this book, offer a unique glimpse into the emotional world of we human beings who are also psychotherapists. Revealing both the challenges and potential benefits to our work, it is of value for any psychotherapist going through a crisis in their own personal life."
Jodi Ames-Frankel, PhD, ICEEFT-certified EFT supervisor
In Perspectives of Divorced Therapists, Dr. Radecker addresses the dilemma that ALL therapists have. Is it possible to have personally experienced every presenting problem a client brings to the counseling room? And is it necessary for the therapist to have been ‘successful’ in grappling with each of those issues? The author candidly shares her personal story and includes the journeys of other clinicians in addressing those important questions."
Dee Adams, PhD, LPC, LMFT, couple’s therapist in private practice for 30 years
"Dr. Tanya Radecker is an accomplished counselor who also happens to be divorced. Based on her clinical experiences and her research, she has written this book that should be read by all mental health professionals who are divorced. In the book, Dr. Radecker leads divorced mental health professionals through the process of assessing their own thoughts and feelings about their own divorce in preparation for putting those issues aside as they help couples navigate their relationships. She also helps divorced mental health professionals decide whether to disclose they are divorced, a decision that must be made individually by each divorced mental health professional."
Theodore Remley, JD, PhD, Professor of Counseling, Booth-Bricker Endowed Professor, Department of Counseling and Behavioral Sciences, University of Holy Cross
