Therapist as Humanist, Social Activist and Systemic Thinker

by Cloé Madanes
Type: Softcover

Strategic Therapy of Schizophrenia 1983. Money and the Family 1994. Leadership in Times of Crisis 2004. Rebels with a Cause: Honoring the Subversive Power of Psychotherapy 1999. The Double Bind Hypothesis 1971. “Hey, did you hear the one about…?” 1985. A smattering of the titles enclosed to whet the appetite of any therapist, whether new to the field or seasoned professional.

Reflecting some 35 years of Madanes’ thinking on essential aspects of theory and practice and her innovative approaches to working with those from whom others may back away, this collection will both inform and inspire. From the early years to the most recent pieces, Madanes is clear in her conviction that dramatic change for the better is possible and that therapists can foster such change; that free will and a system that follows its own rules exist simultaneously; and that the human spirit has the capacity to triumph in the face of all kinds of adversity.

The Therapist as …provides an opportunity to see what such conviction looks like in action across a variety of circumstances. It also teaches us about the power of humor even in the most serious of settings. And just as each piece captures something essential of the author at that particular time in her life, each piece also tells us something of the time itself as reflected in the voice of the author.

Like Cloe Madanes herself, this collection of her writings is refreshingly playful and profoundly wise. In it she explores her unshakable belief in the power of people to drive one another sane and the power of words to change the world. The unforgettable case histories are often hilarious, as Cloe cuts through the bullshit and embraces the love inside families. We see what makes the ever more charming Madanes perhaps the most inspiring thinker and doer in the field of family therapy.
— Frank Pittman, Author of Turning Points: Treatment of Families in Transition and Crisis