The Difficult Patient

A Brief, Constructivist Approach

Michael Hoyt, Ph.D., is a staff psychologist at the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Hayward California. His books include Brief Therapy and Managed Care (Jossey-Bass, 1995), Constructive Therapies, Volumes 1 and 2 (Guilford, 1994 and 1996), The Handbook of Constructive Therapies (Jossey-Bass, 1998), and his latest book, Some Stories Are Better than Others (Brunner/Mazel, 2000). An internationally known workshop presenter, Dr. Hoyt lives with his wife and son in Mill Valley, California.

Many clients come to therapy hoping that the therapist will somehow solve their problem or give them permission to take a certain course of action. Sidestepping both pitfalls, Hoyt demonstrates the subtle art of helping clients construct their own personal senses of meaning.