Changing the Rules: A Client-Directed Approach to Therapy

"Refreshingly refocused on the client's frame of reference, CHANGING THE RULES humanizes the therapeutic encounter.... Duncan and his colleagues transcend the unproductive debate on common factors versus specific factors by integrating the relational power of therapeutic commonalities and the pragmatic specificity of technical eclecticism. Extensive case studies and astute syntheses of the research literature inform this balanced and engaging volume.'' --John C. Norcross, Ph.D.

"The common response to difficulties and impasses in therapy is to blame the patient--for example, as `resistant.' Comforting as this may be, this book suggests how it would be more useful to take out clients' `realities' more seriously, and our own `realities' of theory and technique less seriously with a resulting gain in both focus and flexibility.'' --John H. Weakland, Ch.E., M.F.P.C.

"`No one theory can do it all' should be the motto of this book! CHANGING THE RULES offers an innovative definition of eclecticism and a new way to conceptualize successful as well as failed therapy. The authors draw from their collective clinical experiences and extensive psychotherapy research to operationalize identified `common factors' associated with successful therapy and develop an eclectic, client directed, brief therapy approach. At the heart of their approach is a primary emphasis on the client's subjective experience of therapy, the construction of a common therapist-client theoretical language, and the `common factors context of the therapist-client relationship.' These combine to inform a therapy that is guided by the client and that leads to interventions that are within the client's experience.

"Drawing from their collective clinical experiences, the authors offer a generous variety of individual, couple, and family therapy case vignettes to illustrate pragmatic eclecticism. The authors do not provide a cookbook approach, but rather aim to show therapists how to integrate the client's theory and unique experiences with a diversity of therapist theories and techniques toward a more flexible intellectual framework to guide therapy, and thus most importantly, a more fruitful therapy for all involved." -- Harlene Anderson, Ph.D.

"The book should be useful to practitioners and is a solid choice for graduate courses emphasizing therapy issues."

"....this is an excellent resource....The authors have presented a well organized, readable and useful volume which reflects the current trend in the field of psychotherapy....This book is a significant contribution in the process of integration of models. It may challenge your assumptions about how you do therapy, but it may also generate some very useful ideas on how to do therapy better."

"Therapists who rely on the therapeutic relationship to facilitate favorable change can be enriched by the material on interventions. Interventionist therapists can grow in appreciation of the relationship context in which helpful interventions are made. Therapists unwilling to change the rules should avoid this book, because there is considerable risk of learning something worthwhile."

Barry L. Duncan, PsyD, is Director of The Dayton Institute for Family Therapy, a private treatment and training center in Centerville, Ohio. He is also a clinical assistant professor at Wright State University and past president of the Ohio Division of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. In addition to maintaining a clinical practice, teaching graduate students, and training mental health professionals, Dr. Duncan frequently conducts workshops for therapists across the country.

Andrew D. Solovey, LISW, is Clinical Director of Scioto Paint Valley Mental Health Center in Chillicothe, Ohio. He also provides psychotherapy services to individuals and families at an inpatient rehabilitation center. Throughout his career, he has done clinical work with a wide range of clients in a variety of settings. He enjoys teaching and training psychotherapists, and his main interest is the challenge of searching for solutions in cases that are considered to be hopeless.

Gregory S. Rusk, ACSW, LISW, is in practice in Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio. He is a clinical member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. He has coauthored articles on eclectic psychotherapy with colleagues at The Dayton Institute for Family Therapy and has presented workshops on client-directed psychotherapy.