Navigating Ruptures, Repairs, and Termination Within the Therapeutic Process

This book explores the importance of the therapeutic relationship, the tensions or disagreements that may emerge during a therapy session, and how they can be repaired.

Dr. Koenigsberg introduces a two-part transtheoretical, psycholinguistic model which focuses on the connection between ruptures and the termination phase of therapy, emphasizing the verbal and nonverbal nuances of language, to understand what is happening in the therapeutic alliance. With a reliance on psycholinguistic elements, this model can guide therapists who wish to reduce the premature termination of patients from therapy. Written in an accessible format, it provides case examples, including the patient’s and therapist’s inner experiences, and defines and describes the phases of therapy so that difficult transitions in the therapeutic process can be navigated with skill and compassion.

This text is essential for providing early career as well as more seasoned therapists with excellent strategies to repair their therapeutic relationships with clients.

Judy Z. Koenigsberg, PhD, a clinical psychologist, licensed in Illinois, who has practiced integrated psychology for 30 years. Dr. Koenigsberg holds graduate degrees in psychology and linguistics. After earning her PhD from Northwestern University, Dr. Koenigsberg was employed as a clinical psychologist at the University of Chicago. Later, she taught research methodology to graduate students in the social sciences at Loyola University, Chicago. Her recent books, Anxiety Disorders: Integrated Psychotherapy Approaches and Depressive Disorders: Integrated and Unified Psychotherapy Approaches, are published by Routledge/ Taylor & Francis. Judy’s articles in psychology and sociology have been published in peer reviewed journals, and her course, “Listening to the language of Your Patients: Integrating Psycholinguistic Concepts into Clinical Practice,” is designed for mental health practitioners.