Depending upon which study you read, between 20 and 57% of psychotherapy patients do not return after their initial session. Another 37 to 45% only attend therapy twice. A follow-up study on dropouts found most clinicians had no idea why their patients had terminated, whereas their clients could define very specific "therapeutic errors." Clients who drop out early display poor treatment outcomes, over-utilize mental health services, and demoralize clinicians.
It doesn't have to be that way. Well-researched strategies reduce dropout rates and increase positive treatment outcomes. How to Fail as a Therapist details the 50 most common errors therapists make, and how to avoid them. Therapists will learn practical, helpful steps for avoiding such common errors as not recognizing one's limitations, performing incomplete assessments, ignoring science, ruining the client relationship, setting improper boundaries, terminating improperly, therapist burnout, and more. (Courtesy: Impact Publishers)

A must-read!, August 1, 2006
Reviewer: Monika M. Davignon - See all my reviews

It is with great enthusiasm that I recommend How to Fail as a Therapist. Rarely, indeed, does a small book contain such large volume of relevant clinical information. It spans orientations and levels of training/experience on the therapist's side, and diagnoses/ exposure to therapy on the side of clients. As noted by the authors, as well as reviewers on the back cover, this manual is intended for therapists-in-training and for seasoned therapists alike. In this reviewer's opinion, this little book should receive a must-read place in graduate programs for clinical professionals at all levels.
The chapter divisions and titles of specific therapist errors make this manual especially valuable to use as a reference book when self-examination points to omissions/commissions in one's clinical work. Like all good teachers, Schwartz and Flowers have not only articulated a wide range of clinical pitfalls (supported by meticulous research), but also offer ideas (as integral part of the book) and tools (in the appendixes) towards their avoidance or remedy.
Proactive avoidance of many of these errors is the self-evident best use of this manual, and the authors give ample assistance with relevant examples and assessment tools. However, even more valuable to this reader is the comfort that if therapy feels "stuck", this book can be used as a quick reference for how to "unstick" the therapy process (providing, of course, that it is not too late!). Beyond such future usefulness, reading How to Fail catapulted this clinician to do a first sorting of her own therapy behaviors into a personal list of: (1) "Ooops, I vaguely remember that one but am not doing it"; (2) "Ouch, I am not paying adequate attention to that one; and (3) "glad that I am OK doing this one (more often than not)" etc. Over and above such listing in progress (with the promise to self to make changes!), this clinician revised her intake form to include questions regarding prior therapy (when, how long, issues and outcome) and treatment expectations.
Lastly, echoing the focus by the authors on human resilience, it is reasonable to hope that even with the commission of the occasional therapy error we not only forgive ourselves these professional shortcomings, but that most of our clients do also (and stay in therapy to benefit from their hard work, in spite of our imperfections.)
Monika Davignon, Ph.D., MFT
(courtesy: Amazon.com)