Humane Helping: Focusing Less On Disorders And More On Life’s Challenges

“The prolific Eric Maisel has produced yet another wise and useful book for counselors and psychotherapists. The ‘humane’ approach to understanding and helping clients described in this book is essentially a non-medicalizing and non-pathologizing approach that puts respect for clients at the forefront where it should be. Practitioners of all theoretical persuasions should find this book enlightening and helpful.” James E. Maddux, PhD, university professor emeritus, Department of Psychology, senior scholar, Center for the Advancement of Well-Being, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia “In Humane Helping, Eric Maisel gives practitioners and healers powerful and practical tools for helping their patients grow, evolve, and transform. Through rich case examples combined with his hallmark timeless wisdom, Eric teaches us to step outside of conventional diagnoses and appreciate the full humanity in the patients we treat, and in ourselves.” Anna Yusim, MD, psychiatrist and author of Fulfilled: How the Science of Spirituality Can Help You Live a Happier, More Meaningful Life “In Humane Helping, Dr. Eric Maisel provides therapists with practical recipes for healing. He discusses ways in which current diagnostic or fix-it paradigms can act as barriers to healing. He then provides us with in depth advice about how to be a more human, grounded, and skilled helper. A useful guide for beginning and experienced therapists alike!” Melanie Greenberg, PhD, author of The Stress-Proof Brain and The Mindful Self-Express blog Humane Helping Humane Helping is a comprehensive, practical guide that helps clinicians shift their practice from the mental disorder-and-chemical fix and experttalk models to a more humane, helpful model that increases their ability to help clients meet life’s challenges and reduce emotional distress. Chapters clearly explain the shortfalls of the current models and the advantages of Eric Maisel’s model and include case studies, reflection questions, and actionable steps. Written for helping professionals in mental health as well as practitioners from fields such as coaching and nursing, Humane Helping challenges current practices and provides helpers with the tools they need to more compassionately, effectively, and honestly serve their clients. Eric Maisel, PhD, is a retired licensed psychotherapist, creativity coach, and internationally respected expert in the field of mental health reform. He is the author of more than fifty books including The Future of Mental Health, Rethinking Depression, Overcoming Your Difficult Family, and The Van Gogh Blues. He reaches a large audience with his personal list, Psychology Today blog, print column for Professional Artist magazine, and weekly appearance in the Fine Art America newsletter. Contents Author’s Note xi Introduction 1 1 Helping Is Hard 5 2 Helping Is Easy 17 3 Embracing Not Knowing 29 4 On Not Diagnosing 41 5 Being with a Person 55 6 Being with a Real Person