You have likely encountered clients who remained unmoved by the profession's most sophisticated techniques. Although you have found explanations aplenty for these clients, and an increasing number of uncomplimentary descriptions of them are creeping into your vocabulary, nothing has helped and treatment is at an impasse. These cases, which evoke a mixture of compassion and exasperation, often lead to a belief in "impossibility.".

Intrigued by "impossible" cases (or therapy veterans, as they are referred to here), and tired of reaching for the latest technique of the month, the authors set out to discover how impossibility comes about and how the rules of impossibility could be changed. This book is the product of their five-year study of therapy veterans.

Psychotherapy with "Impossible" Cases declares that success can occur with even the most difficult cases when therapy is accommodated to the client's frame of reference and the client's theory of change is honored. After a clear and convincing explanation of this tenet, including techniques for learning the client's theory of change, numerous clinical examples and several full-length cases are provided to illustrate the approach.