The average client today only comes to therapy five to eight times and many only come once, so it is increasingly important, therefore, for therapists to achieve first-session success. Therapeutic skills and sales and marketing savvy are equally important to this task. In the first sixty minutes, clinicians must build trust, communicate what they have to offer and ensure that the client feels different walking out to how they felt when they walked in.

Short, practical and applicable to all therapeutic modalities, this book walks readers through all the first-session essentials, including preparation for the first session, action-steps for each stage of the session, techniques for changing the emotional climate and "closing the deal" to make sure that clients come back for more.

Packed with case examples, vignettes, tools and techniques, The Art of the First Session prepares clinicians with critical skills to cut through performance anxiety, feel and convey confidence with clients and hit the ground running in therapy with new clients.

About the Author
Robert Taibbi, LCSW, has more than forty years of experience working with couples and families. Author of eight books and more than three hundred articles, he is a regular blogger for Psychology Today and the recipient of three national awards for Best Consumer Health Writing. He has served as adjunct professor at several universities, and provides trainings both nationally and internationally on subjects including couple therapy, family therapy, brief therapy, and clinical supervision. He is currently in private practice in Charlottesville, VA.

Reviews
"In today's fast-paced, results-driven world, a lot rides on the success of the first therapy session. Robert Taibbi's absorbing book, The Art of the First Session, shows therapists how to make the first session a success using a skills-based, goal-oriented approach. The book is filled with realistic case studies and solid, pragmatic advice to help any therapist feel more confident and secure about creating a meaningful start to the therapeutic process." -- Lynn Grodzki, LCSW, MCC, author of Building Your Ideal Private Practice, 2nd Edition "In beginning a therapeutic relationship, having the right diagnosis and an effective treatment approach can mean next to nothing if you fail to connect with the patient. Conquering this challenge is the focus of The Art of the First Session, a concise, easy-to-read guide to the delicate task of forming a sound alliance with clients from day one. It's a terrific read, and offers solid, essential advice-for newcomers and old hands alike-on how to triumph in the healing professions." -- James Morrison, MD, Affiliate Professor of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University



Book Information
ISBN 9780393708431
Author Robert Taibbi
Format Hardback
Page Count 240
Imprint WW Norton & Co
Publisher WW Norton & Co
Weight(grams) 436g
Dimensions(mm) 218mm * 147mm * 25mm