Product reviews for Expectation

The book's guiding principle is that building a therapeutic environment where the client expects to change is the key condition for effective, brief, work. In his own practice it is rare for Rubin to see a client more than once, and clients know this in advance.

Such an approach will challenge the belief systems of many, not least among psychotherapists. Psychoanalysts are likely to burn him as a witch. Nevertheless, don't think that if your belief doesn't resonate with his that this isn't a book for you. It is so packed with ideas and pointers that you will gain a lot you can integrate into your style of working without needing to adapt the structure of your treatment planning.

One of the things the book has inspired in me is to either dust off some books he's reminded me of, or buy some more. He samples freely from the work of Bill O'Hanlon, Lucas Derks, Jay Haley, Moshe Talmon - the list is extensive, and the samples all focus on techniques that emphasise brevity. After all, most problems can begin with a moment's experience, so why can't solutions? Why does the passing of time have to be an element of positive change beyond the opportunity to calibrate changes within you?

Those of you who've seen Rubin speak will know what I mean when I talk of him as "spare'. There is nothing wasted about him, and his ability to focus on the quality of the moment with each client is something to aspire to, as is his spirit.

Experienced therapists will find this book a delight, newcomers will find it to be an education; a starting point for exploring paths that lead off the beaten track. Both will find it a title they return to year on year, and find within it something fresh and something useful. Don't put this on a shelf, put it in a glass case in your therapy room with the instruction "break glass in case of emergencies'. It is bound to show you a way forward.

That we have the likes of Gil Boyne, Brian Roet and Rubin as Fellows of the NCH provides us with a unique cachet that must enhance our reputation across the world. Long may they grace us with their experience and their spirit, and long may they avoid housework.