The effort to surmount shame and formidable defenses in psychotherapy can trigger shame and self-doubt in therapists. Susan Warren Warshow offers a user-friendly-guide to help therapists move past common treatment barriers. This unique book avoids jargon and breaks down complex concepts into digestible elements for practical application. The core principles of Dynamic Emotional Focused Therapy (DEFT), a comprehensive treatment approach for demonstrable change, are illustrated with rich and abundant clinical vignettes. This engaging, often lyrical handbook emphasizes "shame-sensitivity" to create the safety necessary to achieve profound interpersonal connection. Often overlooked in treatment, shame can undermine the entire process. The author explains the "therapeutic transfer of compassion for self," a relational phenomenon that purposefully generates affective expression. She introduces a three-step, robust framework, The Healing Triad, to orient therapists to intervene effectively when the winds of resistance arise. Chapters clarify: Why we focus on feelings How to identify and move beyond shame and anxiety How to transform toxic guilt into reparative actions How to disarm defenses while avoiding ruptures This book is essential reading for both advanced and newly practicing mental health practitioners striving to access the profound emotions in their clients for transformative change. "The Dynamic Emotion Focused therapy of Susan Warshow spotlights advances in psychotherapy that bring new luster to the clinical work of both doyens and tyros. Clear, concise writing and illuminating transcripts sharpen the realization of practical principles. The author is an expert who will enliven the development of your expertise." Jeffrey K. Zeig , Ph.D., The Milton H. Erickson Foundation "Doing psychotherapy is a paradox. All day, every day, you are with people. And yet, when it comes to helping your client in the moment, you are utterly alone. A Therapist’s Handbook to Dissolve Shame and Defense fills the void. Like a wise mentor, Susan Warren Warshow senses the challenges you will face and steps in with sage advice." Scott D. Miller , Ph.D., Director, International Center for Clinical Excellence "If you are a therapist struggling personally and professionally in client sessions, read Susan Warren Warshow. She offers a practical guide with ample vignettes for clinicians who feel stuck yet have the courage to slow down and start making subtle, significant shifts to strengthen their skills." Dr. Stan Tatkin , Psy.D., MFT, author of Wired for Love and We Do "Every therapist faces the challenge of how to empathize with the wholeness of the patient: her longings, her anxiety, and the behaviors that prevent her from fulfilling her longings. In A Therapist’s Handbook to Dissolve Shame and Defense, Susan Warshow beautifully illustrates through numerous vignettes how to help patients face avoided feelings and move beyond anxiety and defenses that prevent them from pursuing their passions. For any therapist who wants to deepen their capacity for empathy, compassion, and deeper healing, this book is a must read." Jon Frederickson , MSW, faculty, Washington School of Psychiatry; Author of Co-Creating Change, The Lies We Tell Ourselves, and Co-Creating Safety: Healing the Fragile Client "With wisdom and clarity, Susan Warshow provides key concepts to enable clinicians to work effectively with shame―both our own and that of our patients. Referring to shame as "the gatekeeper in therapy", she provides moving clinical vignettes to illustrate its powerful role in development, its relationship to anxiety, its protective signal function for survival. Rather than attacking shame, she teaches us how to guide patients in recognizing shame and to make use of the transformative power of compassion." Pamela J. McCrory , Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist PSY 12094; Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine; Co-Chair, Arts, Creativity and Culture Committee, Los Angeles County Psychological Association "Susan Warshow's book offers an essential contribution to psychotherapists and students in clinical settings, focusing on the centrality of shame in emotional suffering. She highlights psychotherapy elements that facilitate greater self-acceptance and social intimacy. Well-chosen client examples bring her conceptualizations to life and demonstrate the nuances of an attuned approach to working with shame and defense in psychotherapy. Her honest personal sharing accents the book in a thought-provoking way, and her astute insights are free of unnecessary jargon. A Therapist’s Handbook to Dissolve Shame and Defense amplifies that shame is a gateway to emotional integration. Many authors theorize about the meaning of compassion. However, this book demonstrates what this profoundly important phenomenon looks like in actual therapeutic encounters. A Thera