What Jeffrey Kottler has noticed in his vast training in multiple theoretical perspectives is that all kinds of therapy work. Good therapy is when the therapist engages the client and combines certain core ingredients including a combination of insight and action, and cognition and affect.
In this video, Kottler engages with an African-American client who is struggling with two losses: the ending of a romantic relationship and her children moving out. You’ll be impressed by how quickly he makes a connection with her and uses this alliance to allow his interventions to take root. Creatively pulling techniques from a variety of approaches, and even using humor, he helps her develop a new focus on how she can bridge her loneliness by reaching out to people in new ways. Jon Carlson and Diane Kjos introduce Kottler and facilitate a discussion on the approach.