Respect-Focused Therapy: Honoring Clients Through the Therapeutic Relationship and Process sets forth the formulation of respect-focused therapy (RFT), a new approach to psychotherapy that addresses the quality of the client–therapist relationship and the therapeutic process.
Therapists have a unique opportunity and responsibility to provide a respectful environment for their clients, yet respect has not received adequate attention in the psychotherapy community and related research. Respect-Focused Therapy: Honoring Clients Through the Therapeutic Relationship and Process sets forth the formulation of respect-focused therapy (RFT), a new approach to psychotherapy that addresses the quality of the client–therapist relationship. This volume treats respect as a combination of action, attitude and open-mindedness, urging therapists to recognize their own biases and beliefs and be willing to suspend them for the benefit of their clients. Using Martin Buber’s "I-Thou" relationship as a conceptual model, Slay-Westbrook provides core principles of respect and demonstrates how to incorporate these into the therapeutic relationship to best foster a healing environment.
Excerpt
Respect is basic and essential to any positive human interaction. We all need and seek it. And yet, respect seems often to be lacking in a deeply harmful way in our world, our homes, in our workplaces, and our communities. This phenomenon is often overlooked in therapy. We, who are in the mental health field, need to take a harder, more deliberate look at how we can best facilitate our clients establish the awareness and skills necessary to get it back.
