Therapy Demystified:
An Insider's Guide to Getting the Right Help (Without
Going Broke).
(Marlowe & Co., November 2004)
From an experienced clinician passionate about opening therapy up to everyone - an all-in-one, no-nonsense guide to the complex world of mental health
Therapy practiced well by the right professional is an effective way to sort out a wide range of troubles, but how do you know if it's right for you? In Therapy Demystified, Kate Scharff, an experienced clinical social worker and psychotherapist, decodes and destigmatizes psychotherapy for everyone who's ever considered it, proving that good, affordable help is available to those who want it. Among the key questions Scharff answers are :
• How do I know if I should see a therapist?
• What are the different kinds of therapy, and why should I care?
• Where can I find a therapist I can afford?
• What should I expect (and ask) within the first few sessions?
• How can I tell if a therapist is right for me?
• How can I tell if therapy is working?
• Is there any truth to the bad things I've heard about therapy and therapists?
• What should I do if my child or another loved one needs therapy?
Therapy Demystified empowers everyone to become an educated therapy consumer.
If you've ever considered therapy but felt skeptical or confused, or if you
are currently receiving therapy but aren't sure if you're getting the most
out of it - this book is for you.
Editorial Reviews
Michael Stadter, PhD
Clinical Psychologist-in-Residence, Dept. of Psychology,
American University
Faculty, International Psychotherapy Institute
Faculty, Washington School of Psychiatry
This book is a very welcome addition to the self-help literature. In a
highly readable, clear but not overly simplified style, Kate Scharff uses
her experience as a psychotherapist, a patient and a mother to help people
find their way through the mental health maze: whether to seek therapy, how
to find a good therapist, how therapy works, how to use it and how to afford
it. Especially helpful are Scharff’s many lists of insightful questions and
pointers (e.g., what to ask in the first session, what are the signs of a
bad therapist, how do you know you’re done).
Brian B. Doyle, MD
Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, and of Family and Community Medicine Georgetown
University School of Medicine Washington, DC
Many readers will profit by Kate Scharff’s book, Therapy Demystified. An
experienced social worker, Scharff provides an “insider’s guide.” She has
abundant practical suggestions: when to consider psychotherapy, how to find
a good match in a therapist, what to expect from treatment, and even how to
end it. She writes clearly and convincingly about different approaches to
treatment. She’s open about her preference for “psychodynamic” therapy, asserting
that the “feelings–oriented” approach is essential. Dealing directly with
insurance and with financial issues, Scharff notes that many patients earn
more money as a result of their life progress in therapy. For the cash-strapped,
she notes that high-quality treatment is available at low cost, through training
institutes in many cities. Chapters about the special needs and issues of
children, and about the who and where of community resources, provide more
useful information. Scharff’s book is a pleasure to read: straightforward,
warm, and good-humored. She is upbeat but not simplistic, assertive but not
prejudiced. The qualities she advocates in a good psychotherapist shine forth
in her own prose.
Michael H. Silver, PhD, MD, Assistant Clinical Professor,
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences,
The George Washington University
Anyone even considering getting into therapy, concerned about a friend
or loved one who may need therapy, or being trained as a therapist in any
mental health discipline will find Therapy Demystified to be an invaluable
resource. In a time in which the mental health field can be confusing, intimidating,
and discouraging, Ms. Scharff has written a book that is easy to understand,
enjoyable to read, and filled with common sense. It offers a balanced overview
of virtually the entire field.
Jane Prelinger, MSW, LICSW, Clinical Director
Eugene Meyer III Treatment Center,
Washington School of Psychiatry
Faculty, Washington School of Psychiatry
Kate Scharff’s excellent (and reassuring!) book offers much for the psychotherapy consumer. Whether you are seeking therapy for the first time, have had bad therapy experiences in the past, or just want assistance in finding effective and affordable help, this book is an invaluable resource.
Book Description
From an experienced clinician passionate about opening up therapy to everyone-an all-in-one, no-nonsense guide to the complex world of mental health. Therapy practiced well by the right professional is an effective way to sort out a wide range of troubles, but how do you know if it's right for you? In Therapy Demystified, Kate Scharff, an experienced clinical social worker and psychotherapist, decodes and destigmatizes psychotherapy for everyone who's ever considered it, proving that good, affordable help is available to those who want it. Among the key questions Scharff answers are: How do I know if I should see a therapist? What are the different kinds of therapy, and why should I care? Where can I find a therapist that I can afford? What should I expect (and ask) within the first few sessions? How can I tell if a therapist is right for me? How can I tell if therapy is working? Is there any truth to the bad things I've heard about therapy and therapists? What should I do if my child another other loved one needs therapy? Therapy Demystified empowers everyone to become an educated therapy consumer. If you've ever considered therapy but felt skeptical or confused, or if you are currently receiving therapy but aren't sure if you're getting the most out of it-this book is for you.
About the Author
KATE SCHARFF, MSW, is a licensed clinical social worker who has been practicing psychotherapy for fifteen years. She is the founder and director of Washington Services for Relationships in Transition, which offers clinical services to families going through high-conflict divorces. She is also co-chair of the Washington, D.C., satellite of the International Psychotherapy Institute, and runs a private therapy practice for individuals, couples, and families. The daughter of internationally known and published psychoanalyst David Scharff, she lives in Bethesda, Maryland.
Press Release
Move over, Dr. Phil; a real psychotherapist helps you find the right kind of therapy without going broke.
Therapy Demystified
An Insider’s Guide to Getting the Right Help (Without Going Broke)
by Kate Scharff, MSW
It’s therapy, not theater. But based on the likes of Drs. Phil, Laura, and Frasier Crane, with their quick-fix solutions to complex psychological problems, it’s easy to understand why many people still view the field of therapy through a haze of doubt, confusion, and mistrust. These “media shrinks” fail to give their clients the tools to effect real change, and therapy continues to be regarded as a mythical practice, or as the realm of the rich or crazy.
From a family of renowned therapists, Kate Scharff, MSW, shares over fifteen years of expertise in psychotherapy in her book THERAPY DEMYSTIFIED: An Insider’s Guide to Getting the Right Help (Without Going Broke). This down-to-earth resource provides answers to all those wishing to gain an understanding of the practice. Whether the reader is a die-hard therapy skeptic, someone considering therapy but feeling bewildered about where to start, someone in therapy who wants more insight into the process, or someone training to be a therapist in any discipline, Scharff’s book will be an invaluable resource. For anyone wanting to know what therapy really is, how it works (how it doesn’t), and how find the right practitioner for them, THERAPY DEMYSTIFIED is the definitive consumer’s guide.
KATE SCHARFF, MSW is a licensed clinical social worker who has been practicing psychotherapy for fifteen years. She is the founder and director of Washington Services for Relationships in Transition, which offers clinical services to families going through high-conflict divorces. Additionally, she is the Co-Chair of the International Psychotherapy Institute, Metro Washington Satellite, and maintains a private practice of child and adult psychotherapy. She lives in Bethesda, Maryland.
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