The Beginnings of Provocative Therapy

Daring, funny, innovative, yet "simple but exquisitely complicated". Psychology will never be the same after Frank Farrelly. 5 things to do before dying: see Frank farrelly in action.

Some people want to be spoonfed a nice formula when it comes to this subject.

The rest of us can actually learn from the experiences and story of another, and find ways in which this can help in our own lives when helping others.

Frank's book is one you want to read several times. There is no pretence that it will help a beginner become a therapist. Instead, an experienced flexible therapist, counsellor or coach can easily absorb the points of this book whilst enjoying a good read. This in turn can give yet more choices and ways of responding to a client, emphasizing honest response in particular.

There isn't enough humor in the world when it comes to helping people with issues. Thats not proven, just a feeling I get when I speak to various people at times. Humor can be incredibly healing. Honesty and humor could well be the fastest way to be allowed deep into the trust of the people you wish to help.

If I needed help, I wouldn't let anyone in to help me change things that are important to me unless I trusted them. Trust doesn't come from any formula alone. It comes from my knowing that the other is honest, empathic and cares enough to be totally straight in their response. This straightness is also them allowing themselves to be open to my criticism, my negative reaction to their honesty. By revealing themself to me in this way, as a response to my issues, I know that I may not like what they say...and I can trust what they say. I will then listen and trust.

This is some of what Frank is showing through his story, his experience of developing Provocative Therapy. He shows that he realised that being a therapist also answered deep needs in himself, that he didn't have to be a perfect "super therapist" with all issues solved, instead his very needs and issues serve as a form of bridge, a way to understand. A way to know that all trust, rapport and therapy work is actually a two way street.

This is why detached, emotionless or prepackaged "warm empathy" styles of therapy don't have huge success rates. Real therapy only works with Real people. Honesty, empathy, experience and trust.

Read this not because you get a potted 6 step plan or 12 step approach or canned theories to be applied. Read this to gain a deeper understanding of what it really takes to allow someone to realise how they can change themselves in the way that is beest for them.

Read this to learn how to trust yourself and your instincts.

This is a book that may make sense of all the theories and approaches you may have studied in the past, and perhaps not quite used brilliantly. This takes nothing away from any method that works, it can only add and enhance it.

You have to be associated with the psychology field - as a patient/client or professional - to think this is funny or even worthwhile reading about. The patient/therapist dialogues printed out at length in this book, have little information or entertaining value for "normal" people. The whole message of it is: being able to laugh about yourself is a sign of strength, behaving outrageous toward your fellow man is unacceptable - even when you're "nuts"! And self-pity is not to be taken serious. - Big deal!

This is an excellent book, and clearly a major influence on the two creators of NLP. Frank's style of working and approaches are quite unique and his use of humour to provoake solutions in clients is unique. I notice at [...] he confirms that he is still running workshops at the age of 75 and his mind is as sharp as when he wrote this classic!

Frank Farrelly is the man. Like all masters of art he reflects life as it is and couses a change, this time in the client. This is a book about communication, not beeing codependent and not feeling pity for a person. The book gives mutch laughter as it illustrates peoplas negative perceptions about them selves.

This is a book mostly for therapists, but it is a great start for anyone who has decided to stop destroying there own lifes.

The book is short but wery insightful.

(Sorry about the English!=)