ABSTRACT
I hope to show not; for although the greater part of this book is devoted to technical matters, it is not my intention to persuade psychotherapists or health and social care staff who make use of CBT to become mere technicians. Given the complex and controversial nature of the problems confronting them, it is vital that they should be able to think for themselves and make clear judgements about what their actions – even their allegedly commonsensical and non-theoretical actions – assume about the person needing their help, and about the most effective way of providing it. Therefore, they cannot afford to be philosophically naive. However, there is another purpose behind this brief excursion other than to persuade would-be helpers to keep in view a broader picture of the human condition than the latest set of guidelines on ‘maintaining excellence’, etc. require. Euphemisms are always lies. Just say no, otherwise you will find yourself needing more and more of them:
Alice laughed. ‘There’s no use trying’ she said: ‘one can’t believe impossible things’. ‘I daresay you haven’t had much practice,’ said the Queen. ‘When I was your age, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.’
