ABSTRACT
This chapter considers various issues when deciding with clients which problems to work on. It discusses these issues openly with clients and gains their commitment to work on whichever problems therapists both consider most suitable. When clients only bring one problem to therapy, then life as a therapist is made relatively simple in that it is clear what therapist and their clients need to work on. Therapists need to tackle emotional problems before practical problems. Another guideline is that therapists often need to deal with secondary emotional problems before primary emotional problems, because it is difficult for their client to concentrate on dealing with one emotional problem if he/she is secondarily disturbed about that problem. Follow cognitive therapy colleagues and develop with clients a problem list. Explain to clients the importance of a problem list and begin to compile it during the opening sessions of Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT).
