ABSTRACT
This chapter establishes the style of the manuscript, simple, clear, and direct – just like No Bullshit Therapy (NBT).
The introduction draws the reader in quickly with a first-hand account of how the author uses a No Bullshit approach to engage an angry client who doesn’t want to be in therapy. This chapter introduces the idea of therapy-lovers and therapy-haters as a provocative way of helping the reader appreciate that different approaches are required to engage clients who are suspicious and cynical about therapy.
The clinical guidelines of NBT are presented early to quickly orient the reader. This chapter acknowledges that many readers will recognise their own hard-won practice wisdom in the guidelines whilst challenging them to be open to expanding their work. The guidelines are described as simple but likely to seep into the reader’s professional and personal lives. This chapter introduces the idea that NBT requires personal growth to work fearlessly with hard-to-engage clients – and that work with therapy-haters will improve the effectiveness of work with mainstream clients. This chapter also explains that therapy-haters are a product of context, not a pejorative term, and introduces the reader to the values of authenticity and respect underlying NBT.
