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This is a remarkable book and much more than the manual its title announces. I found myself sceptical as I began my reading—how can the complexity of the psychoanalytic treatment task for a clinician be encompassed in a manual? But Luborsky's careful methodical approach, his interesting interweaving of clinical research findings, teaching methods and clinical experience gradually captured my attention and generated a tentative conviction that such a manual can be successful. Some uncertainty remains with a feeling that I want to think further about Luborsky's approach and try it more extensively in teaching activities. To what degree his approach and methods can be applied to psychoanalysis proper is unclear to me, the material focuses entirely on psychoanalytically oriented psychotherapy. But overall the book accomplishes its goals.
For some thirty years Luborsky has been a serious clinician and researcher in psychoanalytically oriented psychotherapy, first at the Menninger Foundation and then at the University of Pennsylvania's Department of Psychiatry. From this work Luborsky began to develop a Manual for Psychotherapy, first called 'The Task of the Psychotherapist' (1973). Though this manual was copyrighted in 1976 it was not until 1979 that the decision was made to publish it. That happened when Luborsky received encouragement for publication if a historical introduction and more clinical examples could be added to ensure the learning of the principles, as in a programmed learning text.
While in the early years Luborsky was sceptical that research could influence clinical practice, he believes now that in the past decade psychotherapy research has begun to have a greater impact on clinical practice. He states that three main examples of such research contributions are evident in the manual: (1) the predictive value of the helping alliance; (2) the guidance to understanding of the transference patterns provided by the Core Conflictual Relationship Theme