This book is a collaboration between a psychotherapist and a philosopher in the attempt to produce a unified view of the values of psychotherapy. In effect it contains a compelling account of one central value underlying psychotherapy, namely emotional autonomy, but leaves out any consideration of other central values. A substantial proportion of the book is given over to teasing out professional values implicit in the practice of psychotherapy. There are persuasive arguments in favour of a profession of psychotherapy and a register of psychotherapists, although these are marred by a range of arguments in a polemical vein in favour of making such a profession very broad based.

The first five chapters bring together philosophical, social and