This short book does a brilliant job in condensing much of what has become a familiar frame of reference in the field of countertransference theory and its technical application. Much has been written on the subject in recent years, and, although there are contradictory opinions on the value of countertransference data and their use in the therapeutic encounter, an increasing number of practitioners appear to be swaying toward the totalistic view the authors espouse and expand.

Therapists of all persuasions make subtle empathic adjustments in their response to the patient's emotional state. In fact, for any therapy to proceed, a continuous processing of the interactional communication between