Sometimes you just want to feel like a human being

This insightful book illustrates how individuals with disabilities of all kinds - mental retardation, autism, HIV, sensory impairment, cerebral palsy, paraplegia - draw meaning from their experiences and gain perspective on living with a disability. Expanding the traditional boundaries of psychotherapy, the authors employ an astonishing range of treatment options within a framework of fundamental psychotherapeutic principles. These skilled therapists give honest accounts of the struggles, setbacks, and successes associated with the process of psychotherapy as they introduce readers to, among others. Mental health professionals, human services workers, families, and advocates will find that this compelling collection challenges them to view disability both within its social context and as a multilayered separate experience, while also serving as a catalyst for improving program design and referral practices.