Competence, courage, and change

"This book responds to a long-standing need in the field of psychotherapy created by the gradual demise of the medical model. If we are not to define people by their deficits, how can we organize our understanding of them? The concept of competence provides a conceptual replacement for the medical model... Beginning with the idea that most symptoms represent adaptive attempts gone awry, a competence approach develops the healthy urges that reside within symptoms and helps clients organize around those instead of around the problems themselves... Courage, hope, vision, and other concepts not usually treated in psychotherapy are taken seriously and developed as important aspects of treatment. Ultimately, this approach offers people a direct, positive challenge to find and develop the best that is in them."--book jacket.