NEWS AND EVENTS
{ BOOK REVIEWS }

Emotion-focused work: a pocketbook of protocols
By Michelle Webster

Reviewer
Loretta Bennett Level 4 ACA member, family therapist at Reset Therapy

Emotion-focused work: a pocketbook of protocols is an essential reference for therapists who centre emotion in their practice. Michelle Webster’s latest offering delivers proven frameworks and real-world protocols for therapists to apply in their everyday sessions. These practical tips are complemented with links for where to find additional information and delve deeper into each topic. This is well worth a read and will be a trusted resource for work in this area. The way it is laid out and written is so engaging, easy to read and insightful that I wanted to keep reading even when I’d (sadly) gotten to the end.

Michelle has crafted a resource book with a simple and accessible format, so the reader goes directly to a specific topic or can read the book from front to back. It is an intuitive guide through the steps, frameworks, protocols and techniques of emotion-focused work.

Each section begins with a concise introduction that will benefit anyone exploring whether emotion-focused work is a medium they want to develop or for those already experienced in this form of therapy. It provides a clear step-by-step process to work through with clients and is a great quick refresh if you need focus for planning a session. Its value as an everyday tool draws you in and leaves you curious for more. 

Within each of the sections, Michelle has broken down engagement with clients in a step-by-step, session-to-session format, with information on approaches and techniques to draw on within these sessions. It is simple and informative. It is a guide and a reminder of how to work with individuals and couples using the emotion focused framework.

The compact size of the book allows it to easily fit in one’s handbag or office drawer. It may be small, but it will become an important go-to tool.

It is formatted simply and clearly, which makes it easy to read and refer to, and to find what you need in it. Whether it be for building a framework for practice or refreshing methods and techniques, I found this book invaluable. I will refer to it regularly in my practice and I highly recommend it to others. Michelle Webster has an easy way of writing that is engaging, informed and relevant, which makes it a reliable source for developing your therapeutic knowledge and skill. ■