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Whether the psychotherapy session is about office politics, an inept assistant or a demanding boss, many therapists spend time helping patients be more successful in managing their work life. Addressing this fact is “The Office Survival Guide”, by Marilyn Puder-York, Ph.D., a straightforward, practical book that can be used as an adjunct to work- related problems discussed in the psychotherapy session. A sample of specific topics includes dealing with a difficult boss, working with a troublesome subordinate, managing a competitive peer, and confronting one’s anxiety about new technology.
Interestingly, this book not only helped my patients deal with common problems in the workplace, but the format generated material that made psychotherapy sessions more productive and facilitated the therapy process. Specifically, through a thoughtful, focused format, Puder-York helps the reader identify their internal reality and teaches them skills to differentiate these feelings and memories from the external reality of the work situation. This process slows down the usual knee-jerk response thereby minimizing destructive behaviors. By differentiating this inner psychic life from the real world work situation, the reader is freed to have more appropriate, productive responses. Puder-York then runs through several scenarios for each office situation and specifically suggests best “next steps” that can be taken to correct the problematic work situation.
A seasoned practitioner already knows how helpful bibliotherapy can be to the successful psychotherapy experience, yet I am hard pressed to think of one book related to workplace problems that has the appropriate psychological orientation that can be valuable for the usual psychotherapy client. Puder-York, who is both a clinical psychologist and an executive coach and consultant to Fortune 500 companies, has written the book which fills this void. The “Office Survival Guide” is a “must read” for psychologists when business problems are among the presenting complaints of their patients and for patients who want to successfully resolve office conflicts and move up the career ladder.
More information about this gem can be found at www.theofficesurvivalguide.com.
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