Book excerpt: Originally published in 1987, the purpose of this book was to show how therapists grappled with cases which challenged their ideas about the theory and practice of psychotherapy at the time, and how they revised these ideas as a result of encountering these cases. The contributors, leading therapists from Britain and the United States, discuss a range of issues – personal, conceptual and technical – that will be of interest to all those engaged in psychotherapeutic work. As such, the book is aimed at those working in psychotherapy counselling, clinical psychology and psychiatry, and at students of these disciplines. It will also have relevance for those with a scholarly interest in developments in the theory and practice of psychotherapy.