There are certain assumptions about the practice of counseling that are accepted as "truths," beliefs that are so pervasive that they remain unchallenged by almost all practitioners of all persuasions and approaches. In this book noted authors Jeffrey Kottler and Rick Balkin cover a wide range of myths, misconceptions, and assumptions that have remained unchallenged or that have little research to support their efficacy. Topics covered include the sacrosanct "50 minute hour," how basic research is conducted and whether the results inform actual practice, why progress made in therapy often doesn't last, what social justice actually means, and what makes someone an effective therapist. Each chapter describes an issue, explores the way it operates in daily practice, and then presents empirical evidence to question or challenge its current use. In cases where there is little or no definitive research to support or refute the procedure, belief, or practice the authors present some critical questions that will at the very least encourage counselors to reflect on what they do and why. "Kottler (Baylor College of Medicine) and Balkin (Univ. of Mississippi) provide a comprehensive summary of what therapists think they know about psychotherapy, alongside (or in contrast to) what is actually true about it." -- D. C. Marston, Marston Psychological Services, LLC, CHOICE Department of Leadership and Counselor Education at the University of Mississippi. Dr. Balkin is a Fellow of the American Counseling Association, a past editor for the Journal of Counseling and Development, the flagship journal for the American Counseling Association, and past president for the Association for Assessment and Research in Counseling. Dr. Balkin began practice as a professional counselor in 1993 and has worked in academe since 2003. Jeffrey A. Kottler, PhD, is Clinical Professor, Menninger Department of Psychiatry, Baylor College of Medicine and Professor Emeritus, Department of Counseling, California State University, Fullerton.Richard Balkin, PhD, Professor, Department of Leadership and Counselor Education, University of Mississippi and Editor, Journal of Counseling and Development.