foreword -- preface -- 1 what is psychotherapy? -- 2 a brief history of psychotherapy -- 3 who are the people providing psychotherapy? -- 4 when should i enter psychotherapy? -- 5 how should i select a psychotherapist? -- 6 what's right for me? individual or group psychotherapy? -- 7 does psychotherapy really work? -- 8 will it rob me of my individuality? -- 9 don't psychotherapists have their own problems? -- 10 why don't psychotherapists talk about themselves? -- 11 why don't many therapists offer advice? -- 12 must i relive my entire past? -- 13 is it true that every little thing has deeper meaning? -- 14 how can a psychotherapist remember everything i tell him? -- 15 what is the role of humor in psychotherapy? -- 16 do therapists have favorite patients? -- 17 should i tell others? -- 18 are my dreams important? -- 19 what is transference? -- 20 how do my defense mechanisms work? -- Rationalization -- Repression -- Displacement -- Projection-Externalization -- Reaction Formation -- Regression -- Idealization -- Altruistic Surrender -- Intellectualization -- 21 when should i end psychotherapy? -- questions and answers -- Intrusive Thoughts -- Flashbacks -- A Sense of Personal Fragility and Vulnerability -- The Disruption of One's Value System -- Survivor's Guilt.