Books by Michael Karson

Certain intrinsic features of early memories make them analogous to life problems and to the therapy relationship: childhood tends to imply situations that are confusing, disempowered, or impulsive, and relationships that are parental, intimate, or defining. This book recommends strategies for using early memories to enhance the working alliance.

Deadly Therapy explores the implications of a dramaturgical approach to the therapy encounter and uses lessons from the theater to illustrate how to enliven psychotherapy. Every psychotherapy is an interpersonal system in which power and privilege lead to self-serving rules and categories that marginalize aspects of the system that are out of step with the "party line." Performance theory¿encompassing audience engagement, dramaturgy, gender studies, power and privilege dynamics, critical thinking, and multiculturalism¿has much to teach about subverting party lines and empowering the stigmatized and voiceless aspects of therapy and supervisory systems.