Praise for the Book

The Psychotherapist’s Professional Will

The Psychotherapist’s Professional Will: Workbook for Managing Planned and Unplanned Absences is already receiving praise throughout the therapist community and beyond. Read what others are saying.

Dr. Steiner’s thoughtful and systematic approach addresses an urgent issue often overlooked in our profession: the need to plan for unexpected absences and to give our patients a secure holding environment when we are unavailable. Her detailed approach, particularly the worksheets, not only serves as a way of caring for patients, but also offers a clear path forward for therapists in the midst of life crises.

Therapists are often hesitant to face the need for an Emergency Response Team and a Professional Will. Dr. Steiner’s book offers a concrete and clear roadmap for meeting this professional responsibility.

Alexis D. Abernethy, Ph.D., ABPP, CGP, AGPA-F

Professor of Clinical Psychology - Fuller Theological Seminary School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy
Fellow - American Group Psychotherapy Association
Former AGPA Connect Co-Chair - American Group Psychotherapy Association
Author - Addressing Diversity Dynamics in Group Therapy: Clinical and Training Applications (2024)

I am grateful to you for your workshop and for making me aware of the importance of the Professional Will. I update the entire document every year, incorporating changes in my schedule, new passwords, deleting patients whom I no longer see, and so on. Every year, when I give the updated documents to my office mates who had agreed to be ‘first responders’ they say something like, ‘I really know I should do something like this. I am going to.’ But they haven’t (yet).

George Saiger, M.D.

Faculty and Founding Chair - Center on Aging and its Clinical Applications of the New Washington School of Psychiatry
Diplomate - American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology
Certified Group Psychotherapist - International Board for Certification of Group Psychotherapists

A real contribution to our field! Dr. Steiner acknowledges the impact of our humanity and the unexpected on our lives and on our patients’ lives. She gives us practical advice and steps to best serve their needs as well as our own.

The reader is guided to set up an Emergency Response Team, so colleagues can manage contact with and referrals for patients when needed, and to create a Professional Will – two of the many important steps in ensuring continued care for our patients.

Thank you, Dr. Ann Steiner for this contribution!

Suzanne B. Phillips, PsyD, ABPP, CGP, AGPA-DF

Co-Chair - American Group Psychotherapy Association’s Community Outreach Task Force
Clinical Adjunct Professor - Long Island University - C.W. Post Campus
Blogger - Psychology Today
Radio Show Host - "Psych Up" with Dr. Suzanne Phillips

Dr. Steiner’s masterful manual is an essential read for clinicians of all disciplines and in all stages of their careers. Clear, thoughtful and timely, it should be required reading in graduate and medical programs. Planning for absences shouldn’t be left until there is a need. The language in this book is simple and powerful. Emergency response teams and bridge therapists are important concepts needed in the clinical vernacular. Resistance to this topic is deeply embedded in our culture; having dialogues among therapists and students alike, is important. An excellent place to start is Dr. Steiner’s workbook, where she shares the wisdom of her professional and personal experiences.

Richard Beck, LCSW, BCD, CGP, AGPA-F

Past-President - International Association of Group Psychotherapy and Group Processes
Assistant Clinical Professor - Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine
Honorary Member - Italian Society for Psychosomatic Medicine
Senior Lecturer- Columbia University School of Social Work
Fellow - American Group Psychotherapy Association

In short, fantastic! This book is an essential resource for therapists at every stage of their careers.

It introduces a comprehensive, proactive approach to planning for patient care to manage inevitable normal life disruptions – setting a new standard for ethical clinical practice.

Dr. Steiner masterfully combines clarity, foresight, and compassion, offering a selection of practical worksheets and step-by-step guidance. A must-have resource when clinical work needs to shift, transition, or come to an end.

Michele D. Ribeiro, EdD, ABPP, CGP, AGPA-F, APA-F

President-Elect - APA Division 49 - Society of Group Psychology and Group Psychotherapy
Chair - Mental Health Task Force, Western University of Health Sciences - College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific NW
Fellow - American Psychological Association and American Group Psychotherapy Association

Dr. Steiner’s comprehensive book is the most thorough guide to the professional will that I’ve found. This author positions the professional will squarely as a clinical and ethical expression of the clinician’s work. It is framed as not only doable, but necessary for our practice. Complete with worksheets and invaluable practical advice, this book makes me feel like I can finally tackle the crafting of my own professional will.

Tony L. Sheppard, Psy.D., CGP, ABPP, AGPA-F

Editor in Chief - The Group Circle – American Group Psychotherapy Association
Co-Chair - Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility Task Force – American Group Psychotherapy Association
Founder & Director - Groupworks Psychological Services
Adjunct Faculty - Spalding University