Ordeal therapy cover

Ordeal therapy

by Jay Haley

In this classic book Jay Haley explains how and why the use of ordeals work in therapy. He provides an account of the theoretical basis of ordeal therapy, showing how it builds on the work of Milton H. Erickson. Problems discussed include psychosomatic symptoms, uncontrollable and violent children, separation and divorce, anxiety, incontinence, sexual frustration, alcoholism, speech blocks, and depression.

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Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?