The author's principal aim is to win over the patient through the development of the "positive" aspects of his psychopathology-a concern the significance of which I have also discovered, especially in schizophrenic therapy. It is in this specific sense that Peseschkian speaks of "positive" psychotherapy. His model is a notable synthesis of psychodynamic and behavior-therapeutic elements, making an essential contribution to unified relationships within psychotherapy. In this way Peseschkian is attempting not to directly confront the patient's resistances. The consultation takes place in a loving way through allusions to poetry, proverbs and oriental fairy tales and myths, to which Peseschkian, as a Persian, has direct access. His ability to offer his patient a great treasure of handed-down wisdom knows no bounds. Anyone who has personally experi enced the author's therapeutic enthusiasm and optimism will understand why this method of short psychotherapeutic procedure is highly successful in its effects. Professor Gaetano Benedetti, M. D.

List of Stories -- A Story for the Positive Process: The Dream -- Six Theses of Positive Family Therapy -- I. Introduction to the Theory of Positive Family Therapy -- 1. The Situation in Science, Religion, Education, and Psychotherapy -- 2. What Is 'Family Therapy'? -- 3. What Does 'Positive Family Therapy' Mean? -- 4. Guidelines for the Reader -- II. Transcultural Psychotherapy (The East-West Concept) -- 1. Social Changes and the Image of Man -- 2. Practical Aspects of the East-West Concept in Family Therapy -- III. From Family Therapy to Positive Family Therapy -- 1. The Family as Hell -- 2. The Family as Heaven -- 3. The Family as Fate -- 4. Forms of the Family -- 5. The Family Equilibrium -- 6. Family Therapy: Who Should be Treated? -- 7. Family or Clinic -- 8. The Development of Family Therapy -- 9. What Does Positive Family Therapy Deal With? -- IV. The Tools of Positive Family Therapy -- 1. The Three Pillars of Positive Family Therapy -- 2. The Positive Starting Point -- 3. What is 'Positive Family Therapy'? -- 4. The Positive Image of Man -- Unity in Diversity -- 5. The Basic Capabilities in the Literature -- 6. Possibilities for Reinterpretation -- 7. Practical Applications of the 'Positive Interpretations' -- 8. Aids for Changing One's Perspective -- 9. What Are 'Concepts'? -- 10. Positive Family Therapy Does Not Remove Anything -- 11. The Patient as Therapist -- 12. The Positive Procedure in the Therapeutic Process -- V. Conflict Contents and Conflict Dynamics -- 1. Four Forms of Dealing with Conflict and How They Work -- 2. The Four Forms of Dealing with Conflict, as Used in Positive Family Therapy -- 3. The Four Model Dimensions -- 4. The Four Forms of the Model Dimensions in Positive Family Therapy -- 5. Actual Capabilities -- 6. Microtraumas: The So-called Little Things -- 7. Making Contents Concrete -- 8. The Significance of the Actual Capabilities -- 9. Actual Capabilities as Signs of Transcultural Differences -- 10. Using the Differentiation Analytical Inventory (DAI) -- 11. Actual Conflict and Basic Conflict -- 12. The Three Stages of Interaction -- VI. The Five Steps in Positive Family Therapy and How They Operate -- 1. The Stage of Observation/Distancing -- 2. The Stage of Taking Inventory -- 3. The Stage of Situational Encouragement -- 4. The Stage of Verbalization -- 5. The Stage of Goal Expansion -- 6. The Strategy of Positive Family Therapy -- 7. The Relationships between Therapeutic Models -- 8. Positive Family Therapy: Language and Social Strata -- VII. Practice of Positive Family Therapy -- 1. Concepts and Their Application in Positive Family Therapy -- 2. Concepts in Therapeutic Work: The Change of Perspective -- 3. Stories and Sayings as Aids for Changing One's Perspective -- VIII. Concepts and Their Effects in Positive Family Therapy -- 1. Frigidity: The Ability to Say No with One's Body -- 2. What Do Stomach Troubles Have to Do with Frugality? -- 3. My Parents Raised Me Wrong -- 4. Adiposity -- 5. A Heart Neurosis -- 6. What Will People Say? -- 7. Literary Concepts: Who is Your Favorite Author? -- IX. Family Tradition and Identity -- 1. Traditional Neurosis -- 2. Hanging onto Concepts or Changing Them -- 3. The Undecided Generation Conflict -- 4. Till Death Do You Part -- 5. The Wrong Way -- 6. Delegated Concepts -- 7. The Old Prohibition -- 8. Dangerous Tea -- 9. Can One Hurt Other People? -- 10. The Redeemer -- 11. The Concept Family Tree -- 12. Tradition of Symptoms -- Epilogue -- Reviews of The Family as Therapist: New Strategies for Positive Family Therapy.