Trust Me, I’m The Patient: Clean Language, Metaphor, and the New Psychology of Change

Superb. Substantial. Entertaining. Informative. An essential read for anyone who finds themself counseling or working with others. Aimed mainly at psychotherapy and coaching, but readily translates into lessons for business, education, and everyday use. ‘Trust Me, I’m The Patient’ takes you step by step through a process that lends itself to the most profound therapeutic transformation and yet can be used informally at home, at work, or in the queue for the bus. Science, psychology, philosophy, and a vibrating peach are all part of the story in this far-reaching but readily accessible guide to the practice of Clean Language questioning, a knowledge of which will enable you to enter another person’s world almost unnoticed and once there to tread very, very lightly. And what will happen as a result is that the person you facilitate will get to know - and change, and heal - themself. Philip Harland takes us on a clear and compelling journey into the nuances of words, questions, and sentence structure, and explains why small changes make such a big difference to both listener and speaker. He guides us through the minefields of unclean practice and shows us how seductive and wasteful our projections and assumptions can be. If you have ever wanted an easier ride with clients and colleagues, family and friends, this book tells you how to let go the reins and facilitate them to take up their own. A fabulous addition to Clean resources and one that most closely matches the way the creator of Clean Language, the late David Grove, would explain himself. I defy anyone to read this book and not clean up their language. Caitlin Walker, educationalist, author of Clean Language and Systemic Modelling