Part One: The Experience of Failure in Therapy 1. What Is Failure? Definitions of Imperfection 2. Fear and Avoidance of Failure in Therapy 3. Unproductive Defenses Against Failure 4. Benefits of Confronting Imperfection Part Two: How Do Therapeutic Failures Happen? 5. Basic Lapses and Mistakes of Beginners 6. How Client2s and Therapist2s Fears of Failure Influence Each Other 7. The Imperfections of Prominent Practitioners 8. What Goes Wrong: Common Themes Part Three: Incorporating Imperfection into Productive Practice 9. Being a Reflective Therapist 10. Learning from Failure in Therapeutic Practice