Brad E. Sachs, Ph.D., is a psychologist specializing in the treatment of children and adults, couples and families, and the best-selling author of numerous books on child and family development for both general and clinical readership, including Family-Centered Treatment with Struggling Young Adults, The Good Enough Child, and The Good Enough Teen. A published poet, composer, and musician, he maintains a private practice in Columbia, Maryland, where he and his and wife, psychiatrist Dr. Karen Meckler, raised their three adult children and currently enjoy visits with their grandchildren.

Introduction: Socioeco-location Chapter 1 The Vandal Interlude 1 What is the Point of Writing This Book? Chapter 2 On Writing about the Clinical Without Being Too Clinical Chapter 3 Good Enough or Good-for-Nothing? Reflection Point 1 Good Enough and Not Good Enough Chapter 4 A Place to Start: On the Importance of Treatment Failure when Treating Failure-to-Launch Chapter 5 Two Powerful Lessons in Powerlessness Chapter 6 Three Births... Chapter 7 ...And a Fourth, the Birth of Forgiveness Reflection Point 2 "Why is S/he Here and What Does S/he Want?" Chapter 8 The Joy of Thwarting...and of Being Thwarted Interlude 2 Pull Up a Chair Chapter 9 Reduced Sentences Interlude 3 In the Company of Shadows: Visions of Grief Chapter 10 Cash in the Cup Interlude 4 The Adolescent (and Adult) Saboteur Chapter 11 Here and Not Here, There and Not There Interlude 5 Hard Winter Reflection Point 3 Blame, Responsibility and Credit Chapter 12 Tough Love...and Why It's So Tough Reflection Point 4 Ascending the Ladder of Therapy Chapter 13 The Ambivalent Tango of Hope Chapter 14 Narcissism and Its (Occasional) Nobility Interlude 6 Unsolvable Love Chapter 15 Nowhere but the Dark Interlude 7 Wandering Down Dream Avenue Chapter 16 Punishing the Punitive Therapiste Interlude 8 "Tell Me a Story" Chapter 17 On Hating a Patient Chapter 18 What Do We Want When We Want Out? Reflection Point 5 Creativity as an Antidote to Failure Chapter 19 Defeated by Success Chapter 20 The Diagnostic Dragnet Reflection Point 6 Learning from the Patient Chapter 21 We Hold These Truths to be Self-Evident...Without Any Real Evidence Interlude 9 Plumbing the Depths of Power Chapter 22 "I Am Beside Myself" Reflecvtion Point 7 Kryptonite Time Chapter 23 What We Give Our Patients When We Give Up...and When We Don't Reflection Point 8 Nostalgia and Empathy Chapter 24 "Why am I Doing This?" Chapter 25 The Good Enough Supervisor Interlude 10 "How Is It That I Am Not Myself?" Chapter 26 Giving What You Never Got Reflection Point 9 How Telling Chapter 27 Loops Reflection Point 10 Take a Walk Conclusion "Going Grandfather": The Good Enough Therapist in Twilight Epilogue In Praise of Defeat