This book was great reading material. I've already made up my mind to become a nurse. The book is directed to those who are considering a career in nursing. However, I enjoyed reading it just the same and the ideas presented reinforced my commitment to nursing.

One interesting point is that Janet Katz drives home the need for leadership within nursing and how nursing can be as versatile as you want it to be. This really helped me because I now realize how I can make nursing fit in my life.

One captivating chapter is named "You don't have to like blood to be a nurse" or something like that. For a brief moment, I thought that not liking blood would be detrimental to my nursing career. In her book, Janet demonstrates why this doesn't have to be the case.

Another point covered is a comparison of associate's, diploma and BSN programs and Janet does a good job doing this. She also describes education beyond the RN degree which opened up my mind to countless possibilities. I read it in a day!

Majoring in Nursing helped me with deciding the steps to take to see if nursing would be a good career for me. I am currently trying to decide if I should change careers and the book covers nursing as a second career and the advantages and disadvantages to starting nursing at an older age. It also discusses steps to take before putting in all the time on a degree (such as volunteer work) to see if nursing is the kind of job you thought it would be. Details of the different educational paths to an RN are clearly discussed as well as the various types of jobs available in nursing and of course the many problems (insurance, etc).

An excellent book for anyone looking into a nurisng career. Very informative and easy to read. Ms. Katz works hard to give her readers an accurate description of the profession.

Carter Heyward has written the book that should be required reading for all in the mental health field. She advocates loosening the boundaries between client and therapist in the theraputic relationship in order to create a mutual interacton between two people where deeper intimacy is established. A seemingly innocuous premise, Heyward then goes on to demonstrate the precise reason this is a dangerous practice--especially when the client they face is Heyward. Unsatisfied that her therapist was unable to meet her persistant demands for constant attention, unpaid sessions, touch, and sexual advances, Heyward's behavior escalated to stalking, lying, inventing psychological problems, and manipulation in order to get what she wants. When she fails at this, her revenge is writing the book. I can only believe that it was published due to Heyward's reputation for innovative thinking because if those who care for her had read the unpublised manuscript, they would have realized she has embarassed herself badly. Like an adolescent in heat, Heyward has reduced herself to shameful behaviors, freely admitted. Her idea for mutuality in therapy(an exciting basis for innovative work) are masked by her obcessive needs and sexual desires. She even claims that her pets psychically communicated that she should continue her stalking behavior, and that her therapist welcomed the attentions. As a mental health professional reading this work, I realize I could have been reading a case study for borderline behavior. The book that needs to be written about intimacy, mutuality, and experimental relations in therapy remains unwritten. But, "When Boundaries Betray Us" is a fascinating study of a disintegrating mind. A sad story, but recommended to all clients and therapists alike.

I found this book to be an excellent study as to how badly a psychotherapist can damage a clients emotional and psychological health, and then blame or discredit the client for bringing on that damage, instead of taking responsibility for harming the client and trying to repair the damage done. This is called counter-transference in the profession. This happens when a psychotherapist "loses" control of their faculties within the therapeutic relationship and it is sad to see therapists go off the deep end. The therapist is more responsible than the client for keeping therapy under control, because it is the therapist who has the professional training and experience. If the therapist described in this story had kept their wits about them, this sad situation would never have happened. It takes two to tango.

I can also fully understand why many psychotherapists including social workers and psychologists would dislike this book; many therapists do not like to take responsibility for counter transference, which is basically a therapists mental illness projected towards the client. It does not portray the profession in a good light. It does, however, bring out many unfortunate truths inherent within the psychotherapy industry, and also is a premier as to what kind of psychotherapists to avoid. It get's five stars from me! A book with guts, for a client who was harmed to not only stand up for their rights, but ALSO to write a book about it I am impressed!

Carter Heyward has written a brilliant book on the failure of her psychotherapist, in essence, to own her issues. In contrast to another review I read about this book, it is not an 'embarrassing read on borderline behavior", but rather the very real development of a relationship. I actually identified t with this book as I had a very similar experience with a therapist. There are VERY few models that I have found that deal with the "patient" BECOMING, and maturing and being able to challenge the therapist. This is precisely because therapy is built on a patriarchal model, and this is what Ms. Heyward very thoroughly (perhaps a tad redundant at times) describes. Either health exists inside a person, and needs healing, or it is "given" to the person, as the patriarchal model suggests. There needs to be mutuality for development of health and relationship. She is extremely insightful, and articulate in her writing, and describes the push- ! ! pull of a relationship developing very accurately. I think if one is a psychotherapist in a traditional sense, it is almost impossible for one to understand this book, for precisely the reason that Carter suggests. She is way beyond her colleagues, and any genius in this world that shines, is always in the beginning, harshly criticized. Excellent book, and the critiques in the end are excellent as well.