This book asserts that professionals who work with the old, the disabled and the dying need to confront their own fears of growing old and perhaps helpless, of dying and the unknown, as well as their need for control, professional omnipotence and their need to be needed. Examination of the feelings experienced by the therapist towards the client is regarded as an important therapeutic tool and the basis for empathy and deeper understanding of both the older client's and the helper's own processes. Many case studies are woven throughout the book to illustrate how practitioners can use their own feelings and behaviour to work with clients more effectively.