Abstract: In all models of therapy, the initial interview is a significant component: it sets the tone, structure, direction, and foundation of treatment. In brief therapy, the opening moves are even more important because there is less time later to correct errors or change direction. This volume provides practitioners with an up-close view of exactly what expert brief therapists do at the beginning of treatment and why they do it. Each author describes his or her particular orientation, presents annotated transcripts of actual initial sessions, and responds to pointed questions from the editors about the cases. An ideal companion to Budman's "Theory and Practice of Brief Therapy" (with Alan S. Gurman), this illuminating and unique casebook is essential reading for all clinicians who need to learn more about time-effective models. Offering a comparative view of a variety of models, it is an ideal text for undergraduate and graduate students. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2005 APA, all rights reserved).