This book of original contributions presents investigations of psycho-
therapautic interaction. While the methodological strategies and the-
oretical orientations of these investigations are notably diverse, the
utterance-by-utterance analysis of client-therapist dialogue provides a
strong commonality of interest and a particularly productive perspective
from which the process of psychotherapy can be illuminated. It is hoped
that the contributions selected, and the problems with which they are
occupied, will make evident the rich possibilities such a perspective
has to offer. It should be noted, however, that the present volume is
not a com- pendium: any effort to be exhaustive would be thwarted by
considera- tions of length alone. Thus, certain omissions were
inevitable. It is hoped that the interested reader will use the
extensive references to become acquainted with the works not here
included. Whatever effort I extended as editor and contributor to this
volume could not have been undertaken without the lifelong spirit of
support of my parents, Selma S. and Jay F. Russell. I dedicate my
contribution to them.