Not at all, John, I did not perceive your post as an attack. I find your words inspiring, helpful, and I sense genuine involvement and a willingness to go out of your way to assist.

What has served me best so far, is a very flexible approach which combines or alternates working hypotheses depending on specific aspects.
When dealing with mundane issues that concern coping on a day to day basis with relationships, work tasks and expectations, we made evident progress and achieved significant success with standard CBT that also explored the origins of thoughts and assumptions in early experiences. When dealing with belief systems and deeper schemas, I find it more helpful to abandon this approach, and adopt a no-hypothesis-at-all approach. I then work more or less along the lines that you and the others are suggesting.

It is for the latter approach I needed validation and support from the forum, as well as more ideas, or otherwise correction from more experienced colleagues. I also simply need to deepen my understanding of faith and philosophy to empower me in this case with more ideas. It is not so much that I feel stuck with this client, but rather that I felt uncertain in my professional approach. The input from other professionals is valuable because this is a challenging and unusual case, and I hate the thought of leaving any stone unturned - including the possibility that my approach is lacking or misguided. The support, ideas and validation given here strengthen me and I now have more ideas to develop and work with.

I completely agree with your list of seven goals, and I acknowledge and accept the challenges that each item presents (example - the challenge of opening a resource of love to an individual who rejects being worthy of love - even God"s love). I will continue to do my best, and I will put in all the extra research and effort neccessary to generate ideas and make "my best" much better than "good enough".

As I mentioned before, I see this as an experience of personal growth also for myself, and I believe both of us can learn and benefit from this interaction.
No, this difficult client has not discontinued the sessions, and it"s been well over a year with significant landmarks of improvement, so yes, I must be doing something right. I"m just being extra careful and self-questioning in this unusual and challenging situation, so I have asked for as much input as I could get, to make up for my limited experience.

Thanks for everything, John

Janet.