Innovative Therapy: A HANDBOOK (PSYCHOTHERAPY HANDBOOKS SERIES)

This book is about psychotherapies which have developed outside the dominant systems of the twentieth century - psychoanalysis and behaviourism. These innovative therapies emphasize the integration of perception, emotion, bodywork and psychospiritual awareness. Among the therapies described are Primal Integration and regression therapies, psychosynthesis, Core Energetics and Core Process Psychotherapy, Post-Reichian Therapy, Focusing, voicework, Phenomenological and Dance Movement Therapy and men's therapy. They reflect recent innovations stemming from psychoanalysis, Eastern and other philosophy, and the older and more established humanistic and integrative therapies, such as encounter, Gestalt, psychodrama and Transactional Analysis which are also described in the book. These psychotherapies offer more than conversation between therapist and client, giving an opportunity for active exploration of feelings, perceptions, behaviour and spiritual awareness. The chapters are written by expert practitioners who describe the history, key theories and concepts and the pitfalls to which each therapy is prone as well as giving a case study. The authors acknowledge the importance of techniques of skilled 'therapeutic intervention. They also reflect current understanding of what makes therapy effective by emphasizing the less tangible but crucial qualities of 'contact' and 'presence' between therapist and client, or patient, which nowadays is recognized as distinguishing good practice in psychotherapy.