Survival in Society

Eugene Heimler’s self-help method of social functioning has been developedand tested – and proved extraordinarily successful – for over forty years. Here hedescribes in detailed theory and through cases his interviewing and therapeutictechniques, in which a relationship of equality between ‘helper’ and ‘helped’ isparamount.His aim has been to help people as individuals and in groups to make the most oftheir abilities, however latent, and to use positively their inner resources and pastexperience. He sees not only the past as influencing the present but present actionsdetermining what we select from the past. Success or failure to function withinourselves and in society depends on the balance between satisfaction, definedas the ability to use one’s potential, and frustration, defined as one’s inability touse it. Too little frustration can be as damaging as too much: to function normallywe constantly transform frustration into satisfaction. In other words, success isone’s ability to transform the unacceptable – to oneself and to society – into theacceptable.Throughout the book emphasis is placed on the importance for the individual ofmaking his own decisions. Here he is helped by Heimler’s decision-making tool –his scale of social functioning – which enables him to understand his life situationand to act accordingly. The scale is of diagnostic value to the therapist, but its mainuse is to the patient.Professor Heimler’s method has been applied both to people in need of treatmentand to ‘healthy’ individuals who want to explore their untapped potentials; it hasbeen used by teachers at all educational levels to help students become morecreative, in the employer/employee relationship, and by social workers in all fields.Heimler owes much to many past and contemporary practitioners. The originalityof his work lies in his synthesis of existing theories and practices into a successfulworking method.