Product Description
In Existential Humanistic Therapy, Kirk J. Schneider and Orah T. Krug discuss the history, theory, and practice of this distinctly American expression of existential therapy. Existential humanistic therapy welds the European existential philosophical heritage of self-inquiry, struggle, and responsibility with the American tradition of spontaneity, optimism, and practicality. Contrary to its common reputation as a purely intellectual form of therapy, this approach emphasizes not only the concepts of freedom and responsibility, but experiential reflection, in which clients experience their problems in session through a process of checking in with their affective and bodily sensations. The goal of this therapy is to help clients free themselves from self-imposed limitations and come to a deeper understanding of their authentic life goals, versus those imposed by others or by a rigid sense of self. This approach, which is becoming increasingly integrative, is applicable in a wide array of settings and diagnostic populations and, because of its emphasis on key contextual factors, is increasingly influential on the therapeutic profession as a whole. In this book, Dr. Schneider and Dr. Krug present and explore this approach, its theory, history, the therapy process, primary change mechanisms, empirical basis, and future developments. This essential primer to existential humanistic therapy, amply illustrated with case examples, is perfect for graduate students studying theories of therapy and counseling as well as for seasoned practitioners interested in understanding this approach. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A SERIES OF ESSAYS TAKEN FROM A SYMPOSIUM
Rollo May (1909-1994) was an American existential psychologist, who is associated with both humanistic psychology and existentialist philosophy.

In the Foreword to the first (1960) edition of this book, editor May wrote, "The papers that follow ... were presented in the Symposium on Existential Psychology at the Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association in Cincinnati in September, 1959. Some of these papers are impressionistic and are so meant to be... Our purpose is not to give a systematic or definitive account of existential psychology---that cannot be done as yet... Our hope is that this book may serve as a stimulus to students who are interested in the field and that iT may suggest topics and questions to be pursued."

Here are some representative quotations from the book:

(Rollo May) "For we have taken our stand, of necessity, with human beings who are immediately suffering, struggling, and experiencing conflicts in a myriad of protean forms. This immediate experience is our milieu, and it gives us the reason as well as the data for the research that we do hand in hand with therapy."
(Rollo May) "In psychology and psychiatry, the term ("existential") demarcates an ATITUDE, an approach to human being, rather than a special school or group... Existentialism is not a system of therapy by an attitude toward therapy."
(Rollo May) "(S)uch concepts as the 'death instinct' were precisely what saved Freud from the mechanistic implications of his system. These concepts always point beyond the deterministic limitations of his theory."
(Gordon Allport) "In short, existentialists would no doubt claim that sometimes what we call 'symptoms' are in fact the ultimate problem. More and more we are coming to ascribe motivational force to cognitive conditions..." ... Read more

Product Description
Social and personality psychologists traditionally have focused their attention on the most basic building blocks of human thought and behavior, while existential psychologists pursued broader, more abstract questions regarding the nature of existence and the meaning of life. This volume bridges this longstanding divide by demonstrating how rigorous experimental methods can be applied to understanding key existential concerns, including death, uncertainty, identity, meaning, morality, isolation, determinism, and freedom. Bringing together leading scholars and investigators, the Handbook presents the influential theories and research findings that collectively are helping to define the emerging field of experimental existential psychology.
... Read more

Product Description
Rollo May draws on the insights of Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Freud, and other great thinkers to offer a helpful roadmap of the ideas and techniques of existential psychotherapy.He pays particular attention to the causes of loneliness and isolation, and to our search for stability in an age of anxiety. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Good Existential Psychology Introduction
Rollo May provides in this book a good introduction to existential psychotherapy.He clearly introduces the central concepts of existentialism and provides wonderful insight into human beings from that perspective.What makes this book especially appealing is the fact that May writes in an incredibly readable manner about sometimes quite obtuse information.I recommend this to anyone interested in learning more about existentialism, existential psychology, and, in particular, existential psychotherapy.

Discovery of Being Review
The book was delivered to me complete and in the condition that it was sold to me in. I would recommend and use this seller for future transactions.

Understanding the foundations of existentialism
I've found Rollo May's treatment of the precursors and pivotal events which led to a recognizable school of philosophy and psychotherapy to be very understandable, readable and engaging. He writes in a style that pulls you intothe philosophical debate and is adept at explaining the various contentions so that a casual reader of these texts can easily understand and follow the debate. It's a great primer that should lead to further readings in existentialism inspired by the bibliographical references!

Golden Ideas, Poor writing
This book definitely had interesting, controversial and new ideas that helped me fine-tune my own thoughts about humanitiy and psychology. There are paragraphs within that are of great value . Nevertheless, this book is poorly written. It lacks idea and paragraph cohesion and often explains new terms and topics loosely and incompletely (which Rollo justifies through the inherent vagueness of the existensial approach). Bottom line: I really didn't mind investing $12, the book's general impact was worth it.

Mediocre at best
Although Rollo May is a celebrated existential author, I found this book to be tedious.Since I was hoping that there would be a good section on the clinical application of existentialism, I was sorely disappointed to find out that there was only 20 pages dedicated to the issue.Not only that, the section did not include any examples of commonly used existential techniques.The section on the history of existential psychology was somewhat interesting.Overall, however, I rate this book mediocre at best. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Must have
This is a classic text for anyone who truly wants to gain knowledge into the tradition of the existential humanistic phenomenological tradition of therapy.This is an important exploration on the meaning and relavance that this tradition holds today despite many new "gimmick" therapies coming along over the years. ... Read more

Product Description
Both implicit and existential meaning are important constructs in fully understanding human experience. The editors of this volume present a forum for an array of viewpoints and recent research that address the notion of optimal human growth. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Top Resource
There have been several attempts (ie PT Wong) to putbook out of this calibre but editors Reker(Trent Univ,Canada) and Chamberline(Massey Univ. NZ) have succeeded. The volume works because the theory, research and applied sections not only have most of the key people writing about what they know, but the focus is on the use in 'everyday people.' Topics are timely and boldly go where few researchers have gone before ie., aging, Alzheimers/AIDS and religiosity. The editors summarize and offer future directions to this much needed volume. ... Read more

Product Description
Existential psychology examines how people deal with the biggest issues - such as finding meaning in life and facing death. It deals with many of the same problems as psychoanalysis and analytical psychology, but emphasises the view that one can understand the life of another by listening to their way of seeing existence and opening up their ‘phenomenal world’. As a therapeutic approach it is recognised by the British Psychological Society and taught on a number of courses. This introductory text discusses all the main contemporary theories of existential psychology, and illustrates them with case examples. Practical implications for clinical work are considered, and comparisons with other approaches such as humanistic psychotherapy are made throughout. ... Read more

Product Description

This book provides an in-depth introduction to existential psychotherapy. Presenting a philosophical alternative to other forms of psychological treatment, it emphasises the problems of living and the human dilemmas that are often neglected by practitioners who focus on personal psychopathology.

Emmy van Deurzen defines the philosophical ideas that underpin existential psychotherapy, summarising the contributions made by Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger and Sartre among others. She proposes a systemic and practical method of existential psychotherapy, illustrated with detailed case material. This expanded and updated second edition includes new chapters on the contributions of Max Scheler, Albert Camus, Gabriel Marcel and Emmanuel Levinas, as well as on feminist contributors such as Simone de Beauvoir and Hannah Arendt. In addition a new extended case discussion illustrates the approach in practice.

Everyday Mysteries offers a fresh perspective for anyone training in psychotherapy, counselling, psychology or psychiatry. Those already established in practice will find this a stimulating source of ideas about everyday life and the mysteries of human experience, which will throw new light on old issues.

Product Description
Strathclyde Univ., UK. Text provides an overview of the existential therapeutic practices focusing on face-to-face work with clients. Discusses key figures and their contributions including Yalom, van Deurzen, Spinelli, Frankl, and Laing. Compares and contrasts various approaches, highlighting areas of commonality and difference. Softcover, hardcover available. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

excellent review of existential therapies
This is a very through and well thought out review of the current existential therapies. The author sought out current practitioners of each school to give not only a historical perspective, but a view of the current thinking. The book is rich with references. An excellent introduction to existential therapies as they are practices in the United Kingdom, the continent of Europe, and in the United States. ... Read more

Product Description
Praise for First Edition:

`This book is highly recommended to a wide range of people as a clear and systematic introduction to phenomenological psychology... the book has set the stage for possible new colloquia between the phenomenological and other approaches in psychology' - Changes

`As a trainee interested in matters existential, I have been put off in the past by the long-winded and confusing texts usually available in academic libraries. Thankfully, here is a text that remedies that situation... [it] provides a readable and insightful account' - Clinical Psychology Forum

'Spinelli’s classic introduction to phenomenology should be essential reading on all person-centred, existential and humanistic trainings, and any other counselling or psychotherapy course which aims to help students develop an in-depth understanding of human lived-experience. This book is sure to remain a key text for many years to come' - Mick Cooper, Senior Lecturer in Counselling, University of Strathclyde

'This is by far the most monumental, erudite, comprehensive, authoritative case that Existentialism and Phenomenology (a) have a rightful place in the academy; (b) are tough-minded bodies of thought; (c) have rigorous scientific foundations; (d) bequeath a distinctive school of psychotherapy and counselling; and (e) are just as good as the more established systems of psychology' - Alvin R. Mahrer, Ph.D. University of Ottawa, Canada, Author of The Complete Guide To Experiential Psychotherapy

'This book’s rich insight into the lacunae of modern psychological thinking illustrates the contribution that existential phenomenology can make to founding a coherently mature Psychology that is both fully human(e) and responsibly ‘scientific’ in the best sense of that term' - Richard House, Ph.D., Magdalen Medical Practice, Norwich; Steiner Waldorf teacher.

The Interpreted World, Second Edition, is a welcome introduction to phenomenological psychology, an area of psychology which has its roots in notoriously difficult philosophical literature.

Product Description
Existential Psychology East-West presents a dialogue between leading Eastern and Western Scholars on existential psychology and psychotherapy. This unique book places emphasis on dialogue and mutual growth instead of merely applying existential psychology in an Eastern context. The book begins with an thorough overview of existential psychology as it has been developed in the West, particularly the tradition of Rollo May and James F. T. Bugental. The second section of the book immerses the reader in a dialogue between East and West including many important historical and contemporary Chinese scholars. This section has chapters by leading existential scholars Kirk Schneider and Erik Craig, among others. The final section of the book explores a variety of myths, which are understood as being cultural specific responses to the existential givens. Drawing on Rollo May's theory in the book The Cry for Myth, these stories provide an in depth analysis on how various cultural myths can illuminate ways individual cultures have faced the existential givens. ... Read more

Product Description
As people struggle with a sense of crisis and confusion they search for clarity and meaning. Increasingly they turn to psychotherapists and counsellors, who will find in this book a powerful existential approach to therapy that helps people to make sense of themselves by addressing their social, cultural and political context as well as their personal and interpersonal issues. It makes room for paradox and the acceptance of the inevitable. It allows for questioning and re-evaluation. The existential approach lends itself to time-limited work. Existential therapists do not encourage dependence. But this book also shows that such a brief, tough approach does not mean it is task oriented or superficial, rather that it is possible to allow for the free play of existential concerns and cover much territory in limited time. Clients and therapists will find this approach effective, topical and relevant. "… an important contribution to the literature on existential psychotherapy. The book brings forward two valuable innovations. One is the demonstration of the idea that brief or time-limited therapy can be done very effectively on existential principles, dealing with deep life issues. The other contribution is the idea of the Existential Wheel which is embodied in charts that depict and clarify the essential concepts and methods of existential psychotherapy, a powerful device that will be useful to experienced therapists as well as those less familiar with existential therapy." Bo Jacobsen, University of Copenhagen "… provides an overview of the principal ideas and concerns of existential therapy and an accessible exposition of the authors model from an applied standpoint. Case material derived from the authors practice illuminates and makes plain that, even if time limited, their approach makes accessible many of the deep issues that are usually viewed as emerging only in long term therapy. These instructive, and often deeply moving, contributions succeed in conveying the human meeting that exemplifies the authors work with clients, and personifies the existential approach to the therapeutic encounter." From the Foreword by Emesto Spinelli, London ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An excellent Book
This book is an excellent look at how the brief therapy paradigm can beused in an existential setting.The wheel of existence is an interestingidea, and provides a useful counterpoint against say, Emmy van Deurezen'sideas, based on Binswangers 4 modes of being.Very interesting. ... Read more

Product Description
Existential Counselling & Psychotherapy in Practice is the Second Edition of the bestselling text, which offers a concrete framework and practical methods for working from an existential perspective. Central to the book is the belief that many of our problems and concerns arise out of the essential paradoxes of human existence, rather than from personal pathology. From this perspective, the purpose of counselling and psychotherapy is not viewed as problem-solving or skill-building, but as a means of enabling people to come to terms with living life as it is, with all its inherent contradictions.

Emmy van Deurzen, a leading existential philosopher and therapist, presents a practical method of working, using systematic observation, clarification and reflection to help clients rediscover their inner strengths. She shows how personal assumptions, values and talents, once acknowledged, can be turned to constructive use. Using wide-ranging case examples the author also demonstrates the effectiveness of the existential approach in many different situations - from crisis work to dealing with chronic unhappiness.

The existential approach is a well-respected form of psychotherapy, but most writing on the subject tends to be heavily theoretical. This book offers a practical and accessible alternative, which will be invaluable to those in training as well as to more experienced practitioners. ... Read more

Product Description
Dealing with the therapeutic impasse is one of the most challenging tasks faced by therapists.Therapeutic Impasses and Encounters describes how the Integrity Model of psychotherapy provides an original solution to dealing with difficult issues such as resistance, acting out, counter-transference, guilt, value clashes and cultural diversity.

The integrity model is based on an existential approach to living and views psychological difficulties as stemming from a lack of fidelity to one's values.In this book, the authors explore how this approach to psychotherapy can enhance other therapeutic models or stand on its own to offer a valuable alternative perspective on the causes of mental illness.

Therapeutic Impasses and Encounters provides a provocative and insightful presentation of the subject of impasses in psychotherapy, as well as dealing with associated issues including the role of values in psychotherapy, therapist responsibility, community and spirituality. It will be of great interest to counselors and psychotherapists. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

to japanvortex - the previous reviewer
You know - you are truly an idiot to rate this book and then admit that you bought it for a laugh. You say that you bought the book because the author has the same name as you do - but, you're such a moron that you didn't even notice that Ron Valle is the EDITOR - not the author.

Offering a review is not a game buddy - grow up. Maybe one day you'll actually be able to understand what is written in this book.

Phenomenological Inquiry in Psychology: Existential and Transpersonal Dimensions
I did not begin reading the book. I purchased it as a gag because the author has the same name as me. ... Read more

Product Description
"Sartre and Psychology", first published in 1980 and now reissued by Humanities Press, presents several contributions in honour of Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980), one of the most widely read exponents of existentialism. It focuses especially on Sartre's influence on existential and phenomenological psychology. It contains the first English translation of an interview with Sartre on "Music, Meaning, and Madness", in which Sartre discusses the nature of music and his disagreement with Freud's idea that music is sexual sublimation; Max Charlesworth's essay, "Sartre, Laing, and Freud", which sketches the relation between Sartre and Freud and reports Sartre's own comments on his relation to Laing; Hazel Barnes' "Sartre's Theory of the Self", which draws on Sartre's study of Flaubert; Sander Lee's "Sartre's Theory of the Emotions", which examines an apparent split in Sartre between the emotions and rationality; and Joseph Catalano's "Good and Bad Faith". The concluding essay, Linda Bell's "Boredom and the Yawn", offers an original phenomenological contribution through a concrete study of human behaviour, using as a model Roquentin from Sartre's novel, "Nausea". ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (1)

excellent collection on existential therapy
This is a wonderful collection of papers on existential therapy.
It covers a wide range of topics, from procreation, language, emotions, the family, groups, the self, to death, interpretation, the phenomenological method and other important issues.
It is a very accesible book, but at the same time, a very academic and well written book.
I recomend it with all my heart

Javier Armenta ... Read more