Existential applications to practice: Can existentialism integrate psychotherapy?

Reviews the book, The psychology of existence: An integrative, clinical perspective by Kirk Schneider and Rollo May (see record 1994-98741-000). In light of what they see as a growing interest in existential psychology among training clinicians and researchers, Schneider and May have authored a text which introduces the existential movement and outlines clinical applications of existentialism in psychotherapy. The text's most significant contribution is the latter—the presentation of a guiding clinical framework for conducting the "existential- integrative approach" in psychotherapy. While many personality and psychotherapy texts include introductory chapters about existentialism, few discuss how therapy cases are conceptualized and conducted from an existential therapeutic orientation. This text is an important contribution to the clinical psychology training literature. In traditional clinical training programs, existential approaches to psychotherapy are often overlooked, because such approaches are viewed as purely philosophical rather than clinically applicable. Schneider and May challenge this view. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Therapeutic experiencing: The process of change.

Reviews the book, Therapeutic experiencing: The process of change by Alvin R. Mahrer (1986). This is the third in a series of books on Mahrer's approach to experiential therapy. In this volume Mahrer describes the four major change processes that occur in his form of experiential therapy. The book is organized around these four processes with a chapter explaining the theoretical principles and rationale for each process followed by a chapter introducing methods for implementing the process. This is a challenging book for any who practice some form of experiential therapy and for those interested in humanistic/existential approaches. More research on the principles of this approach will be needed to convince many of the utility of the proposed change processes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Compte rendu De la phénoménologie à la psychanalyse Freud et les existentialistes Américains.

Reviews the book, De la phénoménologie à la psychanalyse Freud et les existentialistes Américains by Marc-André Bouchard (1992). This book is the work of a true "scholar". The multiple data are presented with an authority of the author that easily justifies the thought that the author has a rich synthesis of several schools of thought in contemporary psychology; in particular the approaches of existential phenomenology, humanistic, gestalt and psychoanalytic psychology. A generous portion of the book is concentrated on therapeutic applications and approaches to questions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Existing: An introduction to existential thought.

Reviews the book, Existing: An introduction to existential thought by Steven Luper (2000). This book is an anthology of existentialism. It presents work from Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Heidegger, and Sartre, as well as generous selections many other important 19th and 20th century existentialist authors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Psychology: Theoretical-historical perspectives, second edition.

Reviews the book, Psychology: Theoretical-historical perspectives, second edition by Robert W. Rieber and Kurt D. Salzinger (see record 1998-06434-000). Like its predecessor, this second edition is a useful volume with a broad scope and any psychologist perusing even a portion of its 500 plus pages will likely come away convinced that there is more to history than a tedious collection of names and dates. As a pedagogical supplement and general introduction to the history of psychology field, this book succeeds admirably. However, in publishing a second edition, Rieber and Salzinger set themselves a more ambitious agenda. One of the goals of the book was to acknowledge the growth and vibrancy of recent scholarship in the history of psychology and to "present some synthesis within the confines of one book." Using these commendable goals as a metric, the book is somewhat disappointing. The book is too much like the first edition in both its choice of questions and authors. This sort of repetition is not a problem in and of itself; however the history of psychology has changed dramatically since the publication of the first edition 18 years ago. There is relatively little in the second edition to indicate that there have been any significant historiographic developments within the history of psychology field since the 1970s. By ignoring these changes, the book left me unable to answer a fundamental question that all second editions must face: Why is a new edition needed? (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The legacy of Erich Fromm.

Reviews the book, The legacy of Erich Fromm by Daniel Burston (see record 1991-97594-000). In his effort to breathe new life into Fromm's legacy, Burston's employs a critical, developmental perspective, clearly showing both the continuities and the anomalies in Fromm's texts, research, and clinical practice. Writing in a highly readable, lucid style, accented with metaphorical expressions, Burston initially provides some biographical context, discusses Fromm's ambivalent involvement with the Freudian movement, and analyzes Fromm's many original contributions and relation to psychoanalysis, critical theory, existential and humanistic psychology, and social psychology. Throughout Burston's treatment of Fromm, he maintains a balanced yet affectionate perspective, elucidating not only Fromm's strengths but also his contradictions and weaknesses. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Humanistic–existential psychotherapy competencies and the supervisory process.

There has been an increasing focus in recent years on articulating foundational and functional competencies for practice in professional psychology and how a competency-based approach might inform psychology training. With the aim of contributing to the dialogue in this area, the discussion herein explores psychotherapy competencies through the lens of a humanistic–existential perspective and describes implications for psychotherapy training and supervision. Specifically, competencies pertaining to facilitating the client’s experiential awareness and use of the psychotherapy relationship to engender client change are described. Next, the foundational and functional competencies within professional psychology that are particularly salient to a humanistic–existential psychotherapy framework are discussed. Finally, the ways in which a humanistic–existential supervision framework contributes to the development of psychotherapy competencies in trainees is considered. A brief vignette is presented to illustrate the supervision process. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Introduction to psychology and law: Canadian perspectives.

Reviews the book, Introduction to psychology and law: Canadian perspectives by Regina A. Schuller and James R. P. Ogloff (see record 2001-06385-000). The book begins with an introduction by the editors underscoring the breadth of applications of psychology in legal forums and describing the well-known history of this field, along with the inevitable tension that exists between the disciplines of psychology and law. Standard ethical issues facing psychologists in this intersection are also explored. The introduction is followed by a chapter by Gordon Rose, which gives a ready overview of the Canadian legal system and typical procedures in criminal and civil actions. This information is an essential foundation for understanding the environment into which psychology must fit. The subsequent 12 chapters are collected in three sections relating to criminal procedure, forensic clinical psychology, and forensic civil psychology. Most chapters begin with a Canadian case vignette and conclude with four discussion questions that arise from the chapter material. These questions will be very useful as a regular component of class participation. This book presents a balanced balanced mix of experimental and clinical psychological information to be applied to the law covered by the text. With few exceptions, such as in the case of young offenders issues, the range of topics covered is adequate. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Behaviour Therapy in Clinical Psychiatry.

Reviews the book, Behaviour Therapy in Clinical Psychiatry by V. Meyer and Edward S. Chesser (see record 1970-21119-000). This is a Penguin paperback psychology series book of 288 pages. It deals mainly with principles. In some sense, it is an annotated review and represents a thorough search of the recent literature. As such, this book has the fault of being both too telegramatic and a bit pedantic. Its major value would seem to be for students of behavioural sciences, thesis writers, and other academics. The contents of the book involve initially a review of psychiatric disorders and learning theories. A second major section reviews principles of conditioning and learning, followed by specific learning theory formulations of psychiatric disorders. A later section covers the theory and methods of treatment, and finally, onto the efficacy of behaviour therapy, current research studies, clinical applications and a consideration of the present status and prospects for behaviour therapy. The general value of this book for "clinical psychiatry" would, I think, be limited. One can imagine that some editor has imposed the title "Behaviour Therapy in Clinical Psychiatry" with a view more to the marketplace than out of respect for the quite commendable research goals and content of the text. In summary, this is a thorough review of the state of the science (but not of the art) and, I would judge, worth the money. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The crucible of experience: R. D. Laing and the crisis of psychotherapy.

Reviews the book, The crucible of experience: R. D. Laing and the crisis of psychotherapy by Daniel Burston (see record 2000-03710-000). Unlike his earlier book, which was more biographical and focused on R. D. Laing’s personal experiences, this book is devoted to examining the man’s contributions to contemporary psychotherapeutic theory and practice. This, of course, is no easy task as Laing is a notoriously unsystematic thinker, whose work often violated entrenched disciplinary expectations and challenged conventional sensibilities and assumptions. Despite such obvious obstacles, however, Burston does an excellent job laying out Laing’s intellectual indebtedness to existentialism and phenomenology, as well as his lasting contributions to existential psychiatry. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Entering the circle: Hermeneutic investigation in psychology.

Reviews the book, Entering the circle: Hermeneutic investigation in psychology edited by R.B. Addison and M.J. Packer (1989). Entering the Circle is highly recommended, if only to familiarize us with (or remind us of) the penetrating critique and contribution that hermeneutic thought offers psychology. In addition this book should be recommended because it contains, perhaps more so then other books of this genre, a diverse group of essays (dealing with developmental, clinical, social and educational psychology) that grapple with methodological and practical issues of hermeneutic psychology by reporting on research that is grounded, to a greater or lesser extent, in a hermeneutic approach. Also, another distinctive aspect of this book is that it is almost entirely devoted to the concerns of hermeneutics (the catchword "interpretive," often used in this book, I take to be interchangeable with "hermeneutic"), and thereby distinguishes itself from what has come to be known as existential or phenomenological psychologies—a distinction that for many purposes is unnecessary but may prove to be helpful in the future. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Narcissism and intimacy: Love and marriage in an age of confusion.

Reviews the book, Narcissism and intimacy: Love and marriage in an age of confusion by Marion F. Solomon (see record 1988-98781-000). This book presents a rather unique blend of theoretical explorations and clinical case material which provides the reader with an extremely valuable look at issues facing the survival of marital relationships in our present culture. Beginning with a sociological perspective of how our culture has come to value autonomy and self-fulfillment, the author then identifies a series of "narcissistic myths" and goes on to explore how these myths impact on realistic perspectives of marriage and intimate relationships. The reviewer believes that this book has a wealth of readable theoretical material along with clinical case examples which bring the theoretical perspectives alive and translate them into tools for effective treatment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Performance psychology in action: A casebook for working with athletes, performing artists, business leaders, and professionals in high-risk occupations.

Reviews the book, Performance psychology in action: A casebook for working with athletes, performing artists, business leaders, and professionals in high-risk occupations edited by Kate F. Hays (see record 2009-05799-000). Kate Hays has accomplished an admirable task in bringing together a collective of prominent performance practitioners to illustrate the diverse applications of performance psychology. Drawing on specific client examples from across a variety of performance domains, the authors use a case study approach to illustrate the process of helping clients work through a range of performance issues. In doing so, the book offers its readers the privileged opportunity of being a fly on the wall, placing them in the room with the performance practitioners and their clients. In addition, readers also benefit from the running commentary offered by each of the authors as they elaborate on their client assessments and chosen courses of action. In terms of scope, the book explores four performance domains: sports, performing arts, business, and high-risk occupations. The book is practical in nature, providing a snapshot of the practise of performance psychology. I would not, however, call this a “how-to” book. Rather, it is an illustration of how one can apply the principles of performance psychology when working with a varied clientele. Regarding its place in an academic setting, I would recommend that the book be used as a companion to texts that are more heavily weighted in theory and research. Paired with such texts, this book could serve to bridge the science–practise gap and also to demystify the intervention process for psychology students. Because the book presumes prior knowledge of therapeutic principles, it may be more suited to practitioners who are curious about performance psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Ethics in psychology: Professional standards and cases.

Reviews the book, Ethics in psychology: Professional standards and cases by Patricia Keith-Spiegel and Gerald P. Koocher (see record 1985-97634-000). This well written and interesting book offers comprehensive coverage of how the American Psychological Association (APA) Ethical Principles of Psychologists (1981) apply in any setting where psychologists are involved. This book should be of special interest to Canadians who are interested in the new Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) Code of Ethics. The CPA Code organized the areas of concern covered by the APA code, plus new and emerging issues, under an umbrella of four general principles and many associated standards of conduct. Both the book and the CPA Code attempt to raise the level of consciousness about ethical issues and ethical decision-making. The result? They complement each other and together provide a useful combination of philosophy, standards, and concrete examples of unethical or questionable behaviour by a psychologist. All who read this book will become aware of the complexity associated with ethics in the practice of psychology. The authors are to be congratulated on providing a scholarly work, long needed by the public and psychologists alike. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Psychopathology: Contemporary Jungian perspectives.

Reviews the book, Psychopathology: Contemporary Jungian perspectives edited by Andrew Samuels (see record 1991-97962-000). This book is a collection of relevant articles culled by the editor from the Journal of Analytical Psychology. Because the editor has collected what was available rather than having commissioned items specifically to span the topic for the book, the coverage of the range of psychopathology is spotty, although the major topics of depression, anxiety, psychosis, and personality disorders are covered. Several articles on narcissism are included as are also articles dealing with marital pathology and Holocaust victims. Most are from the perspective of Jungian therapy with the only other theoretical input used coming from self psychology. No other approaches are mentioned. Obviously, the book is likely to be a useful compendium to Jungian analysts. It is somewhat difficult to see how it could be useful to practitioners of other points of view. The language is replete with Jungian terms that are not explained and may not be immediately understandable for persons outside that system. There are two additional major flaws that are also apparent: The tone and language are decidedly British and refer to how the British mental health system is organized, which is, of course, somewhat different than ours; also, because of the publication dates, many of the articles have a dated quality. Both of these factors limit the potential audience for this book. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Handbook of contemporary group psychotherapy: Contributions from object relations, self psychology, and social systems theories.

Reviews the book, Handbook of contemporary group psychotherapy: Contributions from object relations, self psychology, and social systems theories edited by Robert H. Klein, Harold S. Bernard, and David L. Singer (see record 1992-98341-000). Divided into three large sections, the book addresses recent theoretical developments, the clinical applications to patient care and the role of the therapist, each from the standpoint of object relations theory, self psychological theory and social systems theory. The chapters in this book are intended to clarify and integrate different theoretical perspectives with the business of daily practice and application to the group milieu. The reviewer points out several problems with the text including lack of consistency, minor inaccuracies, redundancy among chapters, occasional outdated references and, perhaps most cogent of these carps, the rather wide variation in quality among the different chapters. Nevertheless, the reviewer highly recommends this book for all practitioners and students of group therapy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Personality, identity, and character: Explorations in moral psychology.

Reviews the book, Personality, identity, and character: Explorations in moral psychology edited by Darcia Narvaez and Daniel K. Lapsley (see record 2009-19087-000). The goal of the book is to begin to build an integrative approach to problems of morality. The thematic focus of the book is the examination of morality within the context of personality, identity, and character. The editors wisely do not call for a grand theory of morality, but instead recognise that readers who have thought about morality within the confines of their own approaches would benefit from the opportunity to learn how those with other disciplinary or subdisciplinary perspectives deal with their facets of the problem. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Feminist visions of gender similarities and differences.

Reviews the book, Feminist visions of gender similarities and differences by Meredith M. Kimball (see record 1995-99017-000). One purpose of the author in writing this book is to explore a central schism within feminist psychology, a schism that bifurcates the feminist psychology community. On the one hand, we have the minimalists, those who argue that the differences between the genders are nonexistent or are modest and irrelevant in most contexts. These are the equal-rights feminists, adherents of the similarities school. On the other hand, we find the maximalists who contend that indeed the genders are quite different on many dimensions and that the qualities of women are important, significant and of value. These are the essentialists, disciples of the differences school. In fleshing out the nature of these two perspectives, Professor Kimball observes the extent of the impact of each view in terms of influencing questions asked, methodologies chosen, theories preferred, and political goals articulated. In her typically even-handed treatment of issues, Kimball also presents the deficiencies of each approach. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Exploring existential meaning: Optimizing human development across the life span.

Reviews the book, Exploring existenial meaning: Optimizing human development across the life span by Gary T. Reker and Kerry Chamberlain (2000). The form of personal meaning that constitutes the main focus for the volume is existential meaning, characterized by the editors in terms of "attempts to understand how events in life fit into a larger context," which involves both "a sense of coherence (order, reason for existence) and a sense of purpose (mission in life, direction)" (p. 1). This is a remarkably well integrated collection of essays, given the usual standards for edited volumes. The contributed chapters, sandwiched between the editors' brief Introduction and their longer integrative chapter at the end, are organized into distinct sections addressing, respectively, theoretical and conceptual issues, empirical research, and applications and interventions. This volume not only provides a comprehensive survey of recent work on existential meaning but is likely to have a broader appeal as well. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)