Everyday Mysteries: Existential Dimensions of Psychotherapy

Synopsis

At a time when psychotherapy and counselling are expanding rapidly, there is a need to challenge the established principles on which practice is based. Everyday Mysteries presents a philosophical alternative to accepted 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 encourages practitioners to adopt a critical perspective on the theory and practice of their growing profession. The book clearly presents the philosophical ideas that underpin existential psychotherapy, summarising the contributions made by Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger and Sartre among others. The author formulates a systematic and practical method of existential psychotherapy, illustrated with a detailed case study, and shows how existential ideas have been applied by a number of well-known psychotherapists and psychoanalysts over the past century. Everyday Mysteries offers a fresh perspective for anyone training in psychotherapy, counselling or psychoanalysis. nThose already established in practice will find this a stimulating source of ideas about ordinary, everyday living and the mysteries of human experience. Emmy van Deurzen is a registered existential psychotherapist, chartered counselling psychologist, philosopher and founder of the Society for Existential Analysis. She is Professor and Dean of the School of 4sychotherapy and Counselling, Regent's College, London.