|
The Future of Training in Psychotherapy and Counselling:
Instrumental, relational and transpersonal perspectives
John Rowan
Published by Routledge in April 2005
ISBN 1-58391-236-3 pb
RATIONALE OF THE BOOK
This is a lively and challenging book, which questions much of
what is taken for granted in the field of therapy today. It is sophisticated,
taking up paradoxical positions to be explored rather than adopted or
contradicted. This book takes up the position outlined in The therapist's
use of self (Rowan & Jacobs) that there are three basic types of approach
in therapy: the instrumental, the relational or authentic, and the transpersonal.
It looks at everything from these three positions, and arrives at some
eye-opening conclusions. For anyone who has been in therapy, or who has
practised therapy in any form, it has much to offer.
In this book will be found most of the expected headings: Do we need training?
Theory. Skills. Supervision. Own therapy and groupwork. Written work.
Ethics. Research. But then we get a chapter entitled "Dangerous omissions"
which deals with: Therapist blocking and male consciousness, Pre and perinatal
experience, and Transpersonal psychology. There is also a chapter on the
body in psychotherapy, which raises some uncomfortable questions. Perhaps
the most unexpected feature of the book is that in between the conventional
chapters, we get a series of what the author calls Dialectical Interpolations
, some of which are: There is and is not a difference between counselling
and psychotherapy. We are and are not dealing with a distinct and separate
individual. We know and do not know how children develop. We must and
must not hold on to our model of the person as being the correct model.
We are and are not concerned with cure. We can and cannot take our own
culture for granted. Empathy is and is not a skill. We must believe and
disbelieve the client.
This book offers more questions than answers, more issues than conclusions,
more openings than closings. But for anyone who wants fresh thinking in
a very difficult area, this is a glimpse of the heights. It illuminates
everything it touches, and many people will feel - "Yes, that's what
I was wondering, too."
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
This is really three books in one
Evidence
Dialectical interpolation 0 There is and is not a difference between counselling
and psychotherapy.
Chapter 1: Do we need training?
The threefold division
Dialectical interpolation 1 We are and are not dealing with a distinct
and separate individual.
Chapter 2: Theory
A map of the realm
The Mental Ego
The Centaur level
The Subtle level
The Causal levels
Psychotherapy integration
Implications
Dialectical interpolation 2. We know and do not know how children develop.
Chapter 3: Skills
Instrumental
Therapeutic interventions
Directiveness
The second octave
Authentic
The unconscious
Authenticity
Transpersonal
Listening
Sexual politics
Therapeutic interventions
Dialectical interpolation 3. We must and must not hold on to our model
of the person as being the correct model.
Chapter 4: Supervision
Instrumental
Authentic
Transpersonal
Psychosynthesis
Buddhism
The academic school
Mullticultural work
Dialectical interpolation 4. We are and are not looking for the origins
of disturbance in our clients: we are and are not looking to see how the
problems are being maintained in the present.
Chapter 5: Own therapy and groupwork
Own therapy
The instrumental approach
The authentic approach
The transpersonal approach
Groupwork
Groups in training
A range of types
Aiming at the whole person
Some key issues
Trust
Safety
Confrontation
Answers to questions
The future
The transpersonal
Dialectical interpolation 5. We are and are not concerned with cure.
Chapter 6: Written work
The academic and the experiential
Instrumental
Authentic
Transpersonal
Dialectical interpolation 6. We can and cannot take our own culture for
granted.
Chapter 7: Ethics
Instrumental
Authentic
Transpersonal
Suicide threats
Dialectical interpolation 7. Empathy is and is not a skill
Chapter 8: Research
Research awareness
Social effects
Research methods
Philosophy
Reification
Research is complicated
Research is simple
Transpersonal
Dialectical Interpolation 8. We must believe and disbelieve the client
Chapter 9: Dangerous omissions
Therapist blocking
Male consciousness
Pre and perinatal experience
Transpersonal psychology
Dialectical Interpolation 9. Integrative psychotherapy is and is not integrative
Chapter 10: The body in psychotherapy
The body in therapy
Level One
Level Two
Level Three
Implications for training
Appendix A: The keyboard of interventions
LIST OF FIGURES
Chart 1 - The four-column chart
p.5, p.35, p.76, p.79, p.81, p.88, p.168
Table 1 - Characteristics of the person functioning at the Causal level
p.108
Figure 1 - Maslow's hierarchy of needs and some collateral research p.112
Figure 8.1 - The research cycle p.158
Figure 8.2 - Quantitative empirical research p.160
Figure 8.3 - Non-alienated research p.160
Figure 8.4 - Participative research p.160
Figure 8.5 - Fully authentic research p.161
Figure 8.6 - Transformative research p.171
Figure 8.7 - Intuition as a form of knowledge p.174
Appendix A - The spectrum of interventions
 |
|
| 
