Edward W.L. Smith – författare

This acclaimed work, first published in 1985, presents in full detail, the most effective aspects of bioenergetics, Gestalt therapy, psychomotor therapy, Reichian orgonomy, and many others, are fully detailed, along with a wealth of practical therapeutic techniques. This book is divided into four parts: the historical and theoretical perspective; the body as the locus of personality assessment; the body as the locus of psychotherapeutic intervention; and personal and ethical considerations.

The techniques of psychotherapy are often given undue emphasis, slighting the importance of the psychotherapist. Research suggests that the same techniques are differently effective when used by equally trained and supervised therapists. Not only are some therapists more effective, irrespective of the type of therapy they practice, but some, because of their personal qualities, may actually harm those with whom they work. This research reflects the vast importance of the personality of the therapist, evoking the question of how a therapist may develop personhood.Aimed at training as well as practicing psychotherapists--social workers, counselors, psychologists, and psychiatrists--this scholarly exploration of personhood includes various models for classifying the types of psychotherapy and the place of personhood in this context, as well as a review of existing theory and research literature on specific personal therapist variables as they relate to therapy outcome. The role of traditional spirituality in the development of personhood is given particular emphasis.

This book offers the first comprehensive examination of the psychodynamic theories of artistic creativity and the arts. Neither oversimplifying the complexity of these theories, nor bogging down in pedantic discourse, it honors the depth and richness of the work of Freud, Adler, Kris, Reich, Jung, and several lesser-known theorists, while making their theories readily accessible to the educated reader.After discussing the role of theory, the work offers each concept as a readily usable template for describing and understanding a work of art, whether painting, sculpture, music, dance, film, poetry, or prose. With these theories at hand, anyone interested in the arts will possess a far richer vocabulary for describing the artistic experience and a deeper understanding of the artist's creativity.