Hubert J.M. Hermans – författare

The Pursuit of Happiness: Between Prosperity and Adversity looks at activities, practices, and experiences that are instrumental in changing one’s level of well-being.

This book focuses on the situations in which well-being is challenged, or even decreased, and explores, guided by Dialogical Self Theory, pathways that lead to its elevation. Research has suggested that there are three main determinants of well-being: genetic factors, one’s individual’s history, and happiness-relevant activities. The third and most promising means of altering one’s happiness level are activities and practices that require some degree of effort. A surprising finding is that these personal efforts may have a happiness-boosting potential that is almost as large as the probable role of genetics, and apparently larger than the influence of one’s individual history. Efforts are invested in fields of tension between prosperity and adversity.

The Pursuit of Happiness covers a variety of topics, such as finding happiness and well-being in the face of extreme adversity, the role of honesty in genuine happiness, the promise of minimalistic life orientations, the value of inner silence, evaluating our lives from a future perspective, and the relationship between happiness, career development, counselling, and psychotherapy. This book was originally published as a special issue of the British Journal of Guidance & Counselling.

The Pursuit of Happiness: Between Prosperity and Adversity looks at activities, practices, and experiences that are instrumental in changing one’s level of well-being.

This book focuses on the situations in which well-being is challenged, or even decreased, and explores, guided by Dialogical Self Theory, pathways that lead to its elevation. Research has suggested that there are three main determinants of well-being: genetic factors, one’s individual’s history, and happiness-relevant activities. The third and most promising means of altering one’s happiness level are activities and practices that require some degree of effort. A surprising finding is that these personal efforts may have a happiness-boosting potential that is almost as large as the probable role of genetics, and apparently larger than the influence of one’s individual history. Efforts are invested in fields of tension between prosperity and adversity.

The Pursuit of Happiness covers a variety of topics, such as finding happiness and well-being in the face of extreme adversity, the role of honesty in genuine happiness, the promise of minimalistic life orientations, the value of inner silence, evaluating our lives from a future perspective, and the relationship between happiness, career development, counselling, and psychotherapy. This book was originally published as a special issue of the British Journal of Guidance & Counselling.

The core message of this educational book is that democracy is, more than ever before, in need of the personal contribution of engaged citizens. Democracy is viable only if it is rooted in the hearts and minds of citizens who feel responsible not only for their own well-being, but also for the quality of social relationships in a society with marked differences in race, religion, culture, and gender.

Three basic features define personalized democracy: A critical attitude not only towards others but also towards oneself; learning not only from others but also from oneself; and participation in society with attention to the contradictive nature of one’s own mind. The authors emphasize that the development of personalized democracy and global citizenship requires participation at different identity levels: I as individual, we as members of social groups, we as part of humanity, and we as part of the earth. Written for future teachers at secondary level, the book contains dialogical self theory, research and a wide range of exercises.

The core message of this educational book is that democracy is, more than ever before, in need of the personal contribution of engaged citizens. Democracy is viable only if it is rooted in the hearts and minds of citizens who feel responsible not only for their own well-being, but also for the quality of social relationships in a society with marked differences in race, religion, culture, and gender.

Three basic features define personalized democracy: A critical attitude not only towards others but also towards oneself; learning not only from others but also from oneself; and participation in society with attention to the contradictive nature of one’s own mind. The authors emphasize that the development of personalized democracy and global citizenship requires participation at different identity levels: I as individual, we as members of social groups, we as part of humanity, and we as part of the earth. Written for future teachers at secondary level, the book contains dialogical self theory, research and a wide range of exercises.

How can a theory of the self be used to understand the psychotherapeutic process? The basic assumption of the ''dialogical self'' is that there is no centralised ''headquarter'' in the mind, but that the internal self is made up of a number of different ''characters''. Interpersonal relationships, from infancy onwards, become internalised - these internalised relationships then influence relationships during life. The Dialogical Self in Psychotherapy is divided into four clear and accessible sections, which explore: * theoretical and historical assumptions of the dialogical self from different angles: psychological, developmental and neurobiological* the relationships between Dialogical Self Therapy and the authors'' own theoretical perspectives* treatment of clients suffering from severe disorders* method and research. The Dialogical Self in Psychotherapy gathers together psychotherapists from divergent origins to explore current thinking in the field: cognitive, constructivist, process-experiential, narrative, psychodynamic, psychodramatic, humanistic, and cognitive analytic. This innovative book brings together inter- and intra-subjective dialogue and clearly demonstrates how they are incorporated into the therapeutic process.

How can a theory of the self be used to understand the psychotherapeutic process? The basic assumption of the ''dialogical self'' is that there is no centralised ''headquarter'' in the mind, but that the internal self is made up of a number of different ''characters''. Interpersonal relationships, from infancy onwards, become internalised - these internalised relationships then influence relationships during life. The Dialogical Self in Psychotherapy is divided into four clear and accessible sections, which explore: * theoretical and historical assumptions of the dialogical self from different angles: psychological, developmental and neurobiological* the relationships between Dialogical Self Therapy and the authors'' own theoretical perspectives* treatment of clients suffering from severe disorders* method and research. The Dialogical Self in Psychotherapy gathers together psychotherapists from divergent origins to explore current thinking in the field: cognitive, constructivist, process-experiential, narrative, psychodynamic, psychodramatic, humanistic, and cognitive analytic. This innovative book brings together inter- and intra-subjective dialogue and clearly demonstrates how they are incorporated into the therapeutic process.