Peter Lomas – författare

Over the past decade, psychotherapy and counselling have become more and more popular, with many people turning to therapists in the hope of finding a better, happier, more fulfilling life. In this cogently argued and beautifully written book, Peter Lomas, argues that as psychotherapy enters the mainstream, therapists have become dependent on the technical aspects of their profession at the expense of the many moral issues involved. Indeed, they have become so afraid of moralizing or of departing from what Lomas views as a spurious scientific neutrality that the dialogue between therapist and patient tends to be distorted, potentially confusing, and too remote from the healthy reality of ordinary conversation. In this provocative analysis, drawing on his day-to-day experience of working with patients, Peter Lomas explores the consequences of this dichotomy, such as the loss of spontaneity and avoidance of closeness which may hinder rather than help the healing process. He looks at the problems associated with issues of power, and its abuse, which is central to psychotherapy, and explores the dilemmas involved when there is a clash of moral beliefs between the two people. This is a lucid and thought-provoking addition to the literature on psychotherapy, and will appeal both to trainee and practising therapists and counsellors, for people in therapy, and for those considering embarking upon it.

The place of the psychotherapist within the hierarchy of the medical profession and his status in the public opinion are ambiguous: many myths and ill-informed fears cloud the practice of psychotherapy not the least of which is the thorny issue of doctor-patient relationships. In this finely etched book, Peter Lomas puts the case for a personal psychotherapeutic approach based on his work with patients over many years.The Psychotherapy of Everyday Life argues that the response to a person who comes for help should be an intuitive one, not hidebound by confusing technical theory. Psychotherapy is best understood as the application of ordinary interpersonal competence within an unusual setting, and formulations about its nature should take this point into account as their starting point.In his brilliant new introduction, the author juxtaposes the clinical neutrality of Sigmund Freud to the Saridor Ferenczi position, which entails a sense of the rights of and respect for the patient. Lomas holds that Freud initiated the setting but brought to bear upon it an unnecessary and inappropriate theoretical superstructure that now stands between therapist and patient. It is not ideology but everyday judgment that should be the touchstone of treatment. Rigid professional distance can blind the analyst to the actual needs of real people.

Is psychotherapy first and foremost a technique that can be described, learned, and practices, or is it a relationship in which techniques play a part but ordinary human qualities are the crucial factors? True and False Experience discusses those factors that have made it difficult for therapists and patients to meet as equals in a natural and ordinary way, keeping them from establishing a genuine relationship with each other.Lomas acknowledges Freud as the most valuable and influential theorist of psychoanalysis, but he also questions the consequences of his detached and scientific methods. Lomas also critiques psychotherapeutic theory since Freud, examining the work of the main contributors to the field, including R. D. Laing, Erik Erikson, Melanie Klein, Rollo May, and Carl Rogers. As an alternative, Lomas recreates relations between himself and some of his patients in order to demonstrate how therapy can develop into a straightforward and personal contact between therapist and patient.In a new introduction, Lomas analyzes the changes that have occurred in society over the past twenty years and rethinks his work in a historical perspective. True and False Experience is an essential and stimulating resource for psychotherapists, psychoanalysts, counselors, and social workers.

This work looks into how, why, and when people pursue things in life that they desire, those that make their existence attractive and worth living. Robert A. Stebbins calls this "Positive Sociology," the study of what people do to organize their lives such that they become substantially rewarding, satisfying, and fulfilling. Western society has many challenges: crime, drug addiction, urban pollution, daily stress, domestic violence, and overpopulation. Significant levels of success in avoiding these problems brings a noticeable measure of tranquility, but it does not necessarily generate a positive life.Personal Decisions in the Public Square draws upon, in large part, the sociology of leisure, a "happy science." Among the basic concepts in the sociology of leisure are activity and human agency. The centrality of positive activity is one of its hallmarks and separates it from other social science specialties. Stebbins's positive sociology centers on conceptual roots found in the "serious leisure" perspective. This theoretical framework synthesizes three main forms of leisure (serious, casual, and project-based) while showing their distinctive features, similarities, and interrelationships. Positive sociology also considers two other domains of life: work and non-work obligations.This new approach focuses on the pursuit of "that which makes life worth living." Stebbins explores goals that are important to all people, such as negotiating the right work/family or obligation/leisure balance and the tricky relationship between money and happiness. Research scientists or the general public may find the ideas presented in this volume help them better understand and negotiate situations, by showing how to approach them in a positive way rather than as "problems" that need to be solved.

The place of the psychotherapist within the hierarchy of the medical profession and his status in the public opinion are ambiguous: many myths and ill-informed fears cloud the practice of psychotherapy—not the least of which is the thorny issue of doctor-patient relationships. In this finely etched book, Peter Lomas puts the case for a personal psychotherapeutic approach based on his work with patients over many years.The Psychotherapy of Everyday Life argues that the response to a person who comes for help should be an intuitive one, not hidebound by confusing technical theory. Psychotherapy is best understood as the application of ordinary interpersonal competence within an unusual setting, and formulations about its nature should take this point into account as their starting point.In his brilliant new introduction, the author juxtaposes the clinical neutrality of Sigmund Freud to the Saridor Ferenczi position, which entails a sense of the rights of and respect for the patient. Lomas holds that Freud initiated the setting but brought to bear upon it an unnecessary and inappropriate theoretical superstructure that now stands between therapist and patient. It is not ideology but everyday judgment that should be the touchstone of treatment. Rigid professional distance can blind the analyst to the actual needs of real people.

Is psychotherapy first and foremost a technique that can be described, learned, and practices, or is it a relationship in which techniques play a part but ordinary human qualities are the crucial factors? True and False Experience discusses those factors that have made it difficult for therapists and patients to meet as equals in a natural and ordinary way, keeping them from establishing a genuine relationship with each other.Lomas acknowledges Freud as the most valuable and influential theorist of psychoanalysis, but he also questions the consequences of his detached and scientific methods. Lomas also critiques psychotherapeutic theory since Freud, examining the work of the main contributors to the field, including R. D. Laing, Erik Erikson, Melanie Klein, Rollo May, and Carl Rogers. As an alternative, Lomas recreates relations between himself and some of his patients in order to demonstrate how therapy can develop into a straightforward and personal contact between therapist and patient.In a new introduction, Lomas analyzes the changes that have occurred in society over the past twenty years and rethinks his work in a historical perspective. True and False Experience is an essential and stimulating resource for psychotherapists, psychoanalysts, counselors, and social workers.

The theoretical and practical basis of psychoanalysis as described by Freud lies in interpretation - a statement to the patient that places his or her behaviour or words in a different context. In their enthusiasm for this procedure, psychoanalysts have tended to underestimate the limitations of this technique and overlooked other ways of helping the patient.In this ground-breaking book, Peter Lomas discusses the importance of the relationship between patient and therapist, and puts forward the merits of a more open, honest, and personal engagement. The book, first published in 1987, has become a classic. In this new edition, much of the material has been re-written. While the general tenor and central argument remain, the author has conscientiously revised and, in places, sharpened his argument. The result is a book that is even clearer and more compelling than the original.