Ernesto Spinelli Knihy

This book questions the efficacy of those who seek to promote mental health using specific approaches and asks whether their approach may actually impede the therapeutic process.

`It is surely worth reading, not only by the author′s fellow psychiatrists, but also by psychologists in general′ - Contemporary Psychology `I found this book a joy to read. Each chapter sets out the orthodoxy in question, then proceeds to explain lucidly the author′s difficulties with this orthodoxy and to suggest an alternative way of looking at the issues′ - Self and Society Psychotherapy′s influence seems all pervasive today. But to what end? Is helping people really therapy′s main mission? This provocative book explores the alternatives to psychotherapeutic orthodoxies on such vital issues as sexuality; the self; the unconscious; creativity; and the dilemma of evil. Erensto Spinelli challenges psychotherapy, asking if it has retreated from its early promise of being a pivotal agent in our attempts to discover what it means to be human, in exchange for its current role as a pacifier of personal and social unease.

This book serves as a clear and systematic introduction to phenomenological psychology, highly recommended for a diverse audience. It addresses the often confusing and lengthy texts found in academic libraries, providing a readable and insightful account for those interested in existential matters. Essential for person-centred, existential, and humanistic training, it fosters an in-depth understanding of human lived experience, ensuring its status as a key text for years to come. The author presents a comprehensive case for the rightful place of Existentialism and Phenomenology in academia, highlighting their rigorous scientific foundations and their relevance to psychotherapy and counselling. The book's insights into the gaps in modern psychological thinking illustrate how existential phenomenology can contribute to a mature psychology that balances humanistic values with scientific rigor. In this second edition, Spinelli maintains a jargon-free style while tracing the philosophical origins of phenomenological theory and exploring its implications for central psychological topics such as perception and social cognition. A new chapter on phenomenological research discusses its methodology and illustrates it with a research study, making this edition an accessible resource for students of psychology, psychotherapy, and counselling.