Ch. 1. A writing workshop -- ch. 2. The poetry of what we do and the playground of clinical prose -- ch. 3. Narrative meaning and technique -- ch. 4. Short stories -- ch. 5. The evocative mode -- ch. 6. The enactive mode -- ch. 7. Lyric narratives -- ch. 8. The paradigmatic mode -- ch. 9. Narrative moves and interweaves -- ch. 10. Voice -- ch. 11. Introductions -- ch. 12. The narrative axis -- ch. 13. The conceptual axis -- ch. 14. Shapes of arguments -- ch. 15. Using sources -- ch. 16. Conclusions -- ch. 17. Revising -- ch. 18. Confidentiality and disguise.

In this fascinating and robust volume, the editors have compiled a collection of articles that provides an account of their individual theoretical journeys as they trace the evolution of relational transactional analysis. They re-examine the term ‘relational’, offering the reader a multiplicity of ways in which to conceptualise the theory of transactional analysis from a truly pluralistic perspective. This collection of 14 stunning articles from the Transactional Analytic Journal, written over a period of nearly three decades, traces the evolutionary process of a way of thinking that incorporates both theoretical innovations and advanced methodological ideas. Central to the themes of this book is a theoretical understanding of the bidirectionality of the relational unconscious, alongside a methodology that not always, but most often, demands a two-person methodology in which the therapist’s subjectivity comes under scrutiny. Uniquely useful as a research tool for psychotherapists interested in the most up to date psychological theories, this book offers a perspective on relational theory that is both respectful and critical. It will be of enormously useful to the trainee, the researcher, the clinician and the supervisor and will help inform the development of a clinical dialectical mind.

This collection of articles by Dr. Helena Hargaden makes the case for the evolution of relational theory from a scientific and poetic knowledge base, expressing the different forms of human suffering. Journal articles, book chapters, and speeches spanning the course of 22 years trace the evolution of the author’s own mind alongside the evolution of relational theory. Drawing on her knowledge of science and poetry, Dr. Hargaden examines case studies tracing the relational process which involves the vulnerability of both therapist and client as change happens in them through complex relatedness. The author makes broad in depth theoretical links with humanistic and psychoanalytic perspectives which reveal the richness inherent in the term ‘Relational’. Themes explored include intersubjectivity, the use of the analyst’s subjectivity, mutuality, therapy as a two-way street, dissociation, enactment, the use of ‘the third’, race, gender and sexuality. Blending approachable language and themes with highly intellectual ideas, this text will be of high value and intrigue to a wide range of readers, particularly transactional analysts and relational psychotherapists.

Brief Therapy and Beyond is a collection of new and selected papers by prominent psychologist Michael Hoyt. Numerous clinical vignettes and informative discussions describe time-sensitive treatments to relieve psychological distress and/or promote growth. Drawing from an encyclopedic knowledge of the professional literature as well as humor, poetry, sports, and candid revelation, Hoyt illustrates the importance of stories, language, love, hope, and time in shaping worldviews that inspire and empower clients and clinicians to make effective and efficient changes.

Micro-trauma: A psychoanalytic understanding of cumulative psychic injury explores the "micro-traumatic" or small, subtle psychic hurts that build up to undermine a person’s sense of self-worth, skewing his or her character and compromising his or her relatedness to others. These injuries amount to what has been previously called "cumulative" or "relational trauma." Until now, psychoanalysis has explained such negative influences in broad strokes, using general concepts like psychosexual urges, narcissistic needs, and separation-individuation aims, among others. Taking a fresh approach, Margaret Crastnopol identifies certain specific patterns of injurious relating that cause damage in predictable ways; she shows how these destructive processes can be identified, stopped in their tracks, and replaced by a healthier way of functioning. Seven different types of micro-trauma, all largely hidden in plain sight, are described in detail, and many others are discussed more briefly. Three of these micro-traumas—"psychic airbrushing and excessive niceness," "uneasy intimacy," and "connoisseurship gone awry"—have a predominantly positive emotional tone, while the other four—"unkind cutting back," "unbridled indignation," "chronic entrenchment," and "little murders"—have a distinctly negative one. Margaret Crastnopol shows how these toxic processes may take place within a dyadic relationship, a family group, or a social clique, causing collateral psychic damage all around as a consequence. Using illustrations drawn from psychoanalytic treatment, literary fiction, and everyday life, Micro-trauma : A psychoanalytic understanding of cumulative psychic injury outlines how each micro-traumatic pattern develops and manifests itself, and how it wreaks its damage. The book shows how an awareness of these patterns can give us the therapeutic leverage needed to reshape them for the good. This publication will be an invaluable resource for psychoanalysts, psychologists, psychiatrists, mental health counselors, social workers, marriage and family therapists, and for trainees and graduate students in these fields and related disciplines. Margaret Crastnopol (Peggy), Ph.D. is a faculty member of the Seattle Psychoanalytic Society and Institute, and a Supervisor of Psychotherapy at the William Alanson White Institute of Psychiatry, Psychoanalysis & Psychology. She is also a Training and Supervising Analyst at the Institute of Contemporary Psychoanalysis, Los Angeles. She writes and teaches nationally and internationally about the analyst's and patient's subjectivity; the vicissitudes of love, lust, and attachment drives; and varieties of micro-trauma. She is in private practice for the treatment of individuals and couples in Seattle, WA.

This book explores how psychotherapists can use deliberate practice to improve their clinical effectiveness. By sourcing through decades of research on how experts in diverse fields achieve skill mastery, this book shows it is possible for any therapist to dramatically improve their clinical skills. To improve, therapists must focus on clinical challenges and reconsider century-old methods of clinical training from the ground up. This second edition traces recent developments in research and presents a step-by-step program to engage readers in deliberate practice to improve clinical effectiveness across the therapists’ entire career span, from beginning training for graduate students, to continuing education for licensed and advanced clinicians. Enriched with insightful clinical experiences and anecdotes, Deliberate Practice for Psychotherapists is an important read for graduate students, trainees, and practicing psychotherapists.

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a diagnosis given to a significant number of people in the Western world. Yet many of the core concepts & symptoms that go with this diagnosis are questionable. This book presents a compelling analysis of BPD, arguing that it needs to be approached in a new light- one that will benefit patients.