Description
Little has been written about psychotherapy with the seriously physically ill and this book seeks to remedy that. The title Dual Realities refers to the inner reality of the individuals internal world and the outer reality of their illness and the interaction between the two. Out of this arena came an understanding that what is important for the client/patient is the meaning, for them, of their illness. Dual Realities aims to show how therapists can work effectively with ill or disabled people, by facing their fears, adjusting their technique and by learning from their patients. To the general reader it offers an insight into this important area of psychotherapeutic work. To us all it gives the opportunity to discover the courage of those who were willing to pursue the path of psychotherapy in the search for wholeness and meaning in their illness and who have allowed their explorations to be published. This book will be of value to both qualified and trainee counsellors and psychotherapists who find themselves working with clients/patients who are seriously physically ill or disabled. It will also be of interest to other professionals who care for ill people at home or in hospital and to anyone who wants to understand the emotional impact of a serious illness or disability on the individual and their families.Contributors:Susan Berger; Lavinia Chant; Rosemary Dixon-Nuttall; Gwen Evans; Anne Green; Linette Hatfield; Michael Kelly; Gertrud Mander; Celia Nightall; Judy Parkinson; Lynda Snowdon; and Dorothee Steffens.
About the Author
Ruth Archer originally trained in general nursing and midwifery. After working in Papua New Guinea for ten years, she returned to the United Kingdom and worked in the NHS before retraining as a psychoanalytic psychotherapist at the Westminster Pastoral Foundation, Kensington. She is registered with UKCP and was formerly Head of Counselling and Psychotherapy Services at the WPF. She is an Honorary member of the Foundation for Psychotherapy and Counselling, a Fellow of BACP, and a BACP-accredited supervisor. She is now semi-retired and lives in Dorset.
Reviews
'To work with patients with severe physical disorders is uniquely challenging... Counsellors and psychotherapists are accustomed to having to work in the awareness that, however great their devotion, care, and skill, there can be no certainty that the outcome will be "improvement" or greater happiness for their patient. Nevertheless, in the ordinary course of counselling work, the lives of many patients do develop and find meaning, and counsellors may legitimately take great pleasure from that fact. Working with patients with deteriorating disability or severe illness confronts the counsellor with the sober reality of a situation that may offer no chance, or certainly no likelihood, of external improvement ...Overall, this book is a collection of moving and insightful contributions by dedicated clinicians, working in a very important specialised area. The great value of the work will, I think, be self-evident to readers, whether they are inside or outside the world of psychotherapy and counselling.' - David M. Black, from the Foreword, Member of the British Psychoanalytical Society, Vice-Chair of WPF's Council of Management 'Physical illness is paradoxically the most intensely psychological of experiences. It can ravage a person's existence or be the source of internal and relational growth and transformation. As this unique book shows, the outcome is not an accidental matter. Therapy can make the difference. This moving, inspiring yet wholly realistic collection of papers will be of huge interest to all therapists and counsellors who work with clients living with any level of physical illness. Its origins may lie in an innovative counselling service for those with severe physical illness, but the import is truly universal. The quality and commitment of the writing is exemplary and the inclusion of clients' voices brings out the deepest meanings of experiences of illness. There is more, though: going beyond the professional area, when I think of those knee-jerk critics of therapy and counselling who say it is self-indulgent or dealing with non-existent issues, I would just love to show them this book.' - Andrew Samuels, Professor of Analytical Psychology, University of Essex
Book Information
ISBN 9781855754157
Author Ruth Archer
Format Paperback
Page Count 190
Imprint Karnac Books
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
About the Author
Ruth Archer originally trained in general nursing and midwifery. After working in Papua New Guinea for ten years, she returned to the United Kingdom and worked in the NHS before retraining as a psychoanalytic psychotherapist at the Westminster Pastoral Foundation, Kensington. She is registered with UKCP and was formerly Head of Counselling and Psychotherapy Services at the WPF. She is an Honorary member of the Foundation for Psychotherapy and Counselling, a Fellow of BACP, and a BACP-accredited supervisor. She is now semi-retired and lives in Dorset.
Reviews
'To work with patients with severe physical disorders is uniquely challenging... Counsellors and psychotherapists are accustomed to having to work in the awareness that, however great their devotion, care, and skill, there can be no certainty that the outcome will be "improvement" or greater happiness for their patient. Nevertheless, in the ordinary course of counselling work, the lives of many patients do develop and find meaning, and counsellors may legitimately take great pleasure from that fact. Working with patients with deteriorating disability or severe illness confronts the counsellor with the sober reality of a situation that may offer no chance, or certainly no likelihood, of external improvement ...Overall, this book is a collection of moving and insightful contributions by dedicated clinicians, working in a very important specialised area. The great value of the work will, I think, be self-evident to readers, whether they are inside or outside the world of psychotherapy and counselling.' - David M. Black, from the Foreword, Member of the British Psychoanalytical Society, Vice-Chair of WPF's Council of Management 'Physical illness is paradoxically the most intensely psychological of experiences. It can ravage a person's existence or be the source of internal and relational growth and transformation. As this unique book shows, the outcome is not an accidental matter. Therapy can make the difference. This moving, inspiring yet wholly realistic collection of papers will be of huge interest to all therapists and counsellors who work with clients living with any level of physical illness. Its origins may lie in an innovative counselling service for those with severe physical illness, but the import is truly universal. The quality and commitment of the writing is exemplary and the inclusion of clients' voices brings out the deepest meanings of experiences of illness. There is more, though: going beyond the professional area, when I think of those knee-jerk critics of therapy and counselling who say it is self-indulgent or dealing with non-existent issues, I would just love to show them this book.' - Andrew Samuels, Professor of Analytical Psychology, University of Essex
Book Information
ISBN 9781855754157
Author Ruth Archer
Format Paperback
Page Count 190
Imprint Karnac Books
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
