Inner Strengths is the first book to meet the need for a comprehensive treatment of approaches to ego-strengthening in psychotherapy. It provides a historical breakthrough in the history of ego-strengthening education, and explores contemporary psychodynamic, object relations, self-psychology, ego state, and transpersonal theoretical models for understanding how and why ego-strengthening occurs.

Written by two experienced psychotherapists, who were active in developing the newer, projective-evocative ego-strengthening techniques, this book emphasizes the utilization of patients' inner resources. They survey the history of ego-strengthening efforts and show how that which has been considered intrinsically hypnotic connects with the great traditions of psychotherapy. Additionally, they offer step-by-step instructions for a diversity of ego-strengthening methods that can be used for patient self-care, internal boundary formation, and personality maturation in a wide range of clinical conditions. Their discussion of the fundamental concepts of ego-strengthening draws on their theoretical and clinical explorations of dynamic internal resources such as memory, strength, wisdom, self-soothing, and love.

Throughout the book, theory is balanced by an unusual richness of extended clinical examples and a wide variety of practical ego-strengthening scripts. This classic edition is essential reading for seasoned clinicians of hypnosis and beginners alike.

About the Author

Claire Frederick, M.D., was a psychiatrist, who taught, consulted, and presented papers nationally and internationally. She was a co-author, with Maggie Phillips, Ph.D., of Healing the Divided Self: Clinical and Ericksonian Hypnotherapy for Post-Traumatic and Dissociative Conditions. She received multiple awards from the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis.

Shirley McNeal, Ph.D., has been a psychologist in private practice, who also presented papers, taught, and consulted nationally and internationally. She has received awards for her writing from the American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis and the International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis.

Reviews

"Inner Strengths: Contemporary Psychotherapy and Hypnosis for Ego-strengthening made a substantive contribution to the theory and practice of hypnosis through providing a framework for understanding the personal strengths we have within, and giving practitioners the tools to elicit these strengths. It is a book that remains relevant, and I will personally return to it when engaging in research and practice."

Professor Tharina Guse, University of Pretoria

"This is an outstanding book which combines thoughtful scholarship with clinical utility. While primarily conceptualizing egomastery techniques from a contemporary psychodynamic perspective, the book is transtheoretical with applicability to both hypnotherapy and to more general psychotherapy. Enhanced self-stability, self efficacy and self esteem form the heart of nearly every psychotherapeutic encounter and process. I suspect that this book will prove to be a central text for any psychotherapist's library. I recommend it with enthusiasm."

Elgan L. Baker, President Society for Clinical and Experiemental Hypnosis; Indiana Center for Ps.

"In a book that ranges from psychoanalytic to transpersonal perspectives, and from treating dissociative disorders to facilitating patients' self-care, Claire Frederick and Shirley A. McNeal present a treasury of concepts, techniques, and examples that will enrich any practitioner who explores them. Inner Strengths is an inspirational commentary on the human condition, its resilience, and how dividied, broken, and violated selves can be mended through the wise application of psychotherapeutic procedures that are at the cutting edge of clinical practice."

Stanley Krippner, Saybrook Graduate School; Coauthor, The Mythic Path; Coeditor Broken Images.

"Inner Strengths is an important book for all clinicians working with traumatized patients. Drs. Frederick and McNeal draw upon the major psychotherapeutic and hypnotic traditins to present an integrative approach to ego-strengthening treatment that is grounded in both respect and compassion for the client. In easily read prose, important concepts are robustly defined, linked to the theoretical literature, and clinically explained and illustrated by means of detailed case examples. The authors' considerable scholarship and clinical acumen guide both novice and experienced clinicans through an informative and wide-ranging exploration of both hypnotic and non-hypnotic ego-strengthening techniques."

Francine Shapiro, EMDR Institute.

Book Information
ISBN 9781032580869
Author Shirley McNeal
Format Paperback
Page Count 376
Imprint Routledge
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Weight(grams) 700g