num_pages: 192
description: One can only applaud the bravery of an author who gently send up Kierkegaards wilful obscurantism and cleans out the acrid smoke of Gauloises from the room. With welcome clarity and sanity Mick Cooper efficiently lays out the concepts techniques and directions adopted by several key figures in the broad field of existentially informed psychotherapy. In an excellent first chapter Mick Cooper pointed out my ontic from my ontological; and I could see behind the long-words-with-dashes the true resonance of these ideas with real human and therapeutic issues dilemmas and goals - Clinical Psychology This book proves to be a real treasure what you always wanted to know about existential psychotherapy but failed to find anywhere else in such a comprehensive clear and concise manner. In that sense this publication provides a missing link. One merit of the book is its systematic structure. As extensive and in part as heterogeneous as existential philosophy and therapy also maybe Mick Cooper had nevertheless been able to build convincing clusters with on the one hand an enormous understanding of details and on the other a far-sightedness that like a map provides orientation in the diversity of existential therapy. I really appreciate this publication and can recommend it very strongly - Person-Centred and Experiential Psychotherapies  Existential Therapies will I suspect suddenly make existentialism come alive. The author Mick Cooper loves his subject it fascinates and enthrals him and we get to experience some of that even though the book is academic. The connections and overlaps with person-centred psychology are there for us to be but so are the differences - Person-Centred Practice As an overview of a number of different existential therapies the book is extremely welcome and manages in a relatively short space to cover a wide arena. Overall I rate the book highly. To pull together a large and somewhat disparate literature then make sense of it and finally retains the readers interest is difficult - Existential Analysis Mick Cooper has done an impressive job in writing a much needed current and user friendly survey of the field of existential therapies. If I were to teach this course I would use this book. I applaud Mick Cooper for having admirably achieved the aim he set out to achieve. All this makes Mick Coopers book a must-read for anyone wishing to explore the topic of existential therapy - Society for Laingian Studies Website What makes this book unique is that all the different strands of Existential philosophy are always clearly linked to practice - Counselling and Psychotherapy Journal This is a very fresh book not treading well-worn paths and genuinely informing us about a small but important field. This is really an indispensable book for anyone who wants to understand existentialist approaches to therapy - Self and Society This publication marks a milestone providing an excellent clear and critical overview of the contrasting forms of the approach as it is currently practised - Emmy van Deurzen New School of Psychotherapy and Counselling Schiller University London This is a book of superb thoroughness and scholarship - an unprecedented guide to existential therapys chief positions and controversies - Kirk J Schneider President of the Existential-Humanistic Institute USA Combines scholarship with a writing style that makes difficult concepts accessible. This book should be required reading on any course where the existential tradition plays a part and that includes person-centred courses and all sympathetic to the idea that psychotherapy is in essence a human encounter where warmth understanding and a deep respect for the individual are key values - Tony Merry University of East London What does it mean to practice in an existential way? What are the different existential approaches? What are their strengths and limitations? Existential Therapies addresses these key questions and more by providing students and practitioners with an invaluable introduction to the diverse and multifaceted world of existential therapeutic practices. Focusing on practical face-to-face work with clients the  introduces readers to six key existential therapies  discusses key figures and their contributions including Irvin Yalom Emmy van Deurzen Ernesto Spinelli Viktor Frankl and R D Laing  compares and contrasts the various approaches highlighting areas of commonality and difference  outlines key debates within the existential therapy field  provides detailed suggestions for further reading Existential Therapies offers students and practitioners of all orientations much that they can incorporate into their own therapeutic work and each approach is vividly brought to life through therapist-client dialogues and case studies. Written in an accessible warm and engaging manner Existential Therapies is an essential introduction to this rich vibrant and stimulating field.
language: English
title: Existential Therapies
publisher: SAGE Publications Ltd