Overview

Del Loewenthal's career has been wide-ranging, spanning existentialism, psychoanalysis, critical psychotherapy, humanism, postmodernism, phototherapy, cognitive behaviour therapy and childhood studies. This collection combines new and recent works with earlier writings, drawing together his outstanding research and contribution to existential theory, practice and research. Containing chapters and papers chosen by Loewenthal himself, the book is divided into the following sections: • Existentialism after postmodernism and the psychological therapies • Practice, ideologies and politics: Now you see it, now you don’t! • Practice, practice issues and the nature of psychotherapeutic knowledge • Practice and theory: Implications not applications • Thoughtful practice and research • Conclusion: Hopefully unending, continually changing and astonishing After an introduction to the overall book, each section is accompanied by the author's exploration of his further thoughts on the pieces, his own subsequent learning and his comments on developments in the field since the time of writing. Existential Psychotherapy and Counselling after Postmodernism will be inspiring reading for psychotherapists, psychoanalysts, counsellors, other mental health professionals in general, and existential therapists in particular.

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9780415740586

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Reviews

'Existential Psychotherapy and Counselling after Postmodernism: Practice, Theory and Research collects together a number of Del Lowenthal's most significant published papers and articles. As one would expect, they are provocative, challenging, opinionated and, always, eminently readable.' - Professor Ernesto Spinelli, ES Associates 'This impressive collection of writings by Del Loewenthal provides a generous synoptic account of where existential psychotherapy and counselling is up to today, enabling the reader to grasp the range of issues that an existentialist approach addresses by combining institutional critique with clinical practice. This book operates as a comprehensive overview and a series of interventions that will sharpen our own work, wherever we work as therapeutic practitioners before, within or after postmodernism.' - Ian Parker, Psychoanalyst, Manchester Psychoanalytic Matrix, Professor of Management, University of Leicester, UK. 'Existential Psychotherapy and Counselling after Postmodernism: Practice, Theory and Research collects together a number of Del Lowenthal's most significant published papers and articles. As one would expect, they are provocative, challenging, opinionated and, always, eminently readable.' - Professor Ernesto Spinelli, ES Associates 'This impressive collection of writings by Del Loewenthal provides a generous synoptic account of where existential psychotherapy and counselling is up to today, enabling the reader to grasp the range of issues that an existentialist approach addresses by combining institutional critique with clinical practice. This book operates as a comprehensive overview and a series of interventions that will sharpen our own work, wherever we work as therapeutic practitioners before, within or after postmodernism.' - Ian Parker, Psychoanalyst, Manchester Psychoanalytic Matrix, Professor of Management, University of Leicester, UK. Del introduces us into the current development of existential therapy through a comprehensive analysis of the meaning of postmodernism and postexistentialism as transcending stages of modernism and existentialism, for which he reviews the most representative and influencing authors of those periods. Through excellent questions he shows his critical view of training and supervising therapists and research in psychotherapies, fundamentally by reviewing the current European context. The proposal in this book is liberating from judgements to which we are bounded in current times, especially due to politics (aspect mostly forgotten by current therapies) and to any other social or intellectual binds. Del warns us that there is no theory that can be prioritised over the relationship between the therapist and the client/patient. This book is essential for all therapists, regardless of the theory to which they feel more attached. - Susana Signorelli, President of ALPE (Latin American Association of Existential Psychotherapy) and Foundation CAPAC (Argentina)

'Existential Psychotherapy and Counselling after Postmodernism: Practice, Theory and Research collects together a number of Del Lowenthal's most significant published papers and articles. As one would expect, they are provocative, challenging, opinionated and, always, eminently readable.' - Professor Ernesto Spinelli, ES Associates 'This impressive collection of writings by Del Loewenthal provides a generous synoptic account of where existential psychotherapy and counselling is up to today, enabling the reader to grasp the range of issues that an existentialist approach addresses by combining institutional critique with clinical practice. This book operates as a comprehensive overview and a series of interventions that will sharpen our own work, wherever we work as therapeutic practitioners before, within or after postmodernism.' - Ian Parker, Psychoanalyst, Manchester Psychoanalytic Matrix, Professor of Management, University of Leicester, UK. 'Existential Psychotherapy and Counselling after Postmodernism: Practice, Theory and Research collects together a number of Del Lowenthal's most significant published papers and articles. As one would expect, they are provocative, challenging, opinionated and, always, eminently readable.' - Professor Ernesto Spinelli, ES Associates 'This impressive collection of writings by Del Loewenthal provides a generous synoptic account of where existential psychotherapy and counselling is up to today, enabling the reader to grasp the range of issues that an existentialist approach addresses by combining institutional critique with clinical practice. This book operates as a comprehensive overview and a series of interventions that will sharpen our own work, wherever we work as therapeutic practitioners before, within or after postmodernism.' - Ian Parker, Psychoanalyst, Manchester Psychoanalytic Matrix, Professor of Management, University of Leicester, UK. Del introduces us into the current development of existential therapy through a comprehensive analysis of the meaning of postmodernism and postexistentialism as transcending stages of modernism and existentialism, for which he reviews the most representative and influencing authors of those periods. Through excellent questions he shows his critical view of training and supervising therapists and research in psychotherapies, fundamentally by reviewing the current European context. The proposal in this book is liberating from judgements to which we are bounded in current times, especially due to politics (aspect mostly forgotten by current therapies) and to any other social or intellectual binds. Del warns us that there is no theory that can be prioritised over the relationship between the therapist and the client/patient. This book is essential for all therapists, regardless of the theory to which they feel more attached. - Susana Signorelli, President of ALPE (Latin American Association of Existential Psychotherapy) and Foundation CAPAC (Argentina)

'Existential Psychotherapy and Counselling after Postmodernism collects together a number of Del Loewenthal's most significant published papers and articles. As one would expect, they are provocative, challenging, opinionated and, always, eminently readable.' - Professor Ernesto Spinelli, ES Associates 'This impressive collection of writings by Del Loewenthal provides a generous synoptic account of where existential psychotherapy and counselling is up to today, enabling the reader to grasp the range of issues that an existentialist approach addresses by combining institutional critique with clinical practice. This book operates as a comprehensive overview and a series of interventions that will sharpen our own work, wherever we work as therapeutic practitioners before, within or after postmodernism.' - Ian Parker, Psychoanalyst, Manchester Psychoanalytic Matrix, Professor of Management, University of Leicester, UK. 'In this well-thought out and riveting collection of articles on the current state of psychotherapy, Del Loewenthal has produced yet another superb exegesis to add to his impressive corpus, this time on the history and current condition of ""post-existential"" therapy today. Profoundly influenced by R. D. Laing and the existential philosophical tradition, Loewenthal has succeeded brilliantly in rendering complex thinkers, including Heidegger, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche and Merleau-Ponty accessible to therapists and counsellors in a language that is both rewarding and insightful. This is a classic work that therapists from all theoretical perspectives will treasure.' - M. Guy Thompson, PhD, author of The Death of Desire: An Existential Study in Sanity and Madness ‘Del Loewenthal engages clinicians in what matters to their practice. He helps us to think with the great phenomenologists and existentialists whose work underlies our own, and whose concerns survive needed postmodernist deconstruction. A gift to all of us.’ – Donna M. Orange, PhD, PsyD, Author, The Suffering Stranger and Nourishing the Inner Life of Clinicians and Humanitarians ‘Del introduces us into the current development of existential therapy through a comprehensive analysis of the meaning of postmodernism and postexistentialism as transcending stages of modernism and existentialism, for which he reviews the most representative and influencing authors of those periods. Through excellent questions he shows his critical view of training and supervising therapists and research in psychotherapies, fundamentally by reviewing the current European context. The proposal in this book is liberating from judgements to which we are bounded in current times, especially due to politics (aspect mostly forgotten by current therapies) and to any other social or intellectual binds. Del warns us that there is no theory that can be prioritised over the relationship between the therapist and the client/patient. This book is essential for all therapists, regardless of the theory to which they feel more attached.’ - Susana Signorelli, President of ALPE (Latin American Association of Existential Psychotherapy) and Foundation CAPAC (Argentina) 'A timely reminder for therapists to shift their focus beyond the inner sanctum to acknowledge and work with the dynamics of politics and power that is part and parcel of the therapeutic space. This collection of essays gives great insight into the theories of post existentialism and post phenomenology allowing the reader to question the traditional parameters of psychotherapy. By including this wider perspective the challenge is to be inclusive of the community at large and to respect the individual world of the client.' - Dr Alison Strasser, Centre for Existential Practice, Sydney, Australia 'Existential Psychotherapy and Counselling after Postmodernism collects together a number of Del Loewenthal's most significant published papers and articles. As one would expect, they are provocative, challenging, opinionated and, always, eminently readable.' - Professor Ernesto Spinelli, ES Associates 'This impressive collection of writings by Del Loewenthal provides a generous synoptic account of where existential psychotherapy and counselling is up to today, enabling the reader to grasp the range of issues that an existentialist approach addresses by combining institutional critique with clinical practice. This book operates as a comprehensive overview and a series of interventions that will sharpen our own work, wherever we work as therapeutic practitioners before, within or after postmodernism.' - Ian Parker, Psychoanalyst, Manchester Psychoanalytic Matrix, Professor of Management, University of Leicester, UK. 'In this well-thought out and riveting collection of articles on the current state of psychotherapy, Del Loewenthal has produced yet another superb exegesis to add to his impressive corpus, this time on the history and current condition of ""post-existential"" therapy today. Profoundly influenced by R. D. Laing and the existential philosophical tradition, Loewenthal has succeeded brilliantly in rendering complex thinkers, including Heidegger, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche and Merleau-Ponty accessible to therapists and counsellors in a language that is both rewarding and insightful. This is a classic work that therapists from all theoretical perspectives will treasure.' - M. Guy Thompson, PhD, author of The Death of Desire: An Existential Study in Sanity and Madness ‘Del Loewenthal engages clinicians in what matters to their practice. He helps us to think with the great phenomenologists and existentialists whose work underlies our own, and whose concerns survive needed postmodernist deconstruction. A gift to all of us.’ – Donna M. Orange, PhD, PsyD, Author, The Suffering Stranger and Nourishing the Inner Life of Clinicians and Humanitarians ‘Del introduces us into the current development of existential therapy through a comprehensive analysis of the meaning of postmodernism and postexistentialism as transcending stages of modernism and existentialism, for which he reviews the most representative and influencing authors of those periods. Through excellent questions he shows his critical view of training and supervising therapists and research in psychotherapies, fundamentally by reviewing the current European context. The proposal in this book is liberating from judgements to which we are bounded in current times, especially due to politics (aspect mostly forgotten by current therapies) and to any other social or intellectual binds. Del warns us that there is no theory that can be prioritised over the relationship between the therapist and the client/patient. This book is essential for all therapists, regardless of the theory to which they feel more attached.’ - Susana Signorelli, President of ALPE (Latin American Association of Existential Psychotherapy) and Foundation CAPAC (Argentina) 'A timely reminder for therapists to shift their focus beyond the inner sanctum to acknowledge and work with the dynamics of politics and power that is part and parcel of the therapeutic space. This collection of essays gives great insight into the theories of post existentialism and post phenomenology allowing the reader to question the traditional parameters of psychotherapy. By including this wider perspective the challenge is to be inclusive of the community at large and to respect the individual world of the client.' - Dr Alison Strasser, Centre for Existential Practice, Sydney, Australia

Author Information

Del Loewenthal is Professor of Psychotherapy and Counselling and Director of the Research Centre for Therapeutic Education at the University of Roehampton. He is an existential-analytic psychotherapist, photographer, chartered psychologist and Chair of the Universities Psychotherapy and Counselling Association. Del is the author of numerous books and papers and Founding Editor of the European Journal of Psychotherapy and Counselling (Routledge). He also has a private practice in Wimbledon and Brighton.

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