Overview

After forty years' experience in the field of psychotherapy, Wyn Bramley presents a clinical memoir, which is simultaneously 'light' but serious, outlining all that happens (or fails to happen) that is not covered by books or training. She draws on her vast experience and uses material from real cases to illustrate and explore some of the unexpected manholes and creative rule-breaking which has been necessary to her work. Wyn Bramley has worked in the mental health field for more than 50 years. In this book she invites experienced therapists and counsellors to consider becoming more self-directed practitioners, grateful to but not dependent on their old training and ideology. She advocates a coming together of the various disciplines as opposed to the old factionalism, believing that modern psychodynamic principles and concepts can be assimilated into all modalities. She takes old ideas in this field that have stood the test of time and places them, along with lively case material, in a contemporary context. She also brings us up to date with the latest Relational thinking, which readers may have missed in their training. Her central conviction is that mature therapists should dare to open up their own internal world to the work, so that the therapy is deeper and richer. She describes in plain, accessible language, and with clinical illustrations, how this may be accomplished. Attention is given to the controversial issue of disorders of personality, the best way to do short term therapy in the NHS, the differences between couple and individual therapy, and how defence mechanisms and the developmental perspective operate in the consulting room of a modern self-reflective practitioner.

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9781911383116

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Wyn Bramley is semi retired and runs a small private practice in rural Oxfordshire. She began her career as nursing sister at the Cassel therapeutic community in the 60's. She then moved into student counselling at University of Westminster and later at University College London. Over this 15year period she helped to arrange in service training for herself and colleagues, and participated in the setting up of the Association for Student Counselling. In 1976 she qualified at the Institute for Group Analysis and Family and Marital Therapy (now Institute of Group Analysis). She moved to Oxfordshire in 1986 as freelance trainer / therapist / consultant in the NHS, including work in GP practices. In 1996 she designed and directed the 4 year Oxford University Masters Programme in Psychodynamic Studies. Pertinent to this book are The Broad Spectrum Psychotherapist and The Supervisory Couple in Broad Spectrum Psychotherapy, published by Free Association Books.

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