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More Info About
This Book
Title
Page
Table of
Contents
Preface
Reader Comments
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 by
Kenneth J. Gergen
Social constructionist thought
transforms psychotherapy, opening new vistas in
understanding and practice. This work provides
a brief introduction to social construction, and
then illuminates the landscape of change. Special
emphasis is given to topics of therapeutic communication,
narrative, and therapeutic practices both traditional
and contemporary. Critical chapters focus on the
oppression of psychodiagnostic categories and
the neuro/biological and pharmaceutical investments
that support them. Additional chapters provide
a range of insights into the poetics of therapy,
collaborative practices with clients, and the
broader flow of relationships in which therapy
takes place. Lively discussions with therapy doyens,
Mony Elkaim and Michael Hoyt, conclude the work.
This book contains Kenneth Gergen's major contributions
to therapeutic thought and practice. Earlier writings
are updated and orchestrated, and original chapters
added to reflect his most recent thinking on therapy
as a process of collaborative construction.
279 pages; $32 plus shipping
and handling (volume discounts at Shopping Cart)
ISBN: 0-7880-2166-4
13-digit: 979-0-7880-2166-3
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»»Readers'
Comments
"This is one of the most exciting books to appear in
decades. Kenneth Gergen has identified some of the most
pressing problems and promising responses for those
who offer professional life counsel. I recommend this
book with enthusiasm."
--Michael Mahoney, Salve Regina University
Author of Human Change Processes
"Kenneth Gergen has had a sustained and dedicated interest
in the therapeutic world for over three decades. He
has joined with therapists and other scholars around
the world to explore the 'consequences of intellectual
work for societal practices.' Written in a personal
tone that is warm, inviting and positive, Therapeutic
Realities is a must-read and a rich resource for those
well-versed in social construction therapy practices
and those newly exploring it."
--Harlene Anderson, Houston Galveston
Institute
Author of Conversation, Language and Possibilities:
A Postmodern Approach to Therapy
"Useful to both novice and experienced practitioners,
this book offers a thoughtful and provocative invitation
to reconsider many of the cannons of therapeutic practice.
Gergen's purpose, however, is not to establish a new
regime of truth, but to expand the options available
to clients and practitioners. This is an important contribution
to the discourse on the therapeutic relationship and
the processes of personal change."
--Stanley L. Witkin
Department of Social Work, University of Vermont
With Therapeutic Realities, Ken Gergen once again shares
his astounding gift for surveying the landscape of contemporary
social practice with a balance of rigorous scholarship,
innovative thinking, and compassionate common sense.
If you're interested in deeply considered reflections
on where the therapy field has traveled, along with
visionary proposals for its future, this book belongs
in your library.
--David Paré, University of
Ottawa
Co-editor of Collaborative Practice in Psychology and
Therapy
Co-director of The Glebe Institute, A Centre for Constructive
and Collaborative Practice
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