Open University Press Conscious and Unconscious

All forms of psychotherapy deal with the limitations of our awareness. We have limited knowledge of our creative potential, of the details of our own behaviour, of what motivates us, or of the many factors within and around us which influence the decisions we make and the ways we act. Some therapists, especially those influenced by Freud and Jung, speak of the 'unconscious', giving the unintended impression that it is a kind of realm or domain of activity. Others, reacting against the specifics of Freudian theory, shun the word 'unconscious' altogether. However, so limited is the reach of everyday awareness and such is the range of unconscious factors, that one way or another these limitations must somehow be spoken about, sometimes in metaphor, sometimes more explicitly. This book offers a broad survey of psychotherapy discourses, including the psychoanalytic, the interpersonal, the experiential, the cognitive-behavioural and the transpersonal, and explores a wide range of concepts including repressed instincts, dissociated selves, automaticity, tacit knowledge, unformulated experience, preontological concealment and interactive fields. Conscious and Unconscious is invaluable reading for advanced students of counselling and psychotherapy and experienced therapists.