Routledge Handbook of Dialogical Self Theory and Psychotherapy: Bridging Psychotherapeutic and Cultural Traditions

In the Handbook of Dialogical Self Theory and Psychotherapy: Bridging Psychotherapeutic and Cultural Traditions, the editors bring together a wide variety of therapeutic approaches in order to demonstrate how Dialogical Self Theory functions as a bridging framework crossing boundaries between countries and cultures. The basic message is to facilitate a theory-informed dialogue between different perspectives: cognitive therapy, psychoanalytic therapy, gestalt therapy, emotion-focused therapy, Eastern, Indian-American and transpersonal approaches. The chapters present the theoretical notions, qualitative methods, and practical implications of the presented projects with attention to their common dialogical foundation. With its bridging approach and interdisciplinary aims, the Handbook of Dialogical Self Theory and Psychotherapy will be essential reading for psychotherapists and counsellors in practice and training and for those who are interested in the common factors underlying a wide variety of psychotherapeutic schools and traditions. Review 'This book provides a tour de force of the development of dialogical theory and its contribution to psychotherapy theory, practice and research. It enables the reader to connect different therapeutic traditions and schools in a theory-guided way like no book has done before. This work launches the application of the view that the self has many voices in dynamic interaction into new territory and provides a significant contribution to the study of the self in psychotherapy.' - Leslie S. Greenberg, Distinguished Research Professor Emeritus, York University, Canada 'Dialogical self theory spreads its wings in this finely-honed Handbook, as its potential for integration and catalytic creativity stimulates dialogue across a broad spectrum of therapeutic orientations. As food for thought, this is a rich banquet indeed, as its contributors open conceptual doors and explore the implications for therapeutic practice.' - Kenneth J. Gergen, author of Relational Being: Beyond Individual and Community ‘"How do I silence the self-critical voices in my head?" "What can I do about my vulnerable side?" The idea that human beings consist of many different "selves" is integral to a diverse array of psychotherapy and counselling practices. This unique and much-needed collection of chapters looks at how therapists can work with the "dialogical self": helping clients to overcome internal conflicts and find more cooperative, dialogical, and satisfying internal relationships. Written by leading international experts in the field, the chapters provide a wealth of guidance, illustrated throughout with vivid and compelling case studies and narratives. A very valuable resource for therapists of all orientations.' - Mick Cooper, Professor of Counselling Psychology, University of Roehampton About the Author Agnieszka Konopka holds PhD in the psychology of emotions, is a practicing coach and therapist and author of a contemplative art-therapy/coaching method ‘Compositionwork’. Hubert J. M. Hermans is an emeritus professor of psychology at the Radboud University, The Netherlands, and creator of Dialogical Self Theory. Miguel M. Gonçalves is professor at the School of Psychology, University of Minho, Portugal. His main interests are research and clinical practice in dialogical and narrative perspectives.