Synopses & Reviews
Keen, a professor and practicing psychotherapist, addresses the essential distinction between the truly serious questions involved in human life and the superficial aspects so generally engaging people's concern-and often professional treatment-which he terms, triviality. He considers how contemporary practice of psychotherapy often fails to admit to the critical difference, fails to recognize it in practice, and subsequently treats patients for irrelevancies while neglecting core, essential issues.
Keen addressed his concern about the prevalent practices among psychological/medical practitioners vis-a-vis the prescriptive drug control of mental problems in earlier publications. In this work, including a therapy case study, Keen's position-an important one warranting wide attention in the medical and helping professions-stresses that pharmacotherapy threatens our access, and openness to ultimate issues. For professionals and scholars in medicine, public health, clinical psychology, psychiatrists, and psychotherapists.
Review
It is my privilege to recommend this book to all who are concerned with the theoretical foundations of psychology as a human science.Journal of Phenomenological Psychology
Review
Therapists will derive some interesting, unconventional views from this book...Readings
Synopsis
Keen, a professor and practicing psychotherapist, addresses the essential distinction between the truly serious questions involved in human life and the superficial aspects so generally engaging people's concern-and often professional treatment-which he terms, triviality. He considers how contemporary practice of psychotherapy often fails to admit to the critical difference, fails to recognize it in practice, and subsequently treats patients for irrelevancies while neglecting core, essential issues.
About the Author
ERNEST KEEN is Professor Emeritus of Psychology, Bucknell University, a practicing psychotherapist, and the author or coauthor of several books, including Drugs, Therapy, and Professional Power (Praeger, 1998) and Chemicals for the Mind (Praeger, 2000).
Table of Contents
Introduction
Theoretical Incoherence
Critical Reflections on Psychopharmacology
Neurons and Narratives
Exploring Theoretical Incoherence
Wider Echoes of the Incoherence
Ultimacy and Coherence in Self and Therapy
Discourse, Therapy, and Science
Trivialization, Ultimacy, and Discourse
Triviality and Ultimacy in Therapy
References
Index