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For the last three months, I have been studying psychoanalytic approaches to psychotherapy. It’s been interesting, and there are certainly some elements that I can see being useful to some clients. However, there is something about the approach that jars with who I am.

I am pleased, therefore, that for the next three months I’ll be moving on to read more about existential therapy: the kind I eventually plan to practise. I had anticipated enjoying it, but when I started reading this book I had a settling feeling, like coming home. (more…)

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I had a double-edged reaction to Minding Spirituality by Randall Lehmann Sorenson when I read it the other day. On the one hand, I am very interested in the interplay between spirituality, meaning, psychology and mental health.

On the other, it sometimes felt like this book tried too hard to be an impressive feat of intellectual prowess, rather than simply commenting on the (very interesting) themes it contained. (more…)

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Helplessness by Martin Seligman is a book I read back when I was a teenager, and all I could remember about it was that it had made me angry for a couple of reasons: (1) the animal experiments it described; (2) the way it seemed to be saying “Just stop being depressed! Simple!”

Re-reading it, I enjoyed it more. Partly because I have a better appreciation for reading things I don’t entirely agree with; and partly because (probably for the same reason) I don’t think Teenage Scar gave it enough of a chance. (more…)