Catharsis and Cognition in Psychotherapy

by Barry Guinagh

Overview

The origin of this book goes back to the fall of 1971. I was beginning my fourth year as an Assistant Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Florida when I became depressed. I went into psychotherapy, and after much emotional pain, learned to grieve for my handicapped son. While in therapy I read widely in hopes of understanding and helping myself; after my recovery, I continued my interest in psychotherapy at a professional level. In 1975, I attended a workshop by Albert Ellis on rational-emotive therapy and was impressed by his approach. I decided to study rational psychotherapy with Maxie Maltsby at the University of Kentucky. After 4 months I returned to the University of Florida, teaching courses in the area of personality and beginning to write this book, which at that time was to be only about the rational approach to change. However, by early 1978, I was depressed again. I returned to my original therapist, who had recently become interested in a variation of primal therapy. I found this therapy very powerful and lengthy; 2 years later, I ended the ther­ apy, feeling fit, but unsure what to make of my experience. I still found the ideas in rational therapy useful, but was certain that cathartic approaches were also helpful. I returned to writing the book, this time seeking to explain how these two different approaches could both be therapeutic.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780387965307
Publisher:	Springer New York
Publication date:	06/17/1987
Pages:	132
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.25(h) x 0.01(d)

Table of Contents

1 Catharsis and Cognition.- Examples of Catharsis and Cognition in Psychotherapy.- Plan of the Book.- 2 Catharsis and Change.- Descriptions of Catharsis.- Models of Catharsis.- Catharsis as an Emotional Breakdown.- The Role of Memory in Catharsis.- The Repetition of Cathartic Experiences.- The Immediate Outcome of Catharsis.- Summary.- 3 Cognition and Change.- Cognition and Behavior.- Cognitive Control of Behavior and Emotion.- Cognition and Neurosis.- Changing Maladaptive Cognitions.- Variations of Cognitive Therapy.- Cognitive Therapy: Common or Uncommon Sense.- The Immediate Outcome of Cognitive Therapy.- Summary.- 4 Sigmund Freud’s Use of Catharsis and Cognition.- Charcot and Hysteria.- Freud’s Use of Hypnotic Suggestion.- Hypnosis as an Aid to Catharsis.- The Sexual Origin of Neurosis.- From Hypnotism to Free Association.- Breuer’s Technique of Catharsis.- Freud and Catharsis.- The Erasure Technique.- From Catharsis to Analysis.- From Reexperiencing to Remembering.- Summary.- 5 Tears of Grief.- Bereavement.- Grief: Crying and Distress.- The Oscillation of Crying and Discomfort.- The Purpose of Grief.- Catharsis and Bereavement.- Normal and Abnormal Bereavement.- Catharsis and Recovery.- Cognition and Recovery.- Summary.- 6 Psychological Trauma.- The Trauma of War.- Who Is Vulnerable?.- The Development of Symptoms.- Delay of Symptoms.- Persistence and Repetition of Symptoms.- The Compulsion to Repeat.- The Chowchilla School-Bus Kidnapping.- Summary.- 7 Catharsis in Therapy: Primal Therapy.- The Theory of Neurosis.- The Therapy.- Parallels with Bereavement and Psychological Trauma.- Summary.- 8 Cognitive Methods: Hypnotism and Meditation.- Hypnotism.- The Experience of Hypnotism.- Hypnotism and Cognitive Therapy.- Long-Term Effects of Hypnosis.- Self-Cure ofSmoking and Obesity.- Hypnotism and Symptoms Substitution.- Hypnosis as an Aid to Change.- Relaxation Therapies.- Meditation.- Biofeedback.- Summary.- 9 Cognitive Self-Help: Positive Thinking.- A Goal, Belief, and Hope.- Negative Thinking.- Evidence.- Summary.- 10 The Rational Approach to Therapy.- The ABC of Human Emotion.- Deciding What to Believe.- Learning and Changing.- Techniques of Rational Therapists.- Relationship to Hypnosis and Positive Thinking.- Outcomes of Rational Therapy.- A Rational View of Catharsis.- Summary.- 11 Psychotherapy Research.- Different Methods But Similar Outcome.- Therapy Versus No Therapy.- Spontaneous Remission.- Deterioration and Nonresponse.- Problems with Outcome Studies.- How Is This Congruence Among Approaches Explained?.- Summary.- 12 Catharsis and Cognition in Psychotherapy.- Models of Catharsis and Cognition.- A Complementary Model.- Catharsis and Change.- Cognition and Change.- Insight and Repetition.- Movement Between Approaches.- Summary.- References.- Author Index.