ABSTRACT

Sigmund Freud noted the importance of love in the healing of the human psyche. So many of life's distresses have their origins in lack of love, disruption of love, or trauma. People naturally seek love in their lives to feel complete. Is therapy a substitute for love? Or is it love by another name? This important book looks at the place of love in therapy and whether it is the curative factor. The authors continually stress, however, that within psychotherapy both ethical and professional boundaries should govern this 'Love' at all times in order for it to be experienced as healing and therapeutic. This book offers explorations of the complexity of love from different modalities: psychoanalytic, humanistic, person-centred, psychosexual, family and systemic, transpersonal, existential, and transcultural. The discussions challenge therapists and other allied professionals to think about their practice, ethics, and boundaries.

chapter One|11 pages

What has love to do with it?

chapter Four|12 pages

Psychoanalytic perspectives of love

chapter Five|10 pages

Love: psychosexual perspectives

chapter Six|10 pages

Physical love

chapter Nine|9 pages

The place of love in crisis support

chapter Twelve|10 pages

Love: retaking a stance

chapter |5 pages

Afterword