At a time when scores of seemingly incompatible theories and methods are competing for ascendancy in psychotherapy, one could argue that the crucial intellectual and moral dilemmas of this field are largely philosophical in nature. Yet most psychotherapists are never formally exposed to philosophical thinking during their training years or subsequent careers. Between Conviction and Uncertainty: Philosophical Guidelines for the Practicing Psychotherapist makes a significant contribution by bridging this gap. Jerry Downing examines and clarifies the philosophical context—epistemological, scientific, moral—within which psychotherapy functions. He demonstrates the necessity of maintaining a creative tension—a dialectic—between conviction and uncertainty in the work of the therapist and, more importantly, he explores in depth how this might be done. Further, he presents these sometimes complex ideas in prose that is truly reader-friendly. This book should appeal to all practitioners, supervisors, and students/trainees who find value in reflecting on the nature of psychotherapeutic practice, as well as to readers with theoretical or philosophical interests in psychotherapy.

The 9th book in the Ontario Symposium series.It highlights research on motivated social perception. The targeted market includes scholars, researchers, and advanced students interested in social perception.

Personal Project Pursuit is the first book to feature Brian Little's highly respected personal projects analysis (PPA), one of the pioneering theories in contemporary personality and motivational psychology. The book examines both the internal and external dynamics of personal goals and projects and clearly demonstrates that human flourishing is enhanced when individuals are engaged in the pursuit of personal projects. The book opens with the theory and methodologies of personal projects research. The historical perspective on the development of the two dominant research perspectives from personality and developmental psychology is explored. Section II examines the internal dynamics and competing demands of goal formulation and project inception. The third part accentuates the role that social ecologies play in shaping the nature and outcomes of personal projects. These chapters highlight the importance of interpersonal relationships, organizational contexts, and the societal and cultural expectations in affecting the pursuit of personal projects. Ideas for orchestrating the environment to enhance human flourishing are explored. Section IV demonstrates how personal projects can illuminate and enhance human flourishing, from psychological well being to physical health. The book concludes with applications for enhancing human flourishing from individual counseling to public policy. Personal Project Pursuit is intended for advanced students, researchers, and practitioners in personality, social, developmental, industrial/organizational, health, environmental, clinical and counseling psychology interested in motivation and well being. An excellent supplemental text for courses on personality, motivation, positive psychology, well being, personal and life span development, the book's applied focus will appeal to counselors and rehabilitation/occupational therapists.

In Vigilant Faith: Passionate Agnosticism in a Secular World, Daniel Boscaljon takes up the contemporary challenges to faith by skepticism and secularism. He proposes a model of faith for believers and unbelievers alike—a passionate agnosticism—that is rooted in a skeptical consciousness. Skepticism and faith are structurally similar, he writes, in that they share an "unknowing" quality. The author argues that vigilance—the act of keeping watch, a spiritual practice in its own right—is as necessary a precondition for the structure of faith as it is for the structure of skepticism. A suspension in uncertainty and an openness to possibility require vigilance, he attests, if faith and skepticism are to avoid the often dogmatic tendencies of both theism and atheism to cling to their own brands of certainty and knowledge. Boscaljon has three aims: to expand the current, post-theistic definitions of God for greater relevance to human beings on an individual and existential level; to integrate skepticism into faith so that it will restore the importance of faith to current theology and recover it from anti-intellectual bias; and to conceptualize the vigilance of faith in such a way that can provide a vocabulary for distinguishing "good faith" from "bad faith." He offers a variety of cultural examples ranging from film to poetry to represent a life of faith and to show how its components come together in practice. As an alternative to the prevailing fundamentalisms in today's world, his book proposes a paradigmatic understanding of faith in which theism, atheism, and agnosticism refuse to differ.

In this volume, distinguished neurologist Jason W. Brown extends the microgenetic theory of the mind by offering a new approach to the problem of time and free will. Brown bases his work on a unitary process model of brain and behavior. He examines the problem of subjective time and free will, the experiential present, the nature of intentionality, and the creative properties of physical growth and mental process.

Extremism and the Psychology of Uncertainty showcases cutting-edge scientific research on the extent to which uncertainty may lead to extremism. Contributions come from leading international scholars who focus on a wide variety of forms, facets and manifestations of extremist behavior. Systematically integrates and explores the growing diversity of social psychological perspectives on the uncertainty extremism relationship Showcases contemporary cutting edge scientific research from leading international scholars Offers a broad perspective on extremism and focuses on a wide variety of different forms, facets and manifestations Accessible to social and behavioral scientists, policy makers and those with a genuine interest in understanding the psychology of extremism

A fair question to ask of an advocate of subjective Bayesianism (which the author is) is "how would you model uncertainty?" In this book, the author writes about how he has done it using real problems from the past, and offers additional comments about the context in which he was working.

Publisher description

In Constructions in Analysis Freud introduces the notion of constructions, different from interpretation, and considers it necessary - under certain conditions - to reconstruct a part of the infantile history of the subject. The difference between construction and reconstruction as well as which should be the limit of the intervention of the analyst in order to avoid a proposal far removed from the patient discourse, are a part of present debates on this subject. The editors, together with the contributors to this volume, accepted the challenge to consider Freudian ideas and its implications nowadays.

'Recently Pope Benedict remarked: "the quality of homilies needs to be improved". The Pope made this comment in the context of his extended reflection on the recent Synod in Rome (2010) on the word of God in the mission and life of the Church. The homily is an integral part of Christian liturgy. It is an honoured way of bringing the word of God to life such that people are helped to see the relevance of the word in their everyday lives. The homily is also an art form which needs to be practised and developed with skill. It seems to me, as a preacher myself, that what people are looking for in the homily is an articulate, faith-filled, knowledgeable commentary on the word of God which speaks to their everyday life and experience. People want to see the fire, desire and conviction in the person who preaches. This is a constant challenge. Mark O'Brien here presents his reflections on Year C of the lectionary, based on the Gospel of Luke. This is the companion volume to the earlier ones for Years A and B. Mark offers homilists a great service here. In two to three pages or several hundred words he gives an erudite and practical reflection on the word of God for the particular Sunday or feast as a good foundation on which any homilist can then build. Pope Benedict continues: "The art of good preaching based on the lectionary is an art that needs to be cultivated." In these short but insightful reflections on the readings of the lectionary Mark makes an excellent contribution to developing the art form of good preaching to the benefit of both those who preach and those who hear them.' Rev Dr Brian Boyle Academic Dean Catholic Theological College