Series Title, the Science of the Art of Psychotherapy
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Wiley Book Series Proposal
Series title, The Science of the Art of Psychotherapy
August 30, 2005
Allan Schore, Ph.D.
Terry Marks-Tarlow, Ph.D.
Contact Information:
Allan Schore
9817 Sylvia Avenue, Northridge, California 91324
Phone: (818) 886-4368
E-Mail: ;
Terry Marks-Tarlow
1460 7th Street, Suite 304, Santa Monica, CA 90401
Phone: (310) 458-3418
Email:
Series Description
Over 100 years ago, at the dawn of both modern neurology and psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud foresaw a potential overarching linkage between neurological models of the brain and psychological models of the mind. At the beginning of the last century, however, both clinicians and scientists had much to discover about the psychology and biology of the human condition, especially of the essential motivational systems and evolutionary mechanisms that operate at nonconscious levels of awareness. And so although Freud had to abandon his Project for a Scientific Psychology and focus on “the talking cure,” he held on to the conviction that at some future date the various scientific disciplines would generate an integrated psychoneurobiological model of the human mind.
Over the course of the 20th century researchers and clinicians have diverged on parallel paths, deepening their knowledge of respectively, the science and the art of psychotherapy. By the end of that century biologically oriented investigators, utilizing a remarkable array of neuroimaging technologies that could noninvasively explore brain structure function relations in real time, initiated the onset of “the decade of the brain.” These explorations also included new information about brain development, especially about how both nature and nurture impact the early maturing right brain, which is dominant in human infancy. This data directly relates to Freud’s interest in the indelible and enduring impact of early experiences on later-forming psychopathology. At this date, a spectrum of disciplines - from developmental neurochemistry and neurobiology through developmental psychology and infant psychiatry - share the common principle that the beginnings of living systems indelibly set the stage for every aspect of an organism's internal and external functioning throughout the life span.
In this same period clinicians were also rapidly incorporating new data on early development, emotion, trauma, and psychobiological states, thereby generating more complex models of the early development of the mind, psychopathogenesis, and the change process of psychotherapy. Even more significantly, these trends in the biological and psychological sciences were converging, both highlighting the critical role of the neurobiology of attachment and emotional development, and of nonconscious implicit processing of bodily-based affective states in early developing human survival mechanisms.
The very recent, parallel and simultaneous sudden expansion of knowledge within both the neurological and psychological realms, and even more importantly, the mutually enriching cross-fertilization of knowledge across disciplines are now profound enough to fuel a paradigm shift. The current interdisciplinary dialogue is allowing for a realization of Freud’s prediction of a rapprochement between the biological and psychological sciences. Current integrated models of brain/mind/body are now recasting inner life in terms of multilevel bidirectional interactions between biological, psychological, social, cultural, and spiritual levels. These models have direct applications to all schools of psychotherapy and to a broad array of psychopathologies, previously thought to be beyond the reach of the “talking cure.”
This Wiley book series on The Science of the Art of Psychotherapy embraces Freud’s vision, combing the frontiers of science for theory and research relevant to the clinical practice of all the mental and physical health disciplines. Each book utilizes an interdisciplinary perspective in order to generate more complex and effective therapeutic models of intervention and prevention that are at the same time clinically relevant and experimentally testable. The cutting edge series contends that any current theoretical conception of the inner world must include not only models of psychic functions, but also models of psychic structures that are congruent with what we now know about functional brain systems. Furthermore, models of human development, of both internal processes and external behavior must include not only mental but psychobiological functions, models of brain/mind/body. Clinical principles that are grounded in multilevel interdisciplinary information thus counter the fragmentation of knowledge into separate psychological and biological disciplines, obviating “Descartes’ error.” This series thus attempts to present to clinical audiences authors who are contributing to the current paradigm shift in the health sciences.
In contrast to a focus upon mechanistic, linear, static, and trait-oriented approaches, this series highlights the clinical relevance of models emerging from organismic, nonlinear, dynamic, state-oriented perspectives. While the field of nonlinear dynamics has existed in various forms for over half a century, there has until recently been some difficulty in applying the generally accepted tenets of the theory to the specifics of clinical work. A central theme of this Wiley series is the application of concepts from nonlinear dynamic systems (self-organization) theory to clinical work. These books share a common ontogenetic perspective, a focus on developmental process not only in the origins of the self but across the life span. In describing essential right brain developmental neurobiological mechanisms that are triggered by emotional interactions with the early social and cultural environment, these volumes integrate previous nature-nurture dichotomies that have obfuscated a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of gene-environment interactions.
The books will also focus upon a concept now shared by models of brain and mind – intersubjectivity. Relational, intersubjective models have entered into the core of not only psychoanalysis and attachment theory, but also developmental neuroscience, where it is now held that “the self-organization of the developing brain occurs in the context of a relationship with another self, another brain.” Furthermore, the series emphasizes the fact that “the brain” is actually a system of two brains, each with very different structural and functional properties. The most relevant neuroscientific information to clinicians is currently being generated by studies of the early maturing right brain, which is dominant for self-regulation, emotion processing, nonverbal communication, empathy, the processing of stress, and the nonconscious motivational systems and survival functions described by Freud.
A significant expression of the current paradigm shift in psychoanalysis, “the science of unconscious processes” and related disciplines is the expansion of clinically relevant models that link the nonconscious processes of the mind with the nonconscious operations of the body. Formerly relegated to the shadowy realm of metapsychology, redefined psychodynamic concepts that integrate mind and body are now informed by advances in our understanding of how the psychobiological core of the self processes positive and negative bodily-based emotional states. And so there is a growing interest in creating therapeutic strategies that model both top-down and bottom-up regulatory processes, especially in the treatment of dysregulated psychosomatic expressions of bodily experiences that are embedded in a broad variety of psychopathological intrasubjective and intersubjective symptomatology. Intersubjectivity, an essential construct of current developmental, clinical, and neurobiological studies thus represents more than just a match or communication of cognitions. This means that the intersubjective field co-constructed in the therapeutic alliance includes not just two minds but two bodies.
In other words, these volumes describe models that span the isolated brain/mind/body and a one-person psychology and the interacting brain/mind/body and a two-person psychology. In focusing upon the neurobiology and psychobiology of subjectivity, they bring into higher magnification and present in slow motion the fast acting psychoneurobiological events that are spontaneously expressed in moment-to-moment changes in state rather than long-enduring time frames of traits. Very recent methodologies track the evolution of systems across multiple time frames, including micro-dynamics of the brain and body; “now” moments of intersubjectivity; change processes during psychotherapy; and developmental trends that span the life cycle. And by targeting the “spaces between” or interfaces of interacting brain/mind/body systems, they investigate the psychoneurobiology of the common and unique domains of explicit/verbal/conscious processes and implicit/nonverbal/nonconscious processes.
Echoing Freud’s essential contribution to science, the elucidation of the critical role of unconscious processes in all aspects of human behavior, this series presents a counterforce to the current prevailing dominance of “left-brain” verbal, cognitive, conscious processes in favor of evolutionarily essential “right-brain” survival functions, such as affect processing, intersubjective communication, stress regulation, the processing of bodily-driven motivational systems, the emergence of novelty, metaphor, meaning, and creativity, and indeed, humanness. A focus on psychopathology, including defensive and traumatic derailments, is counterbalanced by equal attention to positive psychology, including adaptive and expressive facets of optimal development. Wherever possible, images and DVDs accompany the texts in order to illuminate, illustrate, and inspire. These visual aids serve to motivate readers, partly by rendering technical ideas more accessible to a whole-brain, embodied understanding of the science of the art of psychotherapy.
AUDIENCE
Books published in Series are targeted to appeal to therapists from all disciplines—psychologists, psychiatrists, psychoanalysts, neurologists, pediatricians, social workers, marriage and family therapists, body psychotherapists, practitioners of behavioral medicine, as well as researchers and educators interested in the brain/mind/body interface. These newer conceptualizations of development, psychopathogenesis and treatment will cut across all theoretical orientations and therapeutic modalities. Because each book aims to be self-standing, presenting technical ideas in simple language, and attractively packaged within a multimodal format, there could be substantial crossover to a trade audience, to reach consumers on the other side of the therapeutic relationship.
ABOUT THE CO-EDITORS
Dr. Allan N. Schore
Allan N. Schore, Ph.D. is a foremost authority in multiple scientific and clinical areas, and a leading proponent of interdisciplinary research. Dr. Schore is on the clinical faculty of the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, and at the UCLA Center for Culture, Brain, and Development. He is author of Affect Regulation and the Origin of the Self, now in its 10th printing, and the recently published Affect Dysregulation and Disorders of the Self and Affect Regulation and the Repair of the Self.
Dr. Schore’s finger remains right on the pulse of clinical theory, research, and practice, as he serves on the editorial board for 29 publications including Behavioral and Brain Sciences, International Journal of Psychoanalysis, Neuroscience, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Attachment & Human Development, American Academy of Pediatrics Pediatric Update, and Journal of Psychosomatic Research. Dr. Schore has written the Foreword to the reissue of John Bowlby’s classic volume Attachment, and because of his integrative work in linking psychology and biology has been referred to as “the American Bowlby.”
His groundbreaking contributions have impacted the fields of psychoanalysis, affective neuroscience, neuropsychiatry, developmental psychopathology, trauma theory, infant mental health, pediatrics, psychotherapy, and behavioral biology. Described as “the world’s leading authority on neuropsychoanalysis,” Dr. Schore’s activities as a clinician-scientist span from his practice of psychotherapy over the last four decades, to his current involvement in neuroimaging research on borderline personality disorder and the neurobiology of attachment, and his recent biological work on relational trauma in elephants. He is a member of the Commission on Children at Risk for the Report on Children and Civil Society, “Hardwired to Connect.”
Professor Schore historically has shaped huge trends among clinicians. He almost single-handedly moved contemporary psychoanalysts from its traditional emphasis on “left-brain,” verbal, and cognitive processes to its current interest on “right-brain” emotional and relational processes, moving towards its future trajectory recognizing the importance of embodied and somatic issues. He devotes a significant proportion of his professional time to speaking and educating practitioners. Twenty-five pages of his resume cover his presentations. Along with traveling extensively around the United States, Dr. Schore has delivered keynote speeches and multiple day workshops in England, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa, Spain, Netherlands, Germany, and Poland. In the next several months alone, starting in September 2005, Dr. Schore is scheduled to give 2-day workshops or keynote addresses in Copenhagen; London; Madison, WI; Santa Fe; San Francisco; and Portland, among other engagements.
Dr. Schore provides a solid platform to publicize all books in this series. He enjoys a public presence, frequently consulted and cited by various forms of the media, including newspapers (New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe, San Francisco Chronicle), magazines (New Yorker, Psychology Today), radio (NPR), and television (PBS, National Geographic). Wiley’s own Interscience search is illustrative. Out of 562 results for “right hemisphere,” Dr. Schore’s articles occupy the number 1 and 3 spots. Under “emotional development,” his articles occupy the number 1 and 2 spot; under affect regulation, the number 6 spot, and under brain development, the number 5 spot.
Dr. Terry Marks-Tarlow
Terry Marks-Tarlow, PhD is well suited as this series’ co-editor, providing complementary skills and areas of expertise to those of Dr. Schore. She has conducted long-term, depth-psychotherapy over the course of twenty years in Santa Monica, California. Along with specializing in self-expression and creative blocks, she has also extensively treated as well as trained psychotherapists. Dr. Marks-Tarlow has mentored psychological assistants; conducts an ongoing consultation group for seasoned therapists; and trains interns in her role as Advanced Faculty at the Southern California Counseling Center.
Dr. Marks-Tarlow has studied the field of nonlinear dynamics for more than fifteen years. She pioneered an ongoing study group for therapists and scientists to integrate the new sciences into psychology. She has presented numerous clinical papers and training seminars on nonlinear topics, and has written a stream of articles and chapters on these issues as well. Dr. Marks-Tarlow has almost completed a draft of Psyche’s Veil: Complexity and Psychotherapy, the first comprehensive attempt to synthesize the importance of nonlinear dynamics and complexity theory for psychotherapists. Her previous book, Creativity Inside Out: Learning Through Multiple Intelligences, (Addison-Wesley, 1996, preface by Howard Gardner), still in print, proved ahead of its time within the field of education.
With an extensive career of professional activity, including President of the Los Angeles Society of Clinical Psychologists and President of the Gestalt Therapy Institute of Los Angeles, as well as a long-term member of the Society For Chaos Theory in Psychology and the Life Sciences, Dr. Marks-Tarlow is well-positioned to promote her own book as well as other books in this forward-looking series.
Wiley Book Series Proposal: The Science of the Art of Psychotherapy
Three Potential Future Books
(Authors to be Determined)
- The Body Has a Mind of Its Own
Contemporary developmental neurobiology reveals that all aspects of the mind—sensing, feeling, thinking—are fully embodied from birth. In fact, preverbal experiences are body memories, born of the interaction between caretaker and child, that form the oldest and most significant substrate to a conscious, fully articulated sense of self, world, and other. Because of the primacy of this early emotional and tactile exchange to the developing brain, the cerebral cortex, or seat of higher thought, is not in charge of our bodies, as many therapists once believed. Rather, the emotional centers of the brain, the limbic system, integrates brain functions involved in most conscious and unconscious functioning.
The Body Has a Mind of Its Own is a generalist book for practitioners, addressing two common errors among therapists—the separation of mind from body and privileging of thought over emotion and other body-based states.This book restored the rightful role of somatic experience, including many facets of nonconscious processing, to its central role. The Body Has a Mind of Its Own translates the latest empirical research into practical guidelines and suggestions for therapists. Therapists learn to hear the music beneath the words during sessions, attending to emotional flows and cues hidden in the face and posture. This book contributes to the science of the art of psychotherapy by revealing how early relational dynamics get locked into rigid and stereotyped body states. By increasing somatic awareness, therapists learn to recognize physiological arousal and shutdown occurring during present moments of psychotherapy. Therapists become better equipped to determine when talking about distressing events helps to resolve trauma in patients versus serving to re-stimulate it. As patients “reset” their bodies, they become better resourced to integrate feelings with thoughts. Finally, this book evaluates various somatic techniques and approaches to the mind/brain/body/spirit, such as yoga.