Downloaded by [New York University] at 05:22 15 August 2016 On Becoming a Psychotherapist Why do people want to become a psychotherapist? How do they translate this desire into reality? On Becoming a Psychotherapist explores these and related questions. Ten leading therapists write about their profession and their careers, examining how and why they became psychotherapists. The contributors, representing a wide cross-section of their profession, come from both Britain and America, from different theoretical backgrounds, and are at different stages in their careers. They write in a personal and revealing way about their childhoods, families, colleagues, and training. This absorbing and fascinating book offers a fresh perspective on psychotherapy and the people attracted to it. This Classic Edition of the book includes a new Introduction written by the authors and will be invaluable for qualifi ed psychotherapists and those in training. Windy Dryden is Professor of Psychotherapeutic Studies at Goldsmiths, University of London and is an international authority on rational emotive behaviour therapy (REBT). He has worked in psychotherapy for over 30 years and is the author and editor of over 200 books. Laurence Spurling is a practising Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist in London and a Senior Member of the British Psychotherapy Foundation. He is Senior Lecturer in Psychosocial Studies at Birkbeck College, University of London, where he co-ordinates and teaches on the counselling and psychotherapy training programmes, and is a Consultant Adult Psychotherapist for the East London NHS Downloaded by [New York University] at 05:22 15 August 2016 Mental Health Trust. He has published widely on clinical issues. Routledge Mental Health Classic Editions The Routledge Mental Health Classic Editions series celebrates Routledge’s commitment to excellence within the fi eld of mental health. These books are recognized as timeless classics covering a range of important issues, and continue to be recommended as key reading for professionals and students in the area. With a new introduction that explores what has changed since the books were fi rst published, and why these books are as relevant now as ever, the series presents key ideas to a new generation. A Special Scar: The experiences of people bereaved by suicide (Classic Edition) By Alison Wertheimer An Introduction to the Therapeutic Frame (Classic Edition) By Anne Gray On Learning from the Patient (Classic Edition) By Patrick Casement Further Learning from the Patient (Classic Edition) By Patrick Casement On Becoming a Psychotherapist (Classic Edition) Edited by Windy Dryden and Laurence Spurling Downloaded by [New York University] at 05:22 15 August 2016 On Becoming a Psychotherapist Routledge Mental Health Classic Editions Edited by Windy Dryden and Laurence Spurling Downloaded by [New York University] at 05:22 15 August 2016 Classic edition published 2014 by Routledge 27 Church Road, Hove, East Sussex, BN3 2FA and by Routledge 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2014 Windy Dryden and Laurence Spurling The right of the editors to be identifi ed as the authors of the editorial material, and of the authors for their individual chapters, has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identifi cation and explanation without intent to infringe. First edition published by Routledge 1989 British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data On becoming a psychotherapist / edited by Windy Dryden and Laurence Spurling. pages cm.—(Routledge mental health classic editions) Includes bibliographical references and indexes ISBN 978-0-415-70374-1 (hardback)—ISBN 978-0-415-70384-0 (pbk.)—ISBN 978-1-315-79693-2 (ebook) 1. Psychotherapists— Attitudes. 2. Psychotherapists—Psychology. 3. Psychotherapists—Mental health. 4. Psychotherapy—Vocational guidance. I. Dryden, Windy. II. Spurling, Laurence, 1950– RC480.5.O49 2014 616.89’14—dc23 2013037359 ISBN: 978-0-415-70374-1 (hbk) ISBN: 978-0-415-70384-0 (pbk) ISBN: 978-1-315-79693-2 (ebk) Downloaded by [New York University] at 05:22 15 August 2016 Typeset in Times New Roman by Taylor & Francis Books Contents Introduction: On Becoming a Psychotherapist revisited vii Contributors xi Preface xiii PART I Introduction 1 1 The therapist as a crucial variable in psychotherapy 2 PAUL GILBERT, WILLIAM HUGHES AND WINDY DRYDEN PART II The contributions 13 2 The object of the dance 14 MICHAEL J. MAHONEY WITH STUART C. EISEMAN 3 Through therapy to self 30 IRENE BLOOMFIELD 4 The blessing and the curse of empathy 50 BRIAN THORNE Downloaded by [New York University] at 05:22 15 August 2016 5 Chance and choices in becoming a therapist 66 P. PAUL HEPPNER 6 Living vs. survival: a psychotherapist’s journey 83 MARCIA KARP 7 My career as researcher and psychotherapist 97 HANS H. STRUPP vi Contents 8 A fi ght for freedom 112 FAY FRANSELLA 9 Challenging the ‘White Knight’ 130 EDDY STREET 10 A late developer 144 JOHN ROWAN 11 Rhythm and blues 165 JOCELYN CHAPLIN PART III Commentaries 185 12 The self and the therapeutic domain 186 LAURENCE SPURLING AND WINDY DRYDEN 13 Ten therapists: the process of becoming and being 211 JOHN C. NORCROSS AND JAMES D. GUY Appendix 236 Author index 240 Subject index 242 Downloaded by [New York University] at 05:22 15 August 2016 Introduction On Becoming a Psychotherapist revisited Windy Dryden and Laurence Spurling On Becoming a Psychotherapist was originally conceived by us in 1987 and offered a number of well-known psychotherapists an opportunity to refl ect and write on a number of key issues concerning their decision to become professionals in the fi eld. To that end we provided our contributors with a common chapter structure which we reproduced in full in the book’s appendix. Briefl y, we asked our contributors to write about why, how and when they became psychotherapists, to consider what sustains them as therapists and to muse on what implications their experiences might have for others in the fi eld. We stressed the importance of adhering to the chapter structure as this would both help to ensure the book’s coherence and to help contributors to serve as role models for readers who might wish to undertake the same task for themselves. Indeed, it was our hope that the contributions and the chapter structure that underpinned them would help trainees refl ect on their own experiences as part of their own training process to become psychotherapists. While we were fortunate, indeed, with our selection of contributors, we did lose two of our original invitees, one who refused to write to our chapter structure and one who did not submit any chapter at all. It is gratifying for us to learn that the book had been selected to be included in the Routledge Mental Health Classic Editions series as this constitutes evidence that it has stood the test of time. It did also appear to infl uence later similar projects such as Comas-Diaz and Weiner (2011) and Walker (1991, 1993) albeit without attribution. As part of the series brief we are allowed only to write a new introduction to the Downloaded by [New York University] at 05:22 15 August 2016 book, with everything else being published exactly as it was in 1989. As part of this new introduction one of us (WD) got in touch with those authors of chapters 2–13 who are still alive1 and interviewed them on salient aspects of their experiences of writing their chapter, what they thought of the book and what impact they think it had. Here are their responses. Brian Thorne Brian found the experience of writing his chapter fraught as he was only given two weeks to write it2. However, he was astonished at how quickly he wrote the viii Introduction piece and how enjoyable and therapeutic it was for him. Writing the chapter helped Brian to identify a number of themes that he later expanded on in his autobiography: being an only child, forming friendships in the post-war period and having the facility to listen to and become a confi dante of others (Thorne, 2005). Writing the chapter had the impact of helping Brian to not get ‘sucked into the psychotherapeutic ghetto and to become mindful of the relevance of language, literature and religion to his work’. People who have read Brian’s chapter have commented on their surprise at his openness and did wonder if he would have been so open if he were to write the piece now, perhaps focusing more on the vocational drive to be a therapist. He considers the book and its chapter structure as providing an important task for people to undertake before they enter the profession in particular given his view that therapy seems to be losing its soul. His hope is that it might put off people whom he sees as reluctant therapists, lacking passion and commitment to the fi eld, a ‘calling’ as it were. Puncky Paul Heppner Puncky found it useful to refl ect on his own journey in writing his chapter and uses it in teaching and while discussing the issues with students that the chapter structure raises. His view of the chapter now is that chance played and continues to play a bigger role than he originally thought in shaping his career, as does culture, and he would emphasize both more if he were to rewrite the chapter.