Midnight Musings of a Family Therapist

by Carl A. Whitaker

A compilation of Carl Whitaker's lectures and un-published essays, taken from his 40 years of practice as a psychiatrist and family therapist. He talks about families, including his own, and the events that shaped the family therapy field, and psychotherapy.

Genres: Psychology, Family, Nonfiction, Relationships

248 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1989

Reviews

[Shelley Diamond · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the kind of psychology book that's fun to read! I've always been impressed by Carl Whitaker's professional work with families. This memoir shows how his life experiences contributed to the development of his style. Interesting to see that he was using a humanistic approach at a time when most professionals were heavy-duty psychoanalytic, way back in the 1940's. Carl Rogers was writing his first book at that time too. Both pioneers....

Whitaker's professional style is unusual and goes against much of what therapists are taught in school. He explains his way of working clearly and his reasons for doing so. Whether or not you agree with his approach, readers can respect his honesty in explaining his rationale. Videos of his work with families are the best way to see it for yourself in action, but this book is a great way to read about how and why he developed his particular focus on working with the large family system...

I really like the fact that this book integrates both the personal and professional aspects of Whitaker's life.

[Saiber · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this as part of a Transgenerational Family Therapy class and since I have a mental health background and not MFT, I did not know how huge Whitaker was. So I read this book like any other. I do see some ideas that were interesting to note.

But I had a hard time going through this book. It wasn't that the ideas were outdated but how Whitaker treated his clients. Especially with modern sensitivities and ethics- I really had a hard time digesting some of the excerpts from the book.

[Anton Shanaurin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Наверное, это единственная книга, с которой у меня связанные подобные переживания, притом в широком спектре: от экзистенциального ужаса до гомерического хохота. Тем удивительнее отсутствие рецензий при высокой оценке. Возможно, это связано с тем, что я читаю её после Скиннера и книги о кайдзен. В любом случае, послевкусие я буду смаковать ещё пару недель.

[Purviben K. Trivedi-Ziemba]

Written by the founder of Symbolic-Experiential therapy, reading this is a must for any marriage and family therapist - a learner or a practitioner.

[Foodeology · Rating 3 out of 5]

a bit dry though still relevant