Psychotherapy and Spirit: Theory and Practice in Transpersonal Psychotherapy

by Brant Cortright

This volume brings together the major developments in the field of transpersonal psychotherapy. It articulates the unifying theoretical framework and explores the centrality of consciousness for both theory and practice. It reviews the major transpersonal models of psychotherapy, including Wilber, Jung, Washburn, Grof, Ali, and existential, psychoanalytic, and body-centered approaches, and assesses the strengths and limitations of each. The book also examines the key clinical issues in the field. It concludes by synthesizing some of the overarching principles of transpersonal psychotherapy as they apply to actual clinical work.

Genres: Psychology, Spirituality, Nonfiction

272 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1997

About the author

Brant Cortright, Ph.D., is professor emeritus with the California Institute of Integral Studies and a clinical psychologist with a private practice in San Francisco and online. Author of four books, he has a practice as a coach/consultant on anxiety, depression, cognitive decline, and brain health. He gives workshops around the world and is a speaker at conferences. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Reviews

[Aki Shigeyama · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unbiased take on the psycho-spiritual dimensions of therapy and how that informs the various ways in which practitioners can integrate it into their own work. Coming from the basic assumption which views psychological work within a context of spiritual unfolding, this book encourages to look beyond the basic psychological construct of the “self” and towards realizing our essence as a spiritual being.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the information in this, but it was difficult to read.

[Michael Sasson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Useful. The author has an incredible breadth of knowledge of relevant fields and subjects.
My one caution was that I felt like in the chapter on meditation and psychotherapy, the treatment of Buddhist meditation practices ignored practices with the brahma viharas. The book came out just two years after Salzberg's book, Lovingkindness, which popularized metta practices in the US so perhaps that section would be written differently now. The fact that the purification practices that serve, in my limited experience, to rise up and process emotional barriers and historical content in the individual psyche and that wasn't acknowledged here made me question what else was left out in other areas where I had even less background.

[garon nemyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very thoughtful and thorough dialogue on the current progress, practices, and limitations in transpersonal psychology. Discussing a field that is very difficult to define requires careful, contemplative steps which Cortright treads wonderfully. I appreciate the depth of theory and conjectures he provides, while also leaving many conclusions full of open-ended questions that highlight where the field stands today. Highly recommend for anyone interested in deepening their own knowledge and curiosity about transpersonal psychology and/or the relationship between psychological and spiritual paths.

[Marc · Rating 5 out of 5]

An assigned read in my PhD program, Cortright surprises with a book that’s turned into a companion beyond the chapter I was tasked with reading. Most compelling, for me, are the chapters on “love” and its role in generating mental health and resilience. I recommend this good read to anyone interested in delivering or participating in psychotherapy as well as anyone interested in amplifying the quality of life.

[Gregory Tilden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent and well-composed research on the ties between psychotherapy and spirit, two disciplines of life which often regard each other in opposition. Practical, grounded, and spiritually evocative at the same time.