1st Edition
Applying the Constructivist Approach to Cognitive Therapy Resolving the Unconscious Past
Applying the Constructivist Approach to Cognitive Therapy goes beyond the traditional objectivist approach of uncovering the what of a client’s dysfunctional thinking by helping client and therapist understand why the client thinks in a dysfunctional manner. This unique work demonstrates how this thinking can be uncovered through dreamwork, analytic hypnotherapy, ecstatic trance, and other spontaneous trance experiences such as the use of imagination, free association, and guided imagery. Utilizing hypnotherapeutic techniques, the author shows how clients can reframe these thoughts to achieve a healthier, more functional way of thinking. Replete with case studies and practical guidance, this text will help therapists take clients beyond a simple resolution of their problems and offer an avenue to greater personal growth, maturity, and creativity.
List of Illustrations Foreword Acknowledgments 1. Constructivist vs. Objectivist Cognitive Therapy 2. Nighttime Dreams 3. Spontaneous Trance 4. Hypnosis as an Avenue into the Unconscious 5. Analytic Hypnotherapy 6. Ecstatic Trance 7. Ecstatic Soul Retrieval and Analytic Hypnotherapy 8. Evidence for the Universal Mind 9. Evolution of Consciousness
Biography
Nicholas E. Brink, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist who operated a private practice for 22 years, offering services in marital psychotherapy and hypnosis. He is the past president of the American Association for the Study of Mental Imagery and past board member of the International Association for the Study of Dreams. Dr. Brink is semiretired and conducts research on the parallels between shamanic journeying, hypnosis, and dream work.
"Nicholas Brink’s book, Applying the Constructivist Approach to Cognitive Therapy: Resolving the Unconscious Past, is so relevant in the twenty-first century because people create their own realities due to social media technology, internet prevalence, and the ability to be exposed to thousands of information sites at the touch of a finger. The discussion of quantum physics is one of the most well-written explanations of its connections to psychology."
James M. Honeycutt, PhD, senior managing co-editor of Imagination, Cognition, and Personality"Cognitive therapy is an evidence-based intervention that has helped countless numbers of people to live more fulfilling lives through identifying and changing dysfunctional ways of thinking. In this remarkable book, Nicholas Brink goes one step further, using imagination, hypnosis, and dreamwork to access deeper levels of the human psyche, the non-verbal feelings and images that lead to destructive thoughts and behaviors. Brink's readers will discover practical ways in which they (and their clients) can go beyond mere adaptation but can thrive, living lives that are more joyous, loving, and creative than anything they have ever experienced.
"With clear and compelling case examples and a very accessible writing style, Nicholas Brink bridges and blends the tradition of cognitive theory and his constructivist slant on CBT therapy, with links to working with dreams, hypnotherapy, imagery rehearsal, and a variety of shamanic techniques. For those seeking new models that address both clinical and transpersonal approaches, Nicholas Brink is a master of both and his approach is a compelling hybrid." Alan Siegel, PhD, associate clinical professor, University of California Berkeley. and past-president of the International Association for the Study of Dreams.
Stanley Krippner, PhD, co-author, Personal Mythology
