Beyond the Frustrated Self: Overcoming Avoidant Patterns and Opening to Life (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781782200529)

This book foregrounds the life struggles of an individual, Brenda, in such a way that argument and theoretical exploration arise organically out of experience. The "frustration" of the title is traced to avoidant attachment - pretending not to need others. In Brenda this is associated with a body-energy pattern that is both over-charged and over-contained, generating a self-frustrating process. Such a repressive defence works against her, so that she experiences her life as dry, soulless, and uncreative. A variety of existential difficulties are traced to how such core developmental issues interact with our socio-cultural environment. A way forward is outlined: play and finding meaning are identified as transformational hubs that bring wellbeing into Brenda's life and restore her capacity for experiencing.

Author: Barbara Dowds
ISBN-10: 1782200525
ISBN-13: 9781782200529
Publisher: Routledge
Language: English
Published: 02/10/2014
Pages: 304
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.90lbs
Size: 8.90h x 6.00w x 0.70d