The Art & Practice of Responsibility: Improve Relationships, Create Meaning, Foster Well-Being (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780228892106)

Therapist Carla Duda provides a refreshing view on turning toward rather than away from difficulty to become stronger and more capable, transform limitations into opportunities, and live with connection and purpose.

Early in her practice, Duda became disillusioned with popular therapeutic ideology taught in the academy. This ideology suggested therapists view clients as victims to culture, fragile, and in need of sheltering away from difficulties. Therapists were often taught to focus on feelings as unquestionable truths, providing little of the exploration, curiosity, and challenge required for personal growth. Duda observed this approach was undermining people instead of encouraging the self-reflection and strength developed through challenging one's thoughts and behaviors and facing life's adversities with courage. She opted to instead practice therapeutic existentialism, a grounded and mindful method. Duda presents a caring, accountable, and reasoned approach to self-development that sees people as dignified and capable of becoming increasingly adept at navigating the tumult and tribulations of life.

Distilling years of therapeutic wisdom into a practical and philosophical guide, Duda illustrates how to navigate hardship, from painful circumstances in our early years, to the inevitable, ongoing realities of suffering in human existence. An essential guide for modern seekers of truth and meaning, readers will discover that rather than responsibility being a burden, authoring our lives with accountability is freeing. The Art & Practice of Responsibility shows readers how, through embracing responsibility, we can transform our experience with life's difficulties and limitations to become more joyful and open to life.