Ann Shearer

Therese Vanier, founder of L'Arche in the UK, was also a distinguished doctor who worked with Cecily Saunders at the world-renowned St Christopher's Hospice in London, and a tireless contributor to Christian ecumenism and interfaith understanding. This biography draws on the memories of nearly fifty people who knew her, as well as her own published and unpublished writings, to offer a tribute to Therese and a critical assessment of her lasting legacy in the three areas of her work. Includes photo section.

The capacity for humour is one of life's blessings. So why is it so lacking in the theory and even the practice of analysis and therapy? Why Don’t Psychotherapists Laugh? is the first book of its kind about a neglected and even taboo topic: the place of enjoyment and good humour in psychotherapy. Why Don’t Psychotherapists Laugh? traces the development of professional psychotherapy and its almost exclusive focus on life's tragedies. This may naturally suit some practitioners; others may learn that a proper therapeutic persona is serious, even solemn. But what are they and their clients missing? Ann Shearer draws on ideas about humour and its functions from antiquity to contemporary stand-up comedy and beyond, to explore how it works in both mind and body. Shearer demonstrates how even the blackest humour may yield psychological information, and how humour can help build therapeutic relationships and be a catalyst for healing. Through real-life stories from consulting rooms, told by both therapists and clients, the author shows how a sense of enjoyment and good humour can restore life to people in distress- and how destructive a lack of these may become. This book offers food for thought about the theory and practice of psychotherapy. It encourages analysts and therapists from different schools to look again at some of the assumptions on which they base their practice and teaching, and provides a resource for further reflection on the therapeutic task. Taking a psychological look at where humour comes from, what it's about and why we need it, this book will also intrigue anyone who wants to know more about the kinds of people psychotherapists are, what they do and why. Written in a highly accessible style, Why Don't Psychotherapists Laugh? will appeal to psychotherapists with a range of trainings and allegiances, their teachers in vocational and academic institutions and their clients, as well as to readers with an interest in psychotherapy, humour and psychology.

The capacity for humour is one of life's blessings. So why is it so lacking in the theory and even the practice of analysis and therapy? Why Don’t Psychotherapists Laugh? is the first book of its kind about a neglected and even taboo topic: the place of enjoyment and good humour in psychotherapy. Why Don’t Psychotherapists Laugh? traces the development of professional psychotherapy and its almost exclusive focus on life's tragedies. This may naturally suit some practitioners; others may learn that a proper therapeutic persona is serious, even solemn. But what are they and their clients missing? Ann Shearer draws on ideas about humour and its functions from antiquity to contemporary stand-up comedy and beyond, to explore how it works in both mind and body. Shearer demonstrates how even the blackest humour may yield psychological information, and how humour can help build therapeutic relationships and be a catalyst for healing. Through real-life stories from consulting rooms, told by both therapists and clients, the author shows how a sense of enjoyment and good humour can restore life to people in distress- and how destructive a lack of these may become. This book offers food for thought about the theory and practice of psychotherapy. It encourages analysts and therapists from different schools to look again at some of the assumptions on which they base their practice and teaching, and provides a resource for further reflection on the therapeutic task. Taking a psychological look at where humour comes from, what it's about and why we need it, this book will also intrigue anyone who wants to know more about the kinds of people psychotherapists are, what they do and why. Written in a highly accessible style, Why Don't Psychotherapists Laugh? will appeal to psychotherapists with a range of trainings and allegiances, their teachers in vocational and academic institutions and their clients, as well as to readers with an interest in psychotherapy, humour and psychology.

This book is about the energy personified by the classical Greek goddess Themis, who brought her divine and natural 'right order' to gods and humans, and who still presides over law courts as the figure of Justice. In many Western countries today, the growing dis-ease in minds and bodies of individuals is often echoed in whole communities. Rather than coming together, they seem to split apart in anger and distress. But themis energy is equally powerful, and can work to bring together and to heal. From the battle of the Titans and Olympians to the oracle at Delphi and the banquet of the gods, the stories of the goddess weave through these chapters to illuminate how themis energy is at work today. The authors explore psychological healing in individuals and relate this to new research in neurocardiology on the subtle interactions of body and mind. They show how the international movement for restorative justice is drawing on the same healing tools to benefit victims and offenders alike. And they evoke the extraordinary story of the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which shows the world how themis energy can help transform a ravaged society.This book deepens understanding of the psychological urge towards healing and wholeness which is as much a part of human beings as the urge to destroy. It offers exciting new insights into Jung's unique approach to the relationship between individual and collective psychology. It will appeal to psychologists who work with individuals and groups, to lawyers and others concerned with the failure of current criminal justice systems, and to people involved in religious, political and other groups that seek to build communities which can encompass and even celebrate diversity rather than rejecting it in fear.

This book is about the energy personified by the classical Greek goddess Themis, who brought her divine and natural 'right order' to gods and humans, and who still presides over law courts as the figure of Justice. In many Western countries today, the growing dis-ease in minds and bodies of individuals is often echoed in whole communities. Rather than coming together, they seem to split apart in anger and distress. But themis energy is equally powerful, and can work to bring together and to heal. From the battle of the Titans and Olympians to the oracle at Delphi and the banquet of the gods, the stories of the goddess weave through these chapters to illuminate how themis energy is at work today. The authors explore psychological healing in individuals and relate this to new research in neurocardiology on the subtle interactions of body and mind. They show how the international movement for restorative justice is drawing on the same healing tools to benefit victims and offenders alike. And they evoke the extraordinary story of the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which shows the world how themis energy can help transform a ravaged society.This book deepens understanding of the psychological urge towards healing and wholeness which is as much a part of human beings as the urge to destroy. It offers exciting new insights into Jung's unique approach to the relationship between individual and collective psychology. It will appeal to psychologists who work with individuals and groups, to lawyers and others concerned with the failure of current criminal justice systems, and to people involved in religious, political and other groups that seek to build communities which can encompass and even celebrate diversity rather than rejecting it in fear.