In a society that oscillates wildly between extremes of moralizing and corruption, how do we define, much less foster, "goodness"? Mary Nicholas, in this engaging and provocative book, explores the relationship between psychotherapy and the enhancement of goodness. She examines the field of psychotherapy, which frequently strives for moral neutrality, and explains how neglecting morality can actually stymie its goals.
Goodness is defined here as concern for others and is represented by five generally accepted "virtues" - altruism, responsibility, justice, egalitarianism, and honesty. The process of psychotherapy is examined in light of how it may promote or diminish these attributes in patients.
The first section, "Reconciling Goodness with Psychology and Psychotherapy," conceptualizes goodness in psychological terms. Section Two, "The History of Goodness," synthesizes various theories pertaining to goodness from the perepectives of science, developmental psychology, behavioral and social psychology, and psychoanalysis. The third section, "From Demoralization to Remoralization through Psychotherapy," discusses the moral aspects of different mental and emotional illnesses and their treatment.
The book explores not only the morality of clients, but also the moral role of the therapist and how this is shaped by specific biases toward amorality, which are inherent in Western culture and science. Nicholas believes that therapy can have positive moral results, from loving more and better to the search for truth and the pursuit of life over death, as well as mutuality in personal relationships and the larger community.
Each chapter contains lively clinical anecdotes from individual, couples, and group therapy to illustrate the points made. Attention is paid throughout the book to how moral issues can be addressed in therapy without shaming the client.

Mary W. Nicholas

Norton Professional Books

New York: W.W. Norton

United States, United States of America

1st ed, New York NY, 1994

1, PS, 1994

Includes bibliographical references (p. 227-235).
"A Norton professional book."

viii, 248 pages ; 24 cm
In a society that oscillates wildly between extremes of moralizing and corruption, how do we define, much less foster, "goodness"? Mary Nicholas, in this engaging and provocative book, explores the relationship between psychotherapy and the enhancement of goodness. She examines the field of psychotherapy, which frequently strives for moral neutrality, and explains how neglecting morality can actually stymie its goals
Goodness is defined here as concern for others and is represented by five generally accepted "virtues"--Altruism, responsibility, justice, egalitarianism, and honesty. The process of psychotherapy is examined in light of how it may promote or diminish these attributes in patients
The first section, "Reconciling Goodness with Psychology and Psychotherapy," conceptualizes goodness in psychological terms. Section Two, "The History of Goodness," synthesizes various theories pertaining to goodness from the perepectives of science, developmental psychology, behavioral and social psychology, and psychoanalysis. The third section, "From Demoralization to Remoralization through Psychotherapy," discusses the moral aspects of different mental and emotional illnesses and their treatment
The book explores not only the morality of clients, but also the moral role of the therapist and how this is shaped by specific biases toward amorality, which are inherent in Western culture and science. Nicholas believes that therapy can have positive moral results, from loving more and better to the search for truth and the pursuit of life over death, as well as mutuality in personal relationships and the larger community
Each chapter contains lively clinical anecdotes from individual, couples, and group therapy to illustrate the points made. Attention is paid throughout the book to how moral issues can be addressed in therapy without shaming the client
Includes bibliographical references (pages 227-235)
"A Norton professional book."
Preface: On the Trail of Goodness -- Sect. 1. Mixing Apples and Oranges: Reconciling Goodness With Psychology and Psychotherapy. 1. Whatever Happened to Goodness? 2. "Virtues" in Personality Assessment and Psychotherapy -- Sect. 2. The History of Goodness. 3. Amoral Biases in Psychology and Psychotherapy. 4. More Amoral Biases: Darwinism and Individualism. 5. Moral Sensitivity and Moral Action. 6. The Development of Moral Reasoning. 7. Psychoanalytic Perspectives on How We Become Good -- Sect. 3. From Demoralization to "Remoralization" Through Psychotherapy. 8. Shame, Guilt, Apology, and Forgiveness. 9. Ethical Failures in Depression. 10. Addictions, Codependency, and the Problem of Hubris. 11. The Moral Complexity of the Narcissistic and Borderline Personality Disorders. 12. How Therapy Fosters Goodness

2024-07-01