In the Presence of Another: A Lyrical Exploration of Psychotherapy

The remarkable story of a young physician in the Soviet Union in the 1980's and his personal journey of discovery of western humanistic, existential and spiritual psychology. Alexander (Sasha) Badkhen also recounts how, with the help of committed American, European, and Russian colleagues, he used t [...]
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The remarkable story of a young physician in the Soviet Union in the 1980's and his personal journey of discovery of western humanistic, existential and spiritual psychology. Alexander (Sasha) Badkhen also recounts how, with the help of committed American, European, and Russian colleagues, he used those insights to build a successful school of psychology in post-Soviet Russia. In Part One, Sasha narrates his odyssey with both intelligence and wonder, as if opening an unexpected and miraculous gift being given to him by life - a life very different than anything that had preceded it in his experience in the Soviet Union.In Part Two, Sasha gives the gift back to his colleagues in the west by extracting for us his understanding of the key principles of the psychotherapeutic relationship, based on his practice as a psychotherapist in post- soviet Russia for 35 years. Badkhen uses poetry, literature, music, philosophy and psychology to highlight the essential importance of the presence of the therapist and of the therapeutic relationship to the healing process. This is an oft-covered topic in psychological literature, but it is rarely presented in such a lyrical, aesthetic, and soulful way. You will be moved by his stories, his compassion and his breadth of knowledge as he describes the depth of the relational nature of psychotherapy and therefore, the need for self-awareness and insight on the part of the therapist. In fact, Badkhen asserts that need is primary and fundamental, and supersedes any school or techniques of therapy. He reminds us that the therapeutic relationship is a sacred trust and an opportunity for growth for both the therapist and the client.