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Who are psychotherapists? How do they develop? What kinds of persons are they? The author responds to these questions in a collection of twelve essays, several of which have been published previously. He develops a theme which many of us hold true, that the process of constructive growth in therapy involves the personality and the character of the therapist in deeply felt human relatedness with the patient's struggles. The first half of the book describes the history, development, and life style of the therapist. The material developed here is derived from detailed questionnaires returned from twelve psychotherapists. The author asserts that most (seven out of twelve) therapists are Judaic in concept and that most have sustained some physical illness in early life and subsequently had periods of “quietude and introspection.” Family background indicated actively constructive development. These therapists reported that the primal scene, oedipal conflict, castration complex, and pregenital evolvement were not important in their growth and development.
Unfortunately, therapists often minimize the worth of their training analysis. They prefer to emphasize that their true growth evolved subsequently through their work with their patients. These therapists describe themselves as a group of people greatly satisfied with themselves and fully actualized over the years. Satisfaction of the therapist is as important as that of the patient. It seems that psychotherapists are just like all people in their nurturing needs. On the other hand, the author's group reported little interest in sports, finance, religion, or politics. I question this rather generalized assumption; no doubt some do and some don't find these activities interesting, according to their own desires. I, and other therapists I know, express ourselves in the arts and creative crafts, as well as in sports both actively and as spectators.
Throughout the book metaphors, such as the ontic thrust, Judaic-Christian, eros