Characterological Transformation: The Hard Work Miracle (Stephen M. Johnson, Ph.D.)

This book integrates object relations theory, ego psychology, and character analytic approaches to provide a new understanding of human behavior and character development. In itself this integration is a remarkable undertaking, yielding a consistent, understandable and clinically useful view of psychopathology, therapy, and health.

This, however, is just the beginning. Within the framework of this integrated theory, the author outlines in great detail an active treatment approach that draws upon all major schools of psychotherapeutic thought, including psychoanalytic psychotherapy, transactional analysis, bioenergetics, Gestalt therapy, hypnosis, client-centered therapy, behavior modification, strategic therapy, rational-emotive therapy, and neurolinguistic programming. Techniques are chosen to serve specific purposes in both promoting ego functioning and working through resistance to changing archaic forms of adaptation. Each intervention fits within behavioral, affective, or cognitive domains, change all three domains being necessary for lasting Characterological change.

In this book, the first in a series, the author focuses upon character pathology resulting from disorders in attachment - the schizoid character, described as the "hated child," and the oral character or "abandoned child." For each disorder he discusses etiology, characteristic affects, behaviors and cognitions, bodily expressions of character, therapeutic objectives, and therapeutic techniques. With clarity and compassion, he describes and illustrates with case examples the process of therapy with patients showing schizoid and oral character patterns.

Johnson has commented, "I see psychotherapy as beginning a process which can last a lifetime. As life as a race between maturity and senility, effective psychotherapy is designed to aid the former and retard the latter." Therapists of all persuasions will appreciate this sentiment; more importantly, they will find that Johnson's integrative approach breaks new ground in the understanding and treatment of human character.

Dr. Stephen Johnson received his Ph.D. from Northwestern University in 1968. Since then he has been on the faculty of the University of Oregon, where he is now Associate Professor of Psychology. Dr. Johnson divides his time evenly between clinical teaching and the private practice of psychotherapy in Eugene, Oregon. He has published widely in professional journal on child-family interaction and therapy, research methodology, self-control, and the problems of readjustment after divorce. He is also the author of the popular book, First Person Singular: Living the Good Life Alone.