The Counselor . . . as if Soul and Spirit Matter: Inspirations from Anthroposophy by Tresemer David & Nelson Roberta & Knighton Edmond & Bento William

Author:Tresemer, David & Nelson, Roberta & Knighton, Edmond & Bento, William [Tresemer, David]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: SteinerBooks
Published: 2015-07-06T16:00:00+00:00

Within the current view of personality disorders, there has been a conventional consensus that personality disorders can be divided into three clusters on the basis of common variables. These common variables are identified by behavior. Behaviors are categorized as eccentric (Cluster A), dramatic (Cluster B), or anxious (Cluster C). It gives a useful guide when making differential diagnosis from observations of a client's behavior.

Clusters Conventionally Conceived

However, this is just another example of how clinical psychology is driven by the notion of behaviorism. In an attempt to be empirical, psychological measures have weighted behaviors as central to making diagnosis. The factors that are often overlooked or marginalized are the inner experiences of the clients, their world outlook and core values. Instead, what has become common currency in psychology are theories explaining behaviors. Mental constructs are being created as an attempt to explain the mind and how it governs behavior or is governed by behaviors. The vacuum in psychological theories is the lack of an image of the human soul. In my view, the human soul lives in the realm of the dynamics of polarities, including the polarities implied by personality (and its disorders), as made much more clear when we see the one-sidedness of movement styles—implying the opposite movement. I have been compelled to reformulate the idea of personality clusters with the human soul, its three primary faculties of thinking, feeling and willing, and the four primary polarities of mind.

The Cluster that I have below designated as “A” has in its foreground the psychological issue of independence/dependence. The Narcissistic lives at the pole of independence and the Dependent lives at the pole of dependence, but the Antisocial disregards both poles. As a consequence, their lives are dictated by losses of both experiences. They have neither a healthy independence nor do they sustain a healthy dependence in their lives.

Cluster “B” is grouped around the psychological issues of detachment/engagement. The Paranoid is fixated at the pole of detachment and the Obsessive-Compulsive finds himself or herself fixated at the pole of engagement, whereas the Schizoid disregards both poles. As a consequence, the Schizoid finds no interest in being detached nor in being engaged.

Cluster “C” exhibits the psychological theme of containment/freedom. The Borderline is preoccupied at the pole of containment, often urgently seeking for it, and the Schizotypal relishes in the unbounded pole of freedom, whereas the Histrionic disregards both poles. As a consequence these types are found rebounding from one pole to the other without rest.

Cluster “D” is oriented to the psychological theme of victimization/ambivalence. The Avoidant wishes to be socially involved but is more often caught in ambivalence, unable to make any true initiative. The Multiple tends to be identified with traumas entrapping this person on the pole of victimization. The Passive-Aggressive disregards both poles. As a result of this disregard, the Passive-Aggressive tends to wrestle with the unconscious roles of an ambivalent persecutor and a vulnerable victim.

It is my intuition that there is an important key to this formulation of clusters for

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.