Applying the Constructivist Approach to Cognitive Therapy: Resolving the Unconscious Past

Applying the Constructivist Approach to Cognitive Therapy goes beyond the traditional objectivist approach of uncovering the what of a client’s dysfunctional thinking by helping client and therapist understand why the client thinks in a dysfunctional manner. This unique work demonstrates how this thinking can be uncovered through dreamwork, analytic hypnotherapy, ecstatic trance, and other spontaneous trance experiences such as the use of imagination, free association, and guided imagery. Utilizing hypnotherapeutic techniques, the author shows how clients can reframe these thoughts to achieve a healthier, more functional way of thinking. Replete with case studies and practical guidance, this text will help therapists take clients beyond a simple resolution of their problems and offer an avenue to greater personal growth, maturity, and creativity.

Nicholas E. Brink, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist who operated a private practice for 22 years, offering services in marital psychotherapy and hypnosis. He is the past president of the American Association for the Study of Mental Imagery and past board member of the International Association for the Study of Dreams. Dr. Brink is semiretired and conducts research on the parallels between shamanic journeying, hypnosis, and dream work.