The Basic Experiences and the Development of the Self : Development from the point of view of Functional Psychotherapy

In today’s world, children’s development is increasingly under threat. Basic experiences (such as joy, tenderness, learning how to love, well-being etc.) which are crucial for healthy development are often deficient or tainted. As a result, more and more children show signs of restlessness, anxiety and relational problems.
This study examines the profound functioning at the root of human life and analyses the characteristics of these functional processes – the forms they present at different stages of development, how they may be supported by adults, what dysfunctions can occur and how such imbalances can be cared for or healed. The individual as a whole is considered in the light of all its Functions: emotional, cognitive, physical and postural.
This text provides numerous case histories, through which the author illustrates various modalities of prevention, cure and therapeutic intervention for children and adolescents. This work is based on the theory that only a truly comprehensive outlook can help us understand what really happens during human development and devise truly effective treatments, avoiding the error of fragmenting the mind and the body, which are seen here as inseparable elements of a unified whole.

The Author: Luciano Rispoli is a psychologist and psychotherapist. He is Professor of Health Psychology at the University of Catania and deals with individual and group psychophysical processes through his research into the Functions of the Self, Basic Experiences, and the various aspects of Functional Psychology. Rispoli is involved in child and adolescent assessment and prevention schemes and is founder and director of the European School of Functional Psychotherapy. He also trains and teaches in both private and state institutions and is founder of the International Society of Functional Psychotherapy, as well as the author of numerous publications.