Just as each person develops from infancy to adulthood, all interpersonal relationships have a life history that encompasses the changes in how people communicate with each other. This book is about how a relationship transforms itself from one pattern of communication to another. The authors present a unique research method called 'relational-historical research', based on advances in dynamic systems theory in developmental psychology, and qualitative methods in life history research. It rests on three premises: that the developing relationship (not the individual) is the unit of analysis; that change emerges from, but is not entirely constrained by, the patterns of the past; and that the developmental process is best revealed by making frequent observations within a particular case before, during, and after a key developmental transition. Looking specifically at the mother-infant relationship, this is a compelling piece of research that will appeal to an international audience of intellectuals and practitioners.
Alan Fogel is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. He is the recipient of numerous teaching and research awards, a fellow of the American Psychological Association, and has been a Fulbright Fellow. He has been an active contributor to research on social and emotional development in early childhood for the past 33 years.
Because of his interest in how infants develop in a socio-sensory-emotional world, Fogel's clinical practice is not psychotherapy but rather Rosen Method Bodywork (www.rosenmethod.org). This is a treament modality for adults combining touch and talk with the goal of enhancing client embodied self-awareness. On the basis of his clinical experience, research work, and scholarly investigations, Fogel's new book, The Psychophysiology of Self-Awareness: Rediscovering the Lost Art of Body Sense, builds upon his previous books such as Developing through Relationships and Change Processes in Relationships, to create a scientifically informed view of how our ability (or lack of it) to connect with our own bodies is regulated via our interactions with significant others.
