Why Some Therapies Don't Work: The Dangers of Transpersonal Psychology (Psychology Series) [Hardcover]

Albert Ellis (Author), Raymond J. Yeager (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1989 | Series: Psychology Series

Albert Ellis, one of the most controversial figures in modern psychology, stands in the distinguished company of such luminaries as Sigmund Freud and B.F. Skinner in his uncanny knack for arousing adherents and opponents alike. Joined by his colleague, Raymond J Yeager, Ellis explains the revolutionary technique of rational-emotive therapy (RET) and contrasts it with transpersonal psychology and psychotherapy in a devastating analysis of cult therapy. Ellis developed rational-emotive therapy in response to the disillusionment that he shared with his fellow therapists when using more traditional techniques of psychoanalysis.Today, many thousands of people who are desperately seeking to understand and overcome the emotional problems they face in daily life are being threatened by the inefficient and anti-humanistic methods of popular cult therapies, many of which fall under the umbrella of transpersonal psychology. Ellis and Yeager offer compelling examples of the psychological, social, and political dangers posed by this cult phenomenon.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 189 pages
• Publisher: Prometheus Books; First Edition edition (March 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0879754710
• ISBN-13: 978-0879754716
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,031,164 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

(1913-2007) Albert Ellis held M.A and Ph.D. degrees in Clinical Psychology from Columbia University. He was the founder of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), the pioneering form of the modern Cognitive Behavior therapies. He was the president of the Albert Ellis Institute in New York, where he practiced individual and group psychotherapy, supervised and trained psychotherapists, and presented many talks and workshops at the Institute and throughout the world. He published over seven hundred articles and more than sixty books on psychotherapy, marital and family therapy, and sex therapy.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Great at CBT, Not so much with transpersonal psychology, September 2, 2007

By 

Meghan "M. A., University of Chicago" (Palo Alto, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Why Some Therapies Don't Work: The Dangers of Transpersonal Psychology (Psychology Series) (Hardcover)

Albert Ellis is a profound figure in the field of psychology, considered one of the grandfathers of CBT. While I have learned a great deal from him and his theories, his understanding of the field of transpersonal psychology is uninformed.

Far from being a dangerous form of psychology, research has shown that transpersonal therapy is effective and healing. Transpersonal psychology branches out from the traditional approach in the modern culture of scientism and takes on the study and integration of human spirituality. The challenge for the field is that it lies within a paradigm shift that seeks to move away from a materialist paradigm of existence (see Ferrer). Within the transpersonal framework, Ellis' ideas of CBT are embraced and integrated into a larger framework. Whereas in many psychological fields, spirituality is considered either unimportant, extraneous or pathological, transpersonal psychologists seek to affirm the higher aspirations and search for meaning of human beings. Furthermore, they find that spiritual experiences may be a source of healing.

It is my hope that those who are interested in transpersonal psychology, will come to their own opinions as to its strengths and its dangers by reading texts that will offer a deeper and more informed presentation of the theory and practice of transpersonal psychology.

For those interested in a deep understanding of the field, try these sources:

Short but great overview:
Moss, D. (Ed.), Humanistic and transpersonal psychology: A historical and biographical sourcebook (pp. 192-209). The Chapter entitled Hastings, Transpersonal psychology: the fourth force by Arther Hastings.

The Textbook of Transpersonal Psychology and Psychiatry. Authors: Scotton, Chinen and Bastista.
(The best overview of all the different aspects of the field out there)

Paths Beyond Ego. Walsh and Vaughan.

Integral Psychology. Ken Wilber.

Jorge Ferrer. Revisioning transpersonal theory: a participatory vision of human spirituality. (More complex, but well worth it. This one is for lovers of philosophy and theory. Ferrer challenges the framework of Wilber's work, the classic relativism v. universalism argument).

It is a fascinating and powerful field. If you must read this book, PLEASE, check out some of the books I mention above about transpersonal psychology and decide for yourself!!!

(Note: as to the reviewer comment referencing transpersonal as a cult, it is interesting to know that by embracing the importance of spirituality and psychology, transpersonal theorists play a large role in understanding the psychology of cults (see the chapter in the textbook of transpersonal psychology regarding cults.)

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Very disappointing. One long lunatic rant, January 16, 2009

By 

David Ellis - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Why Some Therapies Don't Work: The Dangers of Transpersonal Psychology (Psychology Series) (Hardcover)

I bought this book with high expectations based on Dr. Ellis's legendary stature in Psychology. But I was shocked by his incredible bigotry and ignorance of Transpersonal Psychologist (TP). He actually labeled the Ayatollah Khomeini, the Rev. Jim Jones, and Jehovah's Witnesses as TPs. Basically in his mind, every evil religionist who's ever lived is also a TP. He then based his criticism of TP on their actions, which makes for a tedious to read, lunatic rant that's totally out of touch with the real TP.

On page 64, he compared TP with "secular religionists" such as the Soviet Union and Communist China, and stated, "They (both) reason categorically and ardently support a we-they dichotomy." On this point, I completely agree with him. But what's amazing is that he's completely blind to the fact that this book reveals that he himself is a flaming bigoted, dogmatic secular religionist reasoning categorically and ardently supporting a we-they dichotomy, and projecting all his own garbage onto to TP.

The only reason I can think of why the great Albert Ellis made such a fool of himself in this book, is that he could see that TP really is the Psychology of the Future: Lessons from Modern Consciousness Research (Suny Series in Transpersonal and Humanistic Psychology), as Dr. Stan Grof entitled his excellent comprehensive overview of TP. And thus TP over turns his cherished materialistic world view, and diminishes his own contribution to Psychology.

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Please Help Us Save Our Environment, June 24, 2009

By 

S. J. Noel "SN" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Why Some Therapies Don't Work: The Dangers of Transpersonal Psychology (Psychology Series) (Hardcover)

I've actually been quite eager to criticize albert ellis for sometime now...
While his REBT contributes some bit to psychology, I agree in the review below in that transpersonal psychology greatly diminishes his contributions...I've read a reply to Ellis by Ken Wilber, and Wilber totally annihalated Ellis, not only did he make Ellis seem like one or those poor irrational rationalists, but it was quite entertaining to read, I actually read it again for an extra laugh....Anyhow I've seen some of Ellis's other books let me tell you , this guy could use with some transcending his ego, if there is enough room in the Kosmos to perform such a giant feat...Seriously these pop psychologists get me quite annoyed when they seem to be making books that absolutely SUCK for the extra buck. Get wisdom from one of the wisest psychologists today screams one of his books....He should know better than this, his stance only creates the well known dependency on the therapist known too well in the field, excepts instead of him it's on that thing with his giant picture on the front and pages in between he calls a book. It's explained quite well in Murray Bowen's family evaluation. Even more so he tries to tell others why some therapies don't work. The only way to find out is to try it for yourself. To listen to this guy would be quite "unscientific" indeed, and unwise. Who ever this guy's publisher is do us all a favor and please STOP, quickly, our environment can't take it anymore, the reviews and ratings should give a hint to the obvious, we shouldn't be chopping down trees only to produce garbage, so everyone please do our environment a favor and recycle. Thank you. :)