The Presenting Past ─ The Core of Psychodynamic Counselling and Therapy

"Everyone who works with clients will welcome Michael Jacobs eminently readable and stimulating new book. Drawing on the works of Erikson, Winnicott, and other relational theorists, Jacobs articulates the three major development themes that weave their way through both counselling and psychotherapy. The author's case studies leap off the page, drawing the reader into the intricacies of the therapy relationship to demonstrate how the past becomes a living part of the here-and-now. A boon for beginning therapists as well as a refreshing source of new ideas for more experienced clinicians."
- Professor Sheldon Cashdan, author, Object Relations Therapy

"This book is a wonderfully readable overview of the developmental principles underlying psychodynamic counselling. Theories of Freud, Klein, Winnicott, Kohut and others are organized into three broad developmental themes- dependency, autonomy and interdependence, and illuminated with rich clinical examples. Jacobs' lucid, lively style makes the connection between theory and practice clear and accessible. This outstanding book will appeal to established clinicians as well as students training in counselling and psychotherapy."
- Jan Grant, Ph.D., Senior Lecturer, Edith Cowan University, Western Australia

"Michael Jacobs is a free spirit who roams purposefully in the often contentious world of the rival psychoanalytic traditions."
-Professor Brian Thorne, Centre for Counselling Studies, University of East Anglia

"An original and reliable approach to the development of personality that every therapist and student therapist should possess. Jacobs, one of the founders of psychodynamic therapy and counselling, avoids the twin perils of unimaginative, meaningless causality on the one hand and indifferent, irresponsible reference to fate on the other."
-Andrew Samuels, Professor of Analytical Psychology, University of Essex

The revised edition of this best-selling book not only introduces much more material about the basic psychodynamic themes of trust and dependency, authority and autonomy, and cooperation and competition, but also makes a major break with developmental stages, preferring to show how the real issues that concern people are present at every point in life. As in the highly successful first edition, the themes are lavishly illustrated with case examples, and the useful appendix is extended. This edition contains a completely new chapter on the way the major themes appear at different points in the process of counselling and therapy.

Michael Jacobs was for many years director of the counselling and psychotherapy programme at the University of Leicester, UK. Since retirement he has continued to teach in universities and to professional organisations, and to have a small independent practice for therapy and supervision. He is a Fellow of BACP and an accredited member of the Universities Psychotherapy and Counselling Association.