Resolving Inner Conflict: Working Through Polarization Using Internal Family Systems Therapy by Earley, Jay (January 11, 2012) Paperback

by Jay Earley

Excellent Book

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction

Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Jay Earley, Ph.D., is a transformational psychologist, group leader, psychotherapist, coach, author, teacher, and theorist.

Jay is trained in Internal Family Systems Therapy and assists with professional trainings in IFS. He leads IFS Classes for the general public which teach IFS as a practice for self-help and peer counseling. He is active in the IFS community and has presented a number of workshops at IFS annual conferences. He also teaches classes on Communication from the Heart, based on IFS, interactive groups, and the Pattern System.

He is nationally known for his innovation in the group psychotherapy field. His book, Interactive Group Therapy: Integrating Interpersonal, Action-Oriented, and Psychodynamic Approaches, Brunner/Mazel, describes his group therapy method in which people learn interpersonal relationship skills by working directly on their relationships with each other. During his ten years on the east coast, Jay was Director of the Group Therapy Center of Long Island, where he trained group therapists in this method. He has written a number of articles on interactive groups and made numerous presentations at regional and national psychotherapy conferences. He continues to lead interactive therapy groups in the Bay Area.

Jay offers Life Purpose Coaching and Change Agent Coaching, on finding your life purpose and making a difference in the world. He has been writing about and leading workshops on Life Purpose since 1984. He has collected his writings on life purpose into an ebook Finding Your Life Purpose.

Jay has created the Pattern System, a method for understanding interpersonal behavior and its underlying psychological issues, which is compatible with IFS. It is used for personal growth, understanding relationships, and interpersonal assessment and treatment in psychotherapy.

In Jay's work with people, he is known for his empathy and his ability to understand a client's feelings, issues, and world view without imposing his own personality or agenda. His insight into human motivation and psychological patterns enables him to help people understand both their strengths and how they block themselves from getting what they want. Because of his own life-long journey of personal growth, his interest in the nature of human consciousness, and his success in creating a passionate and satisfying life for himself, his clients trust him to understand their struggles and spiritual longings, and to support their search for excitement and meaning in life.

Jay has a Ph.D. in psychology from Saybrook Graduate School and is a graduate of the Gestalt Institute of San Francisco. He is a licensed psychologist in California (PSY6973) and a Certified Group Therapist. He has been in private practice as a psychotherapist working with individuals, couples, and groups since 1973.

Jay's commitment to his own personal development has led him to participate in a wide variety of therapeutic and growth endeavors over the years. He has a loving, successful 20 year marriage and professional partnership with Bonnie Weiss. He has studied with Richard Olney, Jean Houston, Joanna Macy, and Richard Schwartz. He is a long-time student of the Diamond Approach of A. H. Almaas, a spiritual path that integrates psychotherapy insights and techniques with wisdom traditions in a unique Western approach to spiritual realization.

As a result of his research on human social evolution and its relationship to our current global predicament, Jay has published a number of articles plus the book, Transforming Human Culture: Social Evolution and the Planetary Crisis, SUNY Press.

During the 1980's, Jay studied with both Jean Houston and Joanna Macy. He was active in the peace movement as a member of Interhelp and Psychotherapists for Social Responsibility, where he led workshops which integrated psychological, spiritual, and planetary concerns. Study of the process by which people discover and actualize their life purpose led Jay to wri

Reviews

[Niki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting...but I am maybe too reality bound to try to convince someone to talk to the different parts of themselves in the way showcased. I like some of the language, but I actually would have liked more about healing the exiles than getting the polarized parts to talk to each other.

[Melinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite the lack of good editing with some left out words, accidental word use, a couple of clunky sentences here and there this is a good read. It was great in conjunction with an IFS Inner Critic workshop.