Working from the Heart

When therapists work in a heart-centered way, they feel freer to be both professionals and loving human beings. Working from the Heart advocates for a deeper understanding that the therapist's expressions of non-sexual, non-romantic love are a core ingredient in effective psychotherapy. Each chapter in Working from the Heart focuses from a heart-centered perspective on a particular aspect of therapeutic work that has been insufficiently addressed in traditional training and supervision. Chapter topics include: removing patients' psychological blocks to receiving love; enabling patients to access their Higher Selves to solve complex life dilemmas; how to slog through professional and personal conflicts about touch in order to discern in what situations and with which patients gentle touch is the right therapeutic action; why a heart-centered approach is so important for male patients; how therapists can engage their "Big Hearts," aspects of their Higher Selves, during sessions; and how to create sanctuary for patients and therapists alike. Working from the Heart addresses these issues in an informal style in order to make the book more accessible to wider spectrum of readers. Ryan is sharing his ideas, gleaned from thirty-five years of experience, and inviting a conversation.