The Touch Taboo in Psychotherapy and Everyday Life

“This is a highly readable and fascinating book and long overdue. It makes a vitally important contribution important for both lay persons and professionals. All of us, but in particular psychotherapists, need to examine closely the critical role of touch in our own lives. And this book provides both understanding and tools to do precisely this. Its power derives from its amalgamation of both scientific evidence and personal experience both of clients and others. The author brings her own insights to bear based on her original research. She explores the origin of why touch has been so proscribed for psychotherapists and how negative this can be for the client. She provides sensitive guidance for the therapist who wants to incorporate touch more effectively in their practice.”

- Dr Richard Stevens, former Head of Psychology at the Open University and Chair of the Association for Humanistic Psychology, author of several books on psychology and occasional broadcaster on psychological topics.

Tamar Swade has sustained several parallel careers, as psychotherapist, teacher, musician, entertainer, and creator of ‘Theatre in Education’ plays. She loves dancing, singing, being and running in nature, singing songs with small children, and often protests against injustices.