The Touch Taboo in Psychotherapy and Everyday Life

Author: Tamar Swade

Paperback

Touch has been a taboo in mainstream Western talking therapies since their inception. This book examines the effects on us of touch, and of touch deprivation – what we feel when we are touched, what it means to us, and the fact that some individuals and cultures are more tactile than others.

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PRODUCT INFORMATION

Summary

Description

The author traces the development and perpetuation of the touch taboo, puts forward counterarguments to it, outlines criteria for the safe and effective use of touch in therapy, and suggests ways of dismantling the touch taboo should we wish to do so. Through moving interviews with clients who have experienced life-changing benefits of physical contact at the hands of their therapists, the place of touch in therapy practice is re-evaluated and the therapy profession urged to re-examine its attitudes towards this important therapeutic tool.

This book will be essential reading for therapists, counsellors, social workers, educators, health professionals and for any general reader interested in the crucial issue of touch in everyday life.

Critic Reviews

“"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.”

"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.

About the Author

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.