The Transformative Power of Crisis: Our Journey to Psychological Healing and Spiritual Awakening

With a distinctive blend of classic Freudian psychotherapy, Zen Buddhism, Jewish mysticism and meditation techniques, the Alters inject a strong dose of spiritualism into garden-variety talk therapy, in order to try ""to help people become happier in their lives by helping them figure out how life works."" One of the Alters' tenets is that we must attune ourselves to the ""voice of God within us [which] has the answers to all our questions and the solutions to all our problems."" Although they can clarify complex issues with clever metaphors, the authors just as often skim over their topics, slip into abstractions and gender stereotypes (i.e., that men are the only ones to fall into sexual addiction) and, most egregiously, omit any mention of recent discoveries in the study of brain chemistry and psychopharmacology. Practicing psychotherapists for 20 years, they hold steadfastly to the therapeutic model that entails years on the couch delving into childhood experiences. Some readers may find comfort in the Alters' resonant descriptions of troubling issues, although they may not find much assistance in actually resolving them. In fact, the Alters' tales of clients who have been in therapy for years and still grapple blindly with the same issues may dissuade some readers from undertaking the treatment. With a disclaimer regarding the reality of their examples, the Alters offer an interesting collection of ""imagined"" stories based on composite characters from their experiences in private practice, but little substance for readers to take away. (Mar.)