Conceived by Italian psychiatrist Roberto Assagioli, psychosynthesis is one of the first Western psychologies that addresses both spiritual development and psychological healing and growth by recognizing and supporting the particular life journey of the person-the individual's own unique path of Self-realization. Firman and Gila present a comprehensive account of psychosynthesis, providing a transpersonal integration of developmental, personality, and clinical theory. They reveal some of the relationships between psychosynthesis and contemporary developmental research, object relations theory, intersubjective psychology, trauma theory, the recovery movement, Jungian psychology, humanistic and transpersonal psychology, and common psychological diagnoses. Case examples and practical theory designed to support both the layperson and the professional seeking to understand and facilitate psychospiritual growth are included.

John Firman and Ann Gila are psychotherapists in private practice in Palo Alto, California and coauthors of The Primal Wound: A Transpersonal View of Trauma, Addiction, and Growth, also published by SUNY Press. Both were trained in psychosynthesis in the early 1970s, and Firman trained with Roberto Assagioli.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

INTRODUCTION

1. THE LIFE AND WORK OF ROBERTO ASSAGIOLI

Roberto Assagioli and His Influences
In Conclusion

2. THE PSYCHOSYNTHESIS MODEL OF THE PERSON

Assagioli's Diagram of the Person
The Middle Unconscious
Primal Wounding
The Lower Unconscious
The Higher Unconscious
"I," Consciousness, and Will
Self

3. THE STAGES OF PSYCHOSYNTHESIS

Stage Zero: Survival of Wounding
Stage One: Exploration of the Personality
Stage Two: The Emergence of "I"
Stage Three: Contact with Self
Stage Four: Response to Self
In Summation

4. MULTIPLICITY WITHIN THE PERSONALITY

Subpersonalities are Normal
The Birth of a Subpersonality
Subpersonalities in Survival
Recognition
Acceptance
Inclusion
Synthesis

5. THE NATURE OF PERSONAL IDENTITY

A Disidentification Exercise
Empathic "I"
Spirit, Soma, and Psyche
Transcendence-Immanence

6. A PSYCHOSYNTHESIS DEVELOPMENTAL THEORY

Bigger Than We
Opening the Inner Door
Authentic Personality
External and Internal Unifying Centers
Primal Wounding
Survival Personality
Recognition
Acceptance
Inclusion
Synthesis
In Conclusion

7. THE HIGHER AND LOWER UNCONSCIOUS

Primal Wounding and Splitting
The Lower Unconscious and Higher Unconscious
Positive and Negative Idealization
Psychological Disturbances
Psychology and Spirituality

8. SELF-REALIZATION

"I" and Self
Personal Psychosynthesis
Transpersonal Psychosynthesis
Self-Realization
In Conclusion

NOTES

BIBLIOGRAPHY

INDEX