Foundations of contextual therapy

These collected papers, covering a period of some 30 years, allow the reader to trace the developing thought of one of the world's seminal family therapists and theoreticians. In addition to providing a wealth of clinical experience, these writings reveal a characteristic familial, cultural as well as national heritage. With roots in Hungary, experiences of Hitler's Germany and Stalin's Russia, the writings reflect the unlikely survival of a small country through extreme efforts and cultural vitality. These were the ultimate sources of Ivan Boszormanyi-Nagy's lifelong concern with the disadvantaged minority, whether a disadvantaged child in a family, a disadvantaged family in a community, or a disadvantaged nation in the world community of nations. While his thoughts and writings show a clear identity with European tradition of scholarship and philosophical inquiry, there is here too a unique and dogged effort by this pioneer to develop a coherent therapeutic perspective and system that broke new ground in the area of family therapy.