Coming to Life:The Emergence of Self in the Human Life Cycle

Jim Doak works with those who are in the process of self-exploration and has written Coming to Life as a stimulus for those committed to recovering lost aspects of their human experience.

The model of psychotherapy described in this book is grounded in the principles of Gestalt, Bioenergetics, Object Relations and the spiritual traditions of the East. It is written for the lay reader and is equally useful for those in therapy, those working independently and those assisting others in the self-exploration process.

The beginning chapters focus on the process of self-loss. Jim follows this with a description of the outcomes that are likely to occur when a strong sense of self is discouraged. He next describes our dilemma as adults as "we try to accommodate the duality of holding onto our limited identity while letting go into greater wholeness." Finally, Jim describes the process of "intimacy, merging and commitment that naturally occur when a solid sense of self is established."96