Descriere - Integrative Strategic Psychotherapy

The Integrative Strategic Psychotherapy series was conceived as both a comprehensive training manual and a continuing professional resource for psychotherapists at all stages of development. Across its six volumes, the series aims to accompany the reader through the evolving landscape of integrative and evidence-informed psychotherapy, blending theoretical depth with clinical practicality.

The series provides a structured and coherent learning path for students and supervisees who wish to understand and apply the Integrative Strategic Psychotherapy (ISP) model in their practice. At the same time, it serves as a reference and reflective resource for experienced psychotherapists seeking to deepen their understanding of integration, refine their technique, and ground their clinical decisions in a theoretically unified framework.

Each volume addresses a distinct aspect of the model - from its theoretical and philosophical foundations, to assessment, formulation, and intervention strategies, to its application in specific clinical areas. Together, the volumes form a cohesive body of knowledge that bridges neuroscience, developmental psychology, and the relational traditions of psychotherapy.

The ISP model integrates multiple dimensions of human functioning: biological, psychological, and relational levels intersect with cognitive, emotional, and psychodynamic axes. At its centre lies the conception of the self as a dynamic and evolving structure, encompassing the proto, core, plastic, and external domains. This framework allows for a flexible yet disciplined approach to therapeutic understanding and intervention - one that honours both the complexity of the human psyche and the uniqueness of each client’s story.

The intention is not only to teach a model, but to cultivate an integrative mindset - one that values creativity, critical thinking, and relational authenticity as much as technical skill. Whether used as a training manual, a supervision companion, or a source of inspiration for ongoing clinical reflection, the Integrative Strategic Psychotherapy series invites psychotherapists to engage in a process of lifelong integration: between theory and practice, self and other, science and art. - The Author

Integrative Strategic Psychotherapy Vol. 1: Theoretical Foundations

Table of Contents

CHAPTER 1. HISTORY OF INTEGRATIVE PSYCHOTHERAPY

1.1. What Is Psychotherapy

1.2. Approaches and Models in Psychotherapy

1.3. Why Is Psychotherapy Effective

1.4. Common Factors in Psychotherapy

1.5. Models of Common Psychotherapeutic Factors

1.6. The history of Integrative Psychotherapy

1.7. Contemporary Integrative Psychotherapy

CHAPTER 2. CONTEMPORARY APPROACHES IN INTEGRATIVE PSYCHOTHERAPY

2.1. Multimodal Psychotherapy

2.2. Systematic Treatment Selection

2.3. Beitman’s Future Predictions Model

2.4. Informed Clinical Strategy

2.5. The Transtheoretical Model

2.6. Cyclical Relational Psychodynamics

2.7. Assimilative Psychodynamic Psychotherapy

2.8. Cognitive-Behavioural Assimilative Integration

2.9. The Relational Gilbert - Orlans Model

2.10. The Contact-in-Relationship Model

2.11. The Developmental Needs Meeting Strategy (DNMS)

2.12. The Internal Family Systems Model

2.13. Multi-Theoretical Psychotherapy

2.14. Multicultural Integrative Psychotherapy

2.15. Wilkinson’s Theory on Meta-Modality in Psychotherapy

2.16. The Predictive Processing (3PI) Model

CHAPTER 3. FUNDAMENTALS OF INTEGRATIVE STRATEGIC PSYCHOTHERAPY

3.1. Theoretical Foundations of Integrative Strategic Psychotherapy

3.2. Basic Principles of Integrative Strategic Psychotherapy

3.3. Case Formulation in Integrative Strategic Psychotherapy

3.4. Classification of Common Factors in Integrative Strategic Psychotherapy

CHAPTER 4. THE INTEGRATIVE STRATEGIC MODEL OF THE SELF

4.1. The Structure of the Self: Domains, Levels, Axes

4.2. The Proto-Self

4.3. The Core Self

4.4. The Plastic Self

4.5. The External Self

4.6. The Neurobiological Model of the Self

4.7. The Self and The Ego

CHAPTER 5. THE UNCONSCIOUS IN INTEGRATIVE STRATEGIC PSYCHOTHERAPY

5.1. Unconscious Processes and The Proto-Self

5.2. Implicit Memory and The Core Self

5.3. The Role of Unconscious Conflict Across Axes (Cognitive, Emotional, Psychodynamic)

5.4. Developmental Origins of The Unconscious

5.5. Attachment, Affective Encoding and Unconscious Templates

5.6. Epigenetics and Transgenerational Transmission of The Unconscious

5.7. The Body as A Repository of The Unconscious

5.8. Neuroscientific Perspectives on The Unconscious

5.8.1. Implicit Memory Systems and Emotional Brain Circuits

5.8.2. Right Hemisphere Processing and The Nonverbal Unconscious

5.8.3. Affect Regulation, The Default Mode network and The “Hidden” Self

5.8.4. Neuroplasticity and The Transformation of Unconscious Patterns

CHAPTER 6. THE BIOLOGICAL LEVEL OF THE SELF

6.1. Genetic Inheritance

6.1.1. The Genome

6.1.2. The Epigenome

6.1.3. The Phenotype

6.1.4. Genetic Vulnerability and Resilience

6.2. The Role of Genetics in Psychotherapy Practice

6.3. Body Schema

6.4. Biological Clocks and Chronotypes

6.4.1. Biological Clocks

6.4.2. The Chronotype

CHAPTER 7. THE COGNITIVE AXIS

7.1. Cognitive Maps

7.1.1. Proto-Cognitions

7.1.2. Core Beliefs

7.1.3. Intermediate Beliefs

7.1.4. Automatic Thoughts

7.2. Perfectionism

7.3. The Explanatory Style

7.4. Self-Efficacy

7.5. Learned Helplessness

7.6. Mentalization

7.7. Archetypes as Universal Proto-Cognitive Maps

CHAPTER 8. THE EMOTIONAL AXIS

8.1. Affect, Emotions and Feelings

8.2. Emotion Regulation

8.3. Emotional Expression

8.4. Neurotic Guilt and Repression of Emotions

CHAPTER 9. COMPLEX PSYCHODYNAMIC PATTERNS

9.1. Conditions of Worth

9.2. Self-Esteem

9.2.1. Definitions and Functions of Self-Esteem

9.2.2. Factors Contributing to The Development of Self-Esteem

9.2.3. Self Esteem Assessed According to Competence and Worth

9.2.4. Additional Dimensions of Self-Esteem

9.2.5. States of Self-Esteem

9.3. Motivation

9.3.1. Conceptual Foundations of Motivation

9.3.2. Intrinsic and Extrinsic Dynamics of Motivation

9.3.3. Psychodynamic and Relational Dimensions of Motivation

9.3.4. Motivation and The Integrative strategic Model of The Self

9.3.5. Motivation, Goals and Agency in Psychotherapy

9.3.6. Contemporary Research and Integrative Implications

9.4. Body Image

9.4.1. Conceptual Foundations of Body Image

9.4.2. Developmental and Sociocultural Formation of Body Image

9.4.3. Psychodynamic and Relational Dimensions of Body Image

9.4.4. Embodiment, The Self and The Integrative Strategic Model

9.5. Mental Schemas About Illness and Health

9.5.1. Conceptual Foundations: Health Beliefs and Behaviour

9.5.2. The Health Belief Model and Its Components

9.5.3. Family, Culture and The Social learning of Health Attitudes

9.5.4. Anxiety, Control and Psychodynamic Patterns in Health Beliefs

9.5.5. Illness, Denial and The Dynamics of Meaning

9.5.6. Integrating Health Beliefs in the Framework of Integrative Strategic Psychotherapy

9.6. Psychosomatic Mechanisms

9.6.1. Developmental Foundations of Psychosomatic Regulation

9.6.2. Neurobiological Integration of Emotion and Immunity

9.6.3. Attachment, Affect Regulation and Somatic Vulnerability

9.6.4. The Psychobiology of Early Deprivation and Illness Formation

9.6.5. Psychosomatic Expression of The Dynamics of The Self

9.6.6. Integrative Strategic Psychotherapy Perspective on Psychosomatic Disorder

9.7. The Parts of The Self

9.7.1. Conceptual Foundations of Parts of The Self

9.7.2. Neurobiological and Developmental Basis

9.7.3. The Function and Organization of Sub-Personalities

9.7.4. Introjection, Mirror Neurons and Embodied Simulation

9.7.5. Parent, Adult and Child Parts of The Self

9.7.6. The ISP Perspective: The Dynamic System of Selves

9.8. Dissociative Processes and Structural Fragmentation of The Self

9.8.1. Conceptual Foundations of Dissociation

9.8.2. Structural Dissociation and The Continuum of Fragmentation

9.8.3. The Developmental Origins of Fragmentation

9.8.4. Dissociation Across the Domains of The Self (ISP Fragmentation)

9.8.5. The Body, Memory and Implicit Dissociation

9.8.6. Therapeutic Reconstruction and Integration

9.9. The Life Script

9.9.1. Origins and Theoretical Context

9.9.2. Early Encoding: From Proto-Self to Core Self

9.9.3. The Formation of The Script

9.9.4. Script Maintenance and Re-Enactment

9.9.5. Life Script Types and Existential Patterns

9.9.6. Transformation of The Life Script in Psychotherapy

9.10. The Perception of Time

9.10.1. Time Perspectives

9.10.2. Neurobiology of Time Perception

9.10.3. Urgency and Time Perspective

9.10.4. Psychopathology of Time

9.11. Death Anxiety

9.11.1. Conceptual Foundations and The ISP Lens

9.11.2. Theories of Death Anxiety

9.11.3. Psychopathology Organised Around Death Anxiety

9.11.4. Symbolic Immortality

9.12. The Meaning of Life

CHAPTER 10. THE SELF AND THE RELATIONAL LEVEL

10.1. Intersubjectivity

10.2. Differentiation of The Self Within

10.3. Family Roles

10.4. Family Myths and Narratives

10.5. Family Patterns and Structures

10.5.1. Boundaries and Family Functions

10.5.2. Alliances, Coalitions and Triangles

10.6. Intergenerational and Transgenerational Patterns

10.6.1. Intergenerational Transmission and Its Mechanisms

10.6.2. Transgenerational Transmission and The Unconscious

10.7. The Individual and Spirituality

10.8. Multiculturality

About the author:

Oana Maria Popescu is a European-certified psychotherapist, trainer and supervisor in integrative psychotherapy, child and adolescent integrative psychotherapy and integrative-expressive psychotherapy, founding president of the Research, Counseling and Integrative Psychotherapy Association, the first institute in Romania with EAPTI accreditation. He is the president of the accreditation commission within the European Association of Integrative Psychotherapy and the coordinator of training standards in integrative psychotherapy in Europe. He is part of the editorial board of the European Journal of Qualitative Research in Psychotherapy.

Founding President of the Association for Research, Counseling and Integrative Psychotherapy

President of the Professional Commission of the Romanian Federation of Psychotherapy

Coordinator of training standards in integrative psychotherapy (training standards officer) and president of the accreditation commission of the European Association of Integrative Psychotherapy (EAIP - European Association of Integrative Psychotherapy).

Treasurer and member of the Steering Committee of the European Interdisciplinary Association for Therapeutic Services for Children and Young People (EIATSCYP - European Interdisciplinary Association for Therapeutic Services for Children and Young People)

Member of the Society for the Exploration of Psychotherapy Integration (SEPI - Society for the Exploration of Psychotherapy Integration)

Member of the editorial board of the European Journal of Qualitative Research in Psychotherapy.

Associate member of the American Psychological Association

Member of the International Society of Political Psychology (ISPP - International Society of Political Psychology).