Phenomenology has become increasingly popular with therapists seeking to build on the humanistic values that often underpin their work. Phenomenology for Therapists provides an accessible exploration of phenomenology in practice and is geared to the needs of therapists.

About the Author vii

Preface ix

Part I The Phenomenological Project: Concepts, Theory and Philosophy 1

Introduction to Part I 3

1 Phenomenology: Bridging the Practice–Research Divide? 5

2 The Phenomenological Project 15

3 The Body in Lived Experience 29

4 Philosophical Foundations 43

5 The 'Phenomenological Attitude' 73

Part II Phenomenological Research Approaches 85

Introduction to Part II 87

6 Descriptive Empirical Phenomenology 93

7 Hermeneutic Phenomenology 109

8 Lifeworld Approaches 125

9 Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis 139

10 First-Person Approaches 149

11 Reflexive-Relational Approaches 159

Part III PhenomenologicalMethods in Practice 177

Introduction to Part III 179

12 Planning the Research 181

13 Gathering Data 197

14 Relational Ethics 217

15 The Process of Analysing Data 227

16 Producing the Research 247

17 Evaluating Research 261

Appendix 273

References 275

Index 295

Phenomenology has become increasingly popular with therapists seeking to build on the humanistic values that often underpin their work. This book provides an accessible exploration of phenomenology in practice and is geared explicitly to the needs of therapists. It is a practical guide that offers an overview of the theory and guidance on how to do research. Philosophical phenomenological concepts and methods are explained with an emphasis on how they can be applied at different stages of the research process and to topics relevant to therapy practice.

With practical examples throughout, the book allows therapists and allied health professionals to carry out meaningful research, enabling them to find answers to questions raised in their practice.

This excellent text provides a lively and accessible read which is certain to encourage and inspire the increasing number of therapy practitioners who seek to undertake research of immediate relevance to their professional field. Finlay is passionate about the crucial role practitioners can play in shaping and enhancing their work through rigorous research. She makes clear how the knowledge and wisdom of therapists embedded in the real world can be harnessed, and indeed must be harnessed, if we are to create meaningful research capable of making a genuine impact on psychological healthcare provision. Phenomenology for Therapists is required reading for all therapist researchers who want to make a difference to therapeutic practice in the real world; I am certain it will become a classic in the field.
—Simon du Plock, Professor of Psychology, Metanoia Institute and Middlesex University, UK

Linda Finlay invites readers to engage with the world of phenomenology in lively, intellectually stimulating, and moving ways.  She is a trustworthy guide who provides a good conceptual map of the area. In addition, she provides a very practical sense of the territory when walking its major routes. Using many relevant examples that therapists will recognise, this book demonstrates how a phenomenological approach to research is consistent with core therapy values and practices. 
—Les Todres, Professor of Qualitative Research, Bournemouth University, UK

Finlay does a superb job of demonstrating how phenomenological research and therapeutic practice complement each other. She provides powerful examples of qualitative research that deepen our understanding of human existence and inform clinical practice. Psychotherapists who read her book are likely to be enticed by the possibility of doing research, no longer viewing it as a practice better left to academics.
—Steen Halling, Professor of Psychology, Seattle University, USA