Controversial Jewish Religious Issues In the Practice of Psychotherapy

This interesting and informative book addresses fascinating issues that are not addressed elsewhere. Amongst the topics discussed include issues of guilt and how the ultra-orthodox world look upon the notion of being helped by a psychologist. Another issue that stands out is the place of creativity in psychotherapy. In this book, the mental health provider was extremely creative. In traditional psychotherapy schools, creativity is frowned on. I hope that psychotherapists working with ortho­dox and secular clients will be able to learn how to creatively facili­tate mental health in their clients. Professor Yaakov Hoffman, Dept Social and Health Sciences, Bar Ilan University Dr. Seymour Hoffman, a clinical psychologist with many years of expe­rience in treating patients from the general, dati and chareidi commu­nities, has again produced an impressive col­lec­tion of professional articles and essays that will interest and benefit both Halachic authorities as well as mental-health therapists. Dr. Hoffman should be applauded for his tireless efforts in making Halachic-psychological material accessible to the public. Rabbi Naftali Bar-Ilan, former communal rabbi in Rehovot, Israel, authored "Government and State in Israel According to the Torah" and numerous articles on psychotherapy and Jewish Law. The editor recently published, "Essays On the Interface of Psychotherapy, Psychology and Judaism", Golden Sky Books, 2021.