Character Styles

Stephen Johnson was my mentor and there is no better teacher for Objects Relations Theory. I've read all his books but this is a good one for people who want the highlights of each of the "styles" he describes. This is such an important theory for therapists.

This is not an easy read, but its worth it. It's a masterful discussion of different types of personality defenses, and helps immeasurably in understanding and accepting the awful ways people can behave when they are threatened. There is really no other book like it, which is probably why it's still so darn expensive after being published so many years ago. This is my third copy; I keep loaning and not remembering who to, and not getting it back, so I think people just keep passing it on to others who need it. Thank you Stephen Johnson for sitting down and writing out your many insights! I don't know how to find you in person, but I appreciate you!

Next to Alexander Lowen, Stephen M Johnson is the clearest, most sincere and most honest writer on human functioning available. He has incorporated the character analytic perspective of Lowen and Wilhelm Reich and blended it, albeit not seamlessly, with object relations. Johnson's compassion is evident in the way that he employs every useful technique from any tradition to help clients. His writing is slightly stilted, but clearly Johnson 1)wants to be taken seriously and 2) wants to be precise, because precision is necessary to 'corner' the resistance of character. If bioenergetics is the harmonizing of body heart and mind then this is clearly bio-energetics!

This book is not just some other "idea" out there for someone to stumble upon, if they're lucky. It's one that should be required teaching for everyone in high school, and for teachers and parents to read in general. It diagnoses the human condition perfectly and would help restore us if we would just pay attention.

Johnson's characterological developmental theory, basically an object-relations theory, links six character types to developmental obstacles and frustrated needs. Character types can be more or less healthy. At the more pathological end of development character types manifest as personality disorders, at the adaptive end as character styles. Johnson describes how character styles represent the child's attempt to accommodate to deficient parenting relationships and implied relational meanings. Treatment goals are framed in terms of cognitive, affective and behavioural objectives. A useful compliment to more purely cognitive approaches, e.g. Young's schema therapy.

This book has been extremely helpful to me in understanding the inner feelings of different character types. When I have difficulty knowing what to discuss, I will ask about these kinds of feelings and they have been so useful in describing to people what they might be feeling. I have recommended it to several colleagues as well. I wish it had been required in grad school. Very well done by a man who seems quite kind and understanding of deeper layers of the self.

Good reading. Addition to my library. Fast shipping; product as described. Good price & value.

Not so systematic and integrated approach as is noted

I found this book really useful for linking the different areas which imact clients from their early life. It's a very dense book so certainly not for the faint hearted. I use this more as a reference book more than anything else.

Passando por diversas abordagens, Stephen Johnson faz uma compilação de vários autores, enriquecendo muito o estudo sobre os diferentes caráteres. Está me auxiliando muito em minha prática profissional. Recomendo para todos os terapeutas que trabalhem com caractereologia.

Excellent book!!

I am just a layman. Wanting to try and understand and learn some things about psychology, myself and others.And this is really one of best about personalities that i have read.I guess i like his style.Very imformative, descriptive, without loosing touch with earth, it stays human.I dont like to dwell on one simple view on things, I pull information from many sources. And Stephen M Johnson seems to have done the same while being objective and critical. I also think he mentions this in the book. Putting everything together.And it has not been made confusing, or any less serious because of that.But every book to its own right.The first book i read was "Narcissism - Denial of the true self" by Narcissism: Denial of the True Self: Alexander Lowen , who has a bioenergetic point of view.This is also incorporated into "Character Styles". And while i think it is important to remeber the body, and not get lost in the head.It can make it feel abit too loose, since you cant really draw exactly lines between body and character/personality.Then perhaps i like "Psychoanalytic Diagnosis... " by Nancy McWilliams. Better because she leaves this part out.I for example was born with a sunken chest, that changed my posture. But you cant deny it, you can look at someone if they are burnt out, and have they been that way all their life, it would proberly have made big impact on the body. etc.

Well written and informative book, however I am disappointed that I didn’t get it sooner!