This book explores the various applications of systemic understanding in practice. Each chapter covers diverse working contexts and existential life dilemmas, tackling subjects such as: systemic work with individuals, single session family therapy, experiences of adult longing, the therapeutic relationship as a form of love, working systemically with experiences of marginalisation, cultural difference and diversity, the integration of recent neuroscience developments with systemic therapy with couples, the role of forgiveness and the spiritual dimension in therapy.

Throughout, this book promotes hope by presenting new horizons and providing room for reflection on uncertainty, change, opportunities, inter-connections and differences. Theoretical expansion of these existential issues lies both at the heart of systemic work and on the leading edge of research and theory-practice linking, showing how the integration of research with new developments across the broader fields of psychotherapy and counselling can be held within a systemic relational umbrella.

Tone Grøver is Associate Professor at VID Specialized University, Norway.

Siv Merete Myra is Associate Professor at VID Specialized University, Norway.

Ulf Axberg is Professor in Family Therapy and Systemic Practice at the VID Specialized University, Norway.

Chapter 1 Editors Introduction

Chapter 2 The Therapeutic Relationship: A Systemic View of Agape

Chapter 3 Trust, Movement and Collaboration. An Exploration of Trust, its Significance and its Forms of Expression in Therapy Sessions

Chapter 4 Questioning Forgiveness

Chapter 5 Longing, and Longing for Oneself: What can Therapists Learn from "Soul Activism"?

Chapter 6 Giving Resonance and Room to Spirituality in Systemic Practice

Chapter 7 The Gift of Literary Fiction to Systemic Training and Practice

Chapter 8 Till Life Do Us Apart

Chapter 9 Should I Stay, or Should I Go? Rethinking Identity and the Experience of Migration as a Systemic Dialogue in Therapy

Chapter 10 If We Only Met Once? A Talk With Five Single Session Orientated Therapists

Chapter 11 Coming Full Circle With the Neuroscience: Using New Theory to Re-understand Therapy

Epilogue