Autobiographical Memory and the Self: Relationship and Implications for Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy

Autobiographical memory shapes our understanding of ourselves, guides our behaviour, and helps us to develop and maintain relationships with others. The ways in which we interpret and narrate our memories have important implications for our psychological well-being, and can sometimes contribute to the onset and maintenance of a variety of psychological disorders. Autobiographical Memory and the Self: Relationship and Implications for Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy synthesises the growing cognitive, social, personality, and clinical psychological literature on the memory-self relationship. It creates an interdisciplinary dialogue which explores autobiographical memory and its relevance for clinical practice, especially cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT). The authors propose a model for understanding the mechanisms of change involved in therapeutic interventions targeting negative or traumatic memories whilst providing insights into recent debates and avenues for future research. Autobiographical Memory and the Self will be useful to clinicians and clinical trainees, researchers, and psychology postgraduate students.

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgements Introduction Chapter 1: Introduction to Autobiographical Memory and Its Functions Chapter 2: The Journey from Concrete Experience to Abstract Self-Knowledge: How Autobiographical Memory Contributes to the Development of the Self Chapter 3: Not Just a Long-Term Affair: How Autobiographical Memory Retrieval Exerts an Immediate Influence On the Self Chapter 4: Implications of The Memory-Self Relationship for Psychological Well-Being Chapter 5: Implications of The Memory-Self Relationship and Narrative Identity Literature for Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy Chapter 6: What Next? Reflections and Directions for Future Research on the Memory-Self Relationship Index

About the Author :
Soljana Çili is Lecturer in Psychology at the University of the Arts London and a visiting academic at the University of Southampton, UK. Her research focuses on the memory-imagery-self relationship. Lusia Stopa is Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Southampton, UK. Her research examines how imagery represents the self and how imagery interventions can change negative self-views.

Review :
Autobiographical Memory and the Self is that rare work in psychology that provides a synthesis across subfields that is both theoretically original and of immediate practical value to the clinician. By demonstrating the powerful role of memory in ongoing thought, emotion, and motivation, the authors illustrate the centrality of remembered experience in goal definition and goal pursuit. Taking this a step further, they provide research on the linkage of autobiographical memory recall to both well-being and psychological disorder. Finally, they provide concrete evidence for how attention to memory processes can be a critical factor in the healing work of practitioners. This book is essential reading for both researchers and therapists. Jefferson A. Singer, Ph.D., Dean of the College, Faulk Foundation Professor of Psychology, Connecticut College, USA "Soljana Çili and Lusia Stopa provide a comprehensive yet accessible understanding of the ‘memory-self’ relationship and the role it plays in a range of common mental health conditions. It is a book that bridges research and practice, offering depth of understanding. It is perhaps most helpful to people who work with individuals with more complex or chronic mental health difficulties, although is completely applicable to mild and moderate conditions." — Simon Kirwilliam, Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy