Embodied Enquiry

Drawing on a particular emphasis within the phenomenological tradition as exemplified by Maurice Merleau-Ponty and Eugene Gendlin, this book considers the role of the lived body as a way of knowing and being. The author, a psychologist, psychotherapist and qualitative researcher pursues this theme within three practical contexts that illustrate some of the nuances of embodied enquiry: qualitative research, psychotherapy, spirituality. The three sections of the book also provide examples of how embodied enquiry is not just a philosophical perspective but also a practice with very tangible implications for research, psychotherapy and spirituality.

LES TODRES is a Clinical Psychologist and Professor of Qualitative Research and Psychotherapy at Bournemouth University, UK. Previous occupational roles have included head of a student counselling service and director of a clinical psychology training programme. His career spans both academic and clinical contexts, reflecting his interest in pursuing knowledge and practice that is both academically and professionally integrated.

‘With this impressive publication Les Todres, once and for all, comes to terms with the old dualism that has understood humans as separate and measurable entities. Everyone who reads Embodied Enquiry must see that the human enterprise is so much more than this, whether it is about research and psychotherapy, or other forms of care and social work.’ – Professor Karin Dahlberg, School of Health Sciences, Växjö University, Sweden