For many therapists, burnout is not only about working too many hours. It begins much earlier—in the therapist’s own unmet relational needs, personal history, and the gradual loss of space for restoration.

Sigmund Freud described dream interpretation as the “royal road to the unconscious.” In this conversation, Richard Erskine offers another perspective developed through decades of clinical practice: the body is also a royal road to the unconscious.

“Loneliness is a longing for the other to be really present and contactful.” — Richard Erskine “The therapist’s first task is finding the client’s natural rhythm.” “Not all withdrawal is problematic. Some withdrawal is nurturing.” What is the difference between being alone and being lonely?

In this conversation, Richard Erskine explores one of the most subtle and clinically important concepts in relational psychotherapy: the juxtaposition reaction. Why do some clients reject the very care they have longed for?

Drawing on more than five decades of clinical experience, he reflects on how his own understanding has evolved—from once describing forgiveness as a final stage of therapy to recognizing that forgiveness should never become a therapeutic goal.

This interview is a conversation between Elena and Richard Erskine, a psychotherapist whose work with grief and loss has inspired colleagues for many years.

Welcome to Finding a Relational Home in Integrative Psychotherapy — the official podcast of the Institute for Relational-Integrative Psychotherapy of Serbia (IRIPS). Hosted by Marija Živković, psychologist and psychotherapist, and created by Darja Pačevski and Bogdan Marković, this podcast explores the personal and professional journeys of integrative psychotherapy trainers and supervisors, and how they have found their relational home in Relationally-Orientied, Developmentally-Based Integrative Psychotherapy.

We explore his distinction between reactive and responsive countertransference, and how this differentiation is central to therapeutic presence, involvement, and ethical clinical work.

Richard explains how every school of psychotherapy runs the risk of becoming orthodox—a rigid way of seeing and responding to clients. When this happens, theory itself can shape the therapist’s emotional and relational reactions in ways that limit presence and attunement.

Richard Erskine discusses the topic of Compassion, Hope & Forgiveness.

In this interview Richard Erskine shared how he defines life script and how these patterns are formed and maintained across a lifetime.

Richard explains Physis as the inner thrust to grow, heal, and become all that we can be – the source of our aspirations, hope, and enthusiasm. In contrast, homeostasis is the pull to stay the same: to remain with what is familiar, predictable, and stabilizing for our identity.

Richard G. Erskine, PhD., creator of Integrative Psychotherapy shares what is integrative psychotherapy and how the modality has developed.

This is a psychotherapy video in which Richard G. Erskine, PhD., creator of Integrative Psychotherapy, presents the philosophy behind the psychotherapeutic work, a humanistic and relationship-focused therapy.