What are the theoretical underpinnings of Compass Therapy?
Rather than viewing personality as an isolated set of instincts, traits, or drives, compass theory takes an interpersonal perspective, holding that personality is a complex set of behavioral processes that endure across time—a set of recurring interpersonal patterns that characterize a person’s life. These patterns are not just psychological, but physiological and spiritual, for they encompass the whole person. Contributions to the interpersonal tradition underlying principles of Compass Therapy include studies by: Freedman et al., 1951; LaForge, Leary et al., 1954; LaForge & Suczek, 1955; Leary, 1955, 1957; Leary & Harvey, 1956; Shostrom, 1963, 1964, 1970, 1972; Shostrom & Knapp, 1966; Carson, 1969, 1991; Shostrom & Riley, 1968; Shostrom, Knapp, & Knapp, 1976; LaForge, 1977, 1985; Conte & Plutchik, 1981; Anchin & Kiesler, 1982; Kiesler, 1983, 1992; Freedman, 1985; Wiggins, 1985, 1995; Wiggins & Broughton, 1985; Anchin, 1987; Benjamin, 1987; Safran & Segal, 1990; Andrews, 1991; Wagner
