Psychotherapy an Orientation

Psychotherapy, the person and society.

The following is a brief introduction to several supporting essays about the current situation in psychotherapy.

We must have at least some psychotherapists who are independent of the state. The submission to the state sets up a model that is parental rather than peer to peer. The ideas here develop firm this premise the kind of psychotherapy required when depression and self betrayal are major aspects of symptomatology. People must find some kind of adaptation to society, but that adaptation is not possible an front damage to the person. The psychoanalyst must be free to look objectively at both the client and the system to which try are attempting to adopt a avoid. Beyond his there are the clients also are in opposition to the system. Some in rebellion that is childish, and some in principled questioning, from libertarians, and bureaucratic conservatives, or progressives who see the dangers in a minority controlled state of special interests.

The intrusiveness of the state, insurance cowponies, and other forms of surveillance are based on the idea that These cant possibly hurt a normal person. But imagine, for example, if any client decided, sooner or later, to run the political office, how dangerous potentially, would be any existing kinds of records. Much move those we see coming. We do not notice that we are treating the client as if they kill not be a public figure. It is exactly the kind of assumption That limits, dowager, the future g the client and implies that they will not aspire to be a public figure.

If you read my vita you will see that I did all the standard trainings and teachings to be a psychologist, a psychotherapist and a psychoanalyst. I am grateful for what I learned, but chagrinned by much of what I saw and heard. For example, at Children's Hospital in DC, (this was mercifully in the '70's) I saw a young inner city woman come in for herpes. She was sent for neurological testing and psychiatric, and other workups, leading to a $17,000 Medicaid bill. "Send her over, because we are slow now", said the head of neurology to the head of the adolescent clinic.

The trend towards lack of accountability except to the system, medical and societal, has gone totally against the grain of the wisdom of my best teachers, from grade school to people like Erik Erikson and Erich Fromm, who consistently put the good of the person ahead of any system. The medical model is shifting under pressure from the one side of tech and insurance, towards more and more mechanical models of symptom management at the cost of real health. At the same time, the rise of alternative medicines has led "patients" (that is, the passive ones in the relationship) towards more and more active involvement. The Internet and increased complexity have contributed to these dual shifts. The outcome is going to be a struggle, and the outline of the possibilities are not yet clear.