Counseling and Psychotherapy in Italy: A Profession in Constant Change

Abstract

This article illustrates the state of the art for mental health counseling in Italy through a historic and postmodern perspective.The context of Italian mental health counseling is complex and full of new and old premises, events, and arguments. On the one side, the way counseling has developed and is perceived in Italy results from the intersection of old cultural legacies, such as Christianity, and new challenges, such as a multicultural and multiethnic society. On the other side, the development of mental health counseling in Italy is the result of the encounter between the pragmatic, optimist U.S. counseling and the phenomenological, hermeneutic traditions of European schools. The article ends with an exploration of the potentials that may arise from an ongoing communication between U.S. and Italian mental health professionals.

The provision of psychotherapy: an international comparison

“…The practice of psychotherapy is regulated under Italian law and all training must be accredited by state authorities (Gemignani & Giliberto, 2005). Psychotherapy is provided as part of the generic mental health care within the Italian national health service, but there is also well-established private provision.…”

Los viajes de Vittorio Guidano a Argentina (1989-1999)

“…En Italia, tanto en Padua como en Roma, recién se abrirían las primeras titulaciones en psicología en 1971. Y también allí esas nuevas carreras abrieron posibilidades para nuevas teorías y prácticas clínicas (Gemignani & Giliberto, 2005). En particular, el movimiento antipsiquiátrico de Franco Basaglia, el cual: desafió seria y efectivamente, los supuestos psicoanalíticos y el modelo médico de gestión de las enfermedades mentales: se revalorizó a la persona en el contexto social y ello contribuyó directa e indirectamente a profundizar aún más la comprensión psicoterapéutica y el enfoque del sufrimiento humano.…”

Towards a New Profession: Counselor Professional Identity in Italy. A Delphi Study

“…The origins of counseling in Italy as a well-defined discipline and profession are not clear in the scientific literature. Some Italian authors, for example, consider counseling to be a component of psychotherapeutic intervention (Gemignani & Gilberto, 2005). Others instead identify the roots of counseling in the thinking of Alfred Adler, the founder of individual psychology .…”

“…LGBT issues (Gemignani & Gilberto, 2005). Correspondingly, despite the fact that all genders have a constitutionally granted egalitarian active and/or passive access to public activity, in reality there are still inequalities in the respective number of men and women occupying positions of political, economic, and social power in Italy, which is a sign of sexist discrimination against women (Giuditta, 2006).…”

“…A current theme which is also widely present in the Italian counseling literature Gemignani & Gilberto, 2005; revolves around the question of whether counseling can be considered to be an integral part of the overall work of professional psychology and/or psychotherapy. This topic addresses the question of whether counseling can be assimilated as a technique or as an intervention typology into general psychotherapy or is it a distinct profession that is different from psychology and therefore that cannot be considered to be a therapeutic intervention.…”