Psychotherapy: A 40-year appraisal.

Abstract

This article appraises selected issues and developments in the field of psychotherapy over the past 40 years. Among the developments discussed are the increased participation of clinical psychologists in the area of psychotherapy, the increased popularity of psychotherapy, the declining influence of psychoanalysis and related views and the emergence of behavioral and cognitive therapies, and the recent emphasis on efficacy and accountability in psychotherapy. It is also noted that in spite of the emergence of a large number of diverse psychotherapies, no significant breakthroughs in the field have occurred.Psychotherapy is a much broader and more complex field at the present time than it was in the early 1940s, and many areas within it are of potential interest. In considering whether to discuss broad trends and developments or to focus on one specific problem or research area, I decided finally to focus on a few developments and issues that appear to me to be of some importance. Clinical Psychology and PsychotherapyOne clearly discernible development has been the noticeable increase and involvement of psychologists in the area of psychotherapy. One wonders how both clinical psychology and the field of psychotherapy would have developed had there been no Second World War. In the late 1930s, clinical psychology was a rather small and undistinguished specialty, and psychotherapy was not a major activity of clinical psychologists. In fact, a survey by Louttit in 1939 of the professional activities of 111 psychologists employed in child guidance clinics indicated that psychotherapy was only the sixth most frequent activity of these psychologists, less

Overview of Outcome Research in Family Therapy: Methodological Considerations1

“…Therapy, for example, can occasionally have negative effects (Gurman & Kniskern, 1978b;Lebow, 1981). As well, with the proliferation of therapeutic techniques and the adoption of a greater variety of family therapies, the effectsof these kinds of services are being requested by the general consumer public , by funding organizations, administrative and government bodies (Lebow, 1981), by insurance planners and the courts (Garfield, 1981;Parloff, 1979;Perloff & Perloff, 1977)together with clinicians themselves (Malan, 1973;Strupp & Bergin, 1969).…”

Implications of the Ericksonian and Neurolinguistic Programming Approaches for Responsibility of Therapeutic Outcomes

“…As Bandler and Grinder pointed out (1979), when one adopts a single theoretical perspective, then one inevitably becomes limited in the same way as the model adhered to. The shift towards eclecticism by psychologists in recent years (Garfield, 1981) is an example of one profession's dissatisfaction with being tied to a single perspective and, subsequently, a limited range of interventions. A resulting fear for some practitioners, though, is the development of a "jack of all trades, but master of none" phenomena in clinical interventions.…”

Legislative warriors: American psychiatrists, psychologists, and competing claims over psychotherapy in the 1950s

“…Officially, qualified psychologists were only permitted to engage in therapy under the supervision of a psychiatrist. Given personnel shortages, such supervision was often minimal or nonexistent (Garfield, 1981;Miller, 1946). Clinical psychology was now seen as an attractive career option for male undergraduates, and this proved to be a significant factor in changing power relations with other groups (Clark, 1957;Napoli, 1981, p. 142).…”