Am J Psychiatry 1977; 134:851-863
Copyright © 1977 by American Psychiatric Association
Psychotherapies: an overview
TB Karasu
The author schematically describes the three predominating themes in the
development of the psychotherapies: dynamic, behavioral, and experiential.
These themes represent different conceptualizations of the fundamental
nature of man and his ills, therapeutic processes or change agents, the
basic nature of the physician-patient relationship, and the primary
techniques and methods used. Although there appears to be some unifying
thread connecting the four different areas within each theme, a comparable
bond does not exist across the three themes. The author questions the
potential unification of the psychotherapies and poses specific dimensions
for further exploration.
