Description:

Invited Address Session 7 Part 2 from the Evolution of Psychotherapy 1995 – There is a Fundamental Division in How Psychotherapy is Conceived
Featuring James FT Bugental, PhD, with discussant Erving Polster, PhD.
Moderated by Ellyn Bader, PhD.

For the past half-century there has been a remarkable and continual evolution in the theory and practice of psychotherapy. Now that evolution shows signs of becoming a revolution. Many elements of these changes are, as yet, only scantily represented in the literature, but they are the stuff of bull sessions, the more liberated case conferences and solitary, sometimes fearful, experimentations. This transition comes about from a variety of influences, among which three are particularly worthy of examination for what they suggest about what is likely to emerge a half-century from now. The three are: 1) Developments in our understanding of our own nature as human beings. 2) Experiments with delivery systems for psychotherapy. 3) Great numbers of new entrants into the field, of whom many have limited or nontraditional training.

Educational Objectives:

1. To describe, with increased perspective, the ongoing and emotionally loaded multilogue about the likely further evolution of our discipline.
2. To describe levels in which changes are going to occur.
3. To describe one’s own beliefs about human nature as it is expressed, worked with and influenced by counseling and psychotherapy and confront the central challenges of those beliefs.

*Sessions may be edited for content and to preserve confidentiality*