The Value of Psychotherapy The Talking Cure in an Age of Clinical Science

From a seasoned scholar, clinician, and teacher, this lively, highly readable text probes where the field of psychotherapy is now and where it may be headed in the future. Robert L. Woolfolk explores commonalities and differences among major therapeutic approaches, as well as their philosophical underpinnings. He critiques the growing medicalization of mental health care--in particular, the attempt to fit psychotherapy to the templates of evidence-based medicine. Students gain an appreciation of the enduring value of "the talking cure" for addressing perennial questions: Who am I? What can I become? What kind of life is worth having, and how can I achieve it? The book makes a strong case for the benefits of psychotherapy not only as a method for treating disorders, but also as a practice that can promote practical wisdom and human flourishing.

1. Crisis 2. Ancient Roots and Modern Advances: Our Proud Heritage 3. Civil Wars: The Rise of Behavior Therapy and Biomedical Psychiatry 4. Some Sophistries of Cognition and Biomedicine 5. In Search of Psychotherapy Expertise 6. Psychotherapy as a Humanism 7. Adverse Effects: Cautionary Tales of Harmful Therapies 8. Prospects for Resurgence References Index

Robert L. Woolfolk, PhD, is Professor of Psychology and Philosophy at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. He has served on the faculties of Princeton University and the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Woolfolk has published widely in scientific, clinical, and philosophical outlets. He is a practicing psychotherapist with over 40 years of clinical experience. Drawing from a variety of therapeutic approaches, he has conducted therapy with individuals, couples, families, and groups. His recent empirical research has addressed the treatment of somatoform disorders.