19 May Beyond Individual Therapy
David Harper of the University of East London calls for moving beyond individual therapy. Read his essay in The Psychologist (British Psychological Society).
“Psychologists could start by going out more to where people conduct their everyday lives (e.g. where they live, study or work). We could encourage more ‘bottom-up’ rather than expert-driven ‘top-down’ approaches, like supporting the development of self-help and peer support groups. And we could seek to reduce income inequality.” Read more
warren iebesman
Posted at 15:18h, 22 MayWell, it seems that the diagnosis — huge wealth and income inequalities — far outstrips the proffered ideas beyond individualized therapy — self-help groups, epidemiological surveillance for communities at risk — etc etc etc. I am completely sympathetic to the author’s drawing attention to the failures of therapy and the gargantuan rise in costs, especially for pharmacological treatment. But I see no vision articulated for grappling with this on a scale commensurate with the acknowledged problem of endemic and massive wealth and income distribution gaps. Might we think about group therapies– even mega-group (embracing perhaps hundreds of participants) approaches? Dr Fred Newman, pioneer of Social Therapy, developed a daring and philosophically intriguing group approach and I know he personally wistfully wished (not with undue optimism of it ever coming to pass) for the days when he could treat — and help — a stadium-sized audience. I realize this may sound like megalomania writ large, but Dr Newman was brilliant and charismatic enough to pull it off — of that I have no doubt. Recent developments as well in play therapy group approaches may be another useful route. But of course we are merely rustling the branches and leaves, as long as the wealthy and powerful dominate social policy funding decisions and society as a whole (esp. in the UK and US, as cited in the article).