related schools

[Adam Blatner]

Dear Colleagues, 

    One of my points of mild disagreement is the part in the American Board of Examiners' study guide that speaks to the problem of knowing about related methods. I like the idea that practitioners or trainers will be expected to relate Morenian work to other fields, but their list seems terribly out of date, considering that the up-and-coming or fashionable approaches seem to be left out, while other "approaches" have little or no actual writings about them as a form of therapy per se. I would like some consideration and discussion of this passage, then, with a view toward respectfully suggesting some revisions: 

The following related fields have been officially approved for use on the written examination. You may request that an additional related field be added by sending your request along with supporting information to the Board. The Board meets twice yearly (January and September) and will act upon your request at the next regularly scheduled Board meeting.  The methods are: (The list is not rationally or systematically organized, so I have rearranged it:)

Freudian  -- hardly anyone in psychoanalysis does this. See other categories of psychoanalysis. 

Adlerian   Individual psychology  -- one of the early deviations from Freud... developed and used as one of the core methods by some people who also combined it with psychodrama, such as Adaline Starr and Ray Corsini

Jungian Analysis -- analytical psychology was the other early deviation, obscure in the 50s, has enjoyed a resurgence since the 1960s because other theories couldn't address the depth of imagery associated with (a) psychedelics; (b) comparative mythology, becoming more popular; (c) the influx of new religions and their symbol systems; (d) multiculturalism; (e) the emergence of transpersonal psychology and the psychology of religion; (f) pastoral psychology; etc. . 



Ego Psychology-- not really a type of therapy, but the second phase in the evolution of psychoanalysis, which began with Freudianism, branched, then in the late 30s through the 1950s, this ego psychology approach was most widespread; later Object Relations theory and then Self Psychology (beginning in the 1960s and 70s) emerged as variants. More recently, intersubjective approaches. Most modern psychoanalysts seem to have integrated the best insights of several if not all of these without feeling pressed to choose one over and against the others. 
     Anna Freud's emphasis on mechanisms of defense was a key foundation; there was a competition between this approach, which became more popular in the USA, and the methods of Melanie Klein (see below). 

 Kleinan -- more prevalent in the UK, more of an influence on object relations theory, but not widely known. The interpretations are about the basic drives, motives, whereas ego psychology-oriented-analysis interprets the defenses!

Reichian  -- This fellow was an orthodox analyst, got into the concept of body armoring---the carrying of complexes in body musculature-- hardly anyone uses his approach, but it did influence Bioenergetic Analysis (qv) and was in this sense a precursor to many body therapies. Reich got into a weird theory of a metaphysical essence, "orgone," -- and his writings became considered rather poor pseudo-science. 

Entering the 1940s:

Karen Horney - one of the "neo-Freudians" of the late 1930s through '50s (along with Erich Fromm, Harry Stack Sullivan, and some other less orthodox folks), a popularizer, not well known, had some ideas... 

Eric Erickson -- the spelling is Erik H. Erikson, he is one of many "ego psychologists" and he never suggested a system or different approach to therapy. Rather, he just introduced some interesting perspectives. (early 1950s)

Existentialism   This is a philosophical school, many of whose members might not recognize themselves as being affiliated with this word. There are also several psychotherapists who have used this word in describing what they do, but it is a diverse group. Ludvig Binswanger, Karl Jaspers are associated with this, as is Viktor Frankl---but Frankl is also associated with humanistic psychology---again a diverse group of people--- a trend and shift in emphasis rather than technique.

 In the 1950s

Rogers' Person Centered Therapy  -- Carl Rogers, one of the founders of humanistic psychology, began earlier, but this approach became much more popular in the fields of counseling---which at the time was the non-medical form of psychotherapy. (At this time, most psychotherapy was being done by M.D. psychiatrists--- a situation that changed radically around the late 1960s).

Personal Construct Theory  -- George Kelly's approach--- some good insights, but really rather obscure. Now subsumed under a category called "constructionist" or "constructivist" approaches, bridging also to constructivism in family therapy... 

In the 1960s.

Behaviorism   -- like family therapy, has several sub-types which are not mentioned- e.g., operant conditioning, Wolpe's relaxation counter-conditioning, etc. 

Bioenergetics -- this term itself refers to the field of biochemistry, measuring the energetic dimensions of organic processes. But I think what is meant is Alexander Lowen's approach to Bioenergetic Analysis, an offshoot and modification of Reich's vegetotherapy.  There are other post-Lowen body therapies, also. 

Milton Erickson  -- this hypnotherapist and psychiatrist has an active school--related to Neurolinguistic Programming

Gestalt      I assume they mean Gestalt therapy, not Gestalt psychology, developed by Fritz & Laura Perls (Laura isn't given enough credit!) -- popularized in the later 60s through the early 80s.. 

Family Therapies (beginning in the later 1950s, they became more popular in the early 1970s and flourished for a couple of decade. Starting in the 1990s, amid the plethora of other approaches, they began to merge and overlap, while new variants continued to blossom.): (mentioned in the Board's list include only:
- Strategic Family Therapy This is a subtype of family therapy
 - Bowen Family Therapy  -- one of the many subtypes... some others aren't even mentioned.
 -Structural Family Therapy    This is another subtype of family therapy
 - Contextual Family Therapy - A relatively obscure form, has some good points. Most people today integrate a variety of family therapy approaches, and integrative and eclectic approaches are the dominant practice.

Object Relations Therapy --- see comments on psychoanalysis above

Transactional Analysis -- Eric Berne's approach seems to be losing ground as a fashion, though popular in the 1970s and some in the 1980s...

Montessori -- while I admire this approach to education, I've never seen a paper or book about its applications as a type of therapy. Indeed, they tend to ignore the use of imagination---one of the approach's few limitations. Developed in the late 19th century, it continues and seems to be growing, mainly as a pre-school program, and some as an elementary... there are even a few high schools! 

Buddhist Psychology - one might even call Buddhism a type of psychology. There are few who consider themselves Buddhist psychologists---although there are several "transpersonal psychotherapists" such as the Boorsteins who integrate various aspects of Buddhist thought. But most also are open to working with whatever symbol system the client brings. A dubious category indeed.

In the 1970s, emerged: 

Neurolinguistic Programming -- NLP, an offshoot of Milton Erickson's work.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy  -- This is currently one of the more popular forms!  Combining behaviorism with Aaron Beck's Cognitive Therapy---which was and continues to be popular in itself and perhaps should be included in the list.

Reality Therapy -- developed by William Glasser in the 1960s..  had some influence more on people working with delinquent kids, originally. Many good ideas. 

 small group  -- this is weird: No name, no particular approach. There could be hundreds of these approaches. Do they mean group therapy?  When does a group become "small"?

Imago Therapy  -- a small therapy, a fringe approach. Some interesting ideas... 



Not mentioned: 

 Heinz Kohut's self psychology, which adds other dimensions and emphasis to psychoanalysis, became popular in the mid-late 1970s ... 

 Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Marsha Linehan's multiple skills-building approach, becoming more recognized and with many connections with psychodrama

 Roberto Assagioli's Psychosynthesis, developed in the 1920s, enjoying a resurgence of interest in the late 1960s and into the 1970s, some transpersonal elements, multiple parts of self, other relationships 

  Drama therapy. Duh. A field in itself,  egregiously omitted!  Other variations of drama therapy, also, such as Developmental Transformations... 

   Internal Family Systems Theory  -- multiple parts of self technique integrated with family work, individual work

   Hellingers Systemic Constellations---new and controversial, but a number of our colleagues are exploring the overlap

    Lazarus' Multimodal Therapy---one of the precursors to trends towards integrative and eclectic approaches, which, as I said, seem to be becoming most popular...

   Albert Ellis' Rational Emotive Therapy, from the early 1950s, a precursor to Cognitive Therapy

       and on and on..   enough for now. I await input, additions, etc.

Adam Blatner, M.D.
   website: www.blatner.com/adam/   
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