Eclecticism and its discontents
Berman, E.
Israel Journal of Psychiatry and Related Sciences 22(1-2): 51-60
1985
ISSN/ISBN: 0333-7308 PMID: 4093286 Document Number: 248270
Eclecticism in psychotherapy has two major versions, and these are explored with an emphasis on the eclectic expansion of dynamic, insight-oriented psychotherapy. Due to the way psychoanalytic theory has developed, it is suggested that the dynamic therapist has much to gain by eclectically incorporating into his understanding of human life insights developed by various analytic and non-analytic theorists. On the other hand, due to the crucial role of numerous ground rules for the effective conduct of insight-oriented psychotherapy, its electric integration with other ways of shaping the therapeutic situation (more directive, more structured, etc.) may be harmful, with the opposing styles undermining rather than enhancing one another. The more therapy is focused around the in-depth understanding of the 'here and now' of the therapeutic encounter (transference, countertransference and resistance in their broader sense), the more sensitive it becomes to disturbances in the spontaneous unfolding of the therapist-client relationship.