By FRAN BARBA
Special to the Herald
Best known for the famous and controversial psychological “inkblot” test that bears his name, Swiss psychoanalyst Hermann Rorschach was born 125 years ago this year. Rorschach hoped to gain insight through this psychological test into his patients’ unconscious to better understand and treat them.
But this article is not about Rorschach — it’s about some intriguing books concerning psychological and psychiatric treatments that aren’t reliant on pharmacological solutions. In an article in the Oct. 12 issue of Newsweek, Sharon Begley discusses the continuing disagreements about the efficacy of different therapeutic options, so this subject is still being debated among research psychologists and clinicians who treat patients.
In “Letters to a Young Therapist: Stories of Hope and Healing” clinical psychologist Mary Pipher, a gifted therapist and an engaging writer, has written a series of letters to an imaginary therapist-in-training that focus not only on the importance of therapy, but also on topics like nature, marriage, ethics and happiness. Pipher recognizes the power of language to change lives and provides insights into what makes life worth living.
Written with the therapist in mind, but also of interest to patients who wish to better understand the therapeutic process, Dr. Irvin Yalom’s “The Gift of Therapy: an Open Letter to a New Generation of Therapists and their Patients” presents ideas and techniques in 85 short chapters that address different topics emphasizing how therapist and patient are “fellow travelers” on the road to mental health. Dr. Yalom suggests that the therapist should “share” more with the patient, employ techniques like group therapy and dream analysis, avoid pharmacological “quick fixes,” and use more creative forms of treatment when appropriate.
“How to Go to Therapy: Making the Most of Professional Help” by Carl Sherman, is an authoritative guide to help the reader decide if they wish to pursue therapy, how to pick a therapist, how to choose the best type of therapy for them, what to expect in treatment, how to pay for it, and knowing when to end it. This title explains cognitive, behavioral, and family therapies which the Newsweek article claims may be more effective in the long run than drug therapy for treating depression, panic disorder and other conditions.
Described as an “intellectually stimulating and emotionally satisfying” read, Dr. Elio Frattaroli’s “Healing the Soul in the Age of the Brain: Becoming Conscious in an Unconscious World” makes the case for curing mental health disorders by addressing the underlying causes. Dr. Frattaroli worries that we risk losing our souls and our humanity by an over-reliance on prescription medications to “make us feel happy” and shows how “soul-centered psychotherapy” can improve the mental health of the patient.
In “Talk is Not Enough: How Psychotherapy Really Works,” Dr. Willard Gaylin explains what psychotherapy is, the different schools of psychotherapy, techniques like free association, who typically can and can’t be helped by therapy, and much more.
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