Psychoanalysis, Behavior Therapy, and the Relational World

Beginning of article

Psychoanalysis, Behavior Therapy, and the Relational World Paul Wachtel. American Psychological Association, 1997. 484 pp., $49.95 (39.95 to APA members) (hardcover).

The history of our field illustrates two oscillating dynamics; separation and integration. While earlier eras, which saw the emergence of the great theories (Freudian, Adlerian Behavioral) were separative in nature, the recent period has been characterized by integration. It's as though one extreme breeds another, only to be gradually replaced by fewer extreme views as the older protagonists are replaced by second generation theorists who more clearly recognize the complexity of the human condition and are less …