Psychotherapy as religion : the civil divine in America

Author / Creator

Epstein, William M., 1944-

Available as

Online

Summary

"In Psychotherapy as Religion, William Epstein analyzes clinical studies conducted over the past two decades that purport to establish the effectiveness of psychotherapeutic treatments. He finds th...

"In Psychotherapy as Religion, William Epstein analyzes clinical studies conducted over the past two decades that purport to establish the effectiveness of psychotherapeutic treatments. He finds that each study in some way violates the standard criteria of scientific credibility and that the field has completely failed to establish objective procedures and measurements to assess clinical outcomes."

"Epstein concludes that psychotherapy is not a science at all but rather the quintessential civil religion of America, reflective of the ideals of radical self-invention and self-reliance that are part of the social psyche of the nation. He demonstrates striking parallels between various types of therapy and such popular movements as Christian Science and spiritualism, and contents that psychotherapy would not have endured if it did not so strongly reflect the national faith in individual responsibility for social and personal problems.

Instead, it thrives as the foundation of American social welfare policy, moralizing public social problems as the consequence of individual psychological weakness, blaming deviance and misery on deficiencies of character rather than on the imperfections of society."--Jacket.

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