Book review i. General Psychotherapy: Principles and Common Theoretical Aspects - Rediscovering Humanity

   General Psychotherapy

Predictably, the title of this book caught my attention.

I did do some homework before requesting a review copy, but it was still a surprise that this book by Prof. Dr. med., Dipl. Psych. Lotte Hartmann-Kottek is not edited. It is a comprehensive tome at 491 pages. As a mental health nurse with experience of cognitive, behavioural and family therapy, I am not an expert, but Prof. Hartmann-Kottek's experience in psychotherapy, the history, theoretical development, clinical application, theoretical underpinnings (including physics) and political machinations are well demonstrated.

A disappointment for me is the lack of an index. This seems a major omission, and yet a comprehensive index here, might itself be difficult to navigate. There are some errors in word-use, repetition but they do not detract from the book and reading experience overall. The book is apparently translated from German. The book is expensive, but students may have access through their institutions and special schemes(?).

The book's subtitle: Principles and Common Theoretical Aspects - Rediscovering Humanity is delivered. The title General Psychotherapy - attracted me for several reasons:

'General' - the (seeming) opposition of generalist-specialist is relevant to the theory and application of Hodges' model.

'Psychotherapy' - I was interested to see how Prof. Hartmann-Kottek dealt with the disparate schools of psychotherapy, given some awareness of the politics and efforts to integrate and reconcile therapeutic approaches, philosophies, and legacies. 

Consequently, the chapters address multiplicity, systems, efficacy, commonalities and interspaces. If a book should benefit its reader, rewarding time/cost then this text has contributed to my continuing professional development. Discussion of systems, individual, whole, humanistic, interdisciplinarity, integration, the therapeutic relationship, transcripts and therapy scenarios provides ongoing stimulus for my efforts with Hodges' model.

"The increasing joint adoption of methods and methodological aspects through the partitioned barriers of the otherwise politic(al)ly competing schools in recent decades has, of course, been met with mixed reception, especially when the adoption was coupled with contemporary political and social repression.

However, it may be precisely this difficult topic of the mutually uncoordinated, intellectual adoption and incorporation of vicinity aspects on a macro scale that may indicate that the time has come for an integrative reconciliation or fusion of the essence of psychotherapeutic approaches. As perhaps needs no mention, this path will require an extensive field of play." p.viii. Preface.

'I' - 'Individual' 'SELF' 'Patient' 'Client'

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     INTERPERSONAL    :     SCIENCES               

HUMANISTIC --------------------------------------  MECHANISTIC      

SOCIOLOGY  :   POLITICAL 

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dyad / couple  family  GROUP community population

psychological systems MIND psycho- identity psycho-therapy / therapies subjectivism cognitive  access	physical systems -somatic BODY identity? evidence objectivism physical access
social systems culture history community of practice social access	political systems power professionalism health systems/services funding political access

Many thanks to Prof. Hartmann-Kottek and Springer for the review copy.

More to follow.

Hartmann-Kottek, L. (2022). General Psychotherapy, Principles and Common Theoretical Aspects - Rediscovering Humanity. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-87466-7