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These two volumes are, in my opinion, the only books that have made any real contribution to teaching the student how to develop a definite method in his approach to the psycho-neurotic patient, in both diagnostic explorative interviews and in psychotherapy.
Verbatim reports are given of clinical interviews with patients suffering from many types of psycho-neuroses, but psychosomatic syndromes are dealt with most fully. Psychiatrists resident in the Neurological hospital were present at these interviews, which are based on psycho-analytic principles, i.e. associative anamnesis, but guided by the doctor. Very useful, too, is the inclusion of the running commentary and interpretations going on in the doctor's mind but not given to the patient.
The volume on Therapy again gives verbatim recorded interviews showing the goal-limited psycho-therapy, in which one sector is chosen by the therapist—one symptom, or set of symptoms is taken and its relationship to figures in the past explored and linked up with figures in the present.
If these teachings are used as a guide by the beginner in psychotherapy, while he is developing his own technique, I would say that they are invaluable; if they are used in a stereotyped way the whole thing could become mechanistic and dead. The therapist would cease to practise an art and the patient could well use this technique as a resistance; this is seen clearly in the section 'weak feet'. The authors consider therapy 'as an intellectual process on the part of the therapist'—if it is only this the creative side, which to my mind is an integral part of psychotherapy, would vanish.
These books are so good because the interviews are far from mechanical, intellectual exercises. With these reservations in mind, this work can be very highly recommended. It should be in the library of every teaching hospital.