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This book is one of four works on psychology and psychotherapy which the author has planned. Its chief objective is to outline the province of psychotherapy and to describe in a general way the various methods that have been used.
One of the novelties of this book is that it brings to bear Dr. Schilder's extensive knowledge of psychophysiological relations and reactions to organic disease. Another is a discussion of a theme known to the world only by hearsay, viz., group psychotherapy.
Taking freudian psychotherapy as his point of orientation, Dr. Schilder minces no words in maintaining that Freud's procedure is the beginning of all scientific psychotherapy. All other methods are contrasted with this one as a basis of comparison.
Whereas Schilder leaves the reader little doubt about the differences between Adler, Jung, and Adolf Meyer, one would have wished a more thorough exposition of the different conceptions of psychopathology on which each of these procedures rests. Jung comes in for a rather scathing criticism, and the methods of Adolf Meyer are evaluated as procedures suited for those from whom an independent adaptation is no longer required—in other words, an intramural procedure where the burdens and responsibilities of adaptation are permanently dissolved.
In his discussion of the technical tools of psychotherapy Schilder gives an excellent account of the actual aspects of the patient's life to be dealt with and the actual techniques employed. Among these are advice, persuasion, appeal to will power, discussion. The discussion about cathartic and suggestive hypnosis is especially clear.
The discussions on systematic methods of therapy are less satisfying chiefly because the psychopathology on which these various systems are based is inadequately treated. One must be indebted to Dr. Schilder for some data pertaining to group psychotherapy (p. 197, ff.). How it is humanly possible for any psychotherapist to keep track of what happens in these group sessio