You do not currently have permission to view the full text for this document. Please sign in to an account with an active subscription or contact support.
Those who seriously concern themselves with improving their therapeutic skill and those who have the responsibility of teaching and training students in psychiatry will do well to study this volume which reflects so clearly the basic factor in psychotherapy. This factor, which Dr. Moore does not discuss, but which stands out in bold relief as he describes his work with adults and children, is the influence of the psychiatrist's personality in relieving the distress of the mentally sick. This influence stems largely from a strong therapeutic interest which enables the author to sense the patients' needs and to utilize those techniques which are most effective with each patient. Dr. Moore follows no specific routine and adheres to no single standard of procedure. His techniques 'descend from what is really an application of psychoanalytic techniques to trivialities the only excuse for mention of which is that they may be, on occasion, suggestive and helpful'.
The success of the author's therapy is also intimately connected with the fact that his approach is from the combined viewpoints of a medical man and a psychologist. These factors in the personality of the psychiatrist are of timely importance. The present trend in psychiatry towards becoming increasingly 'scientific' and towards relying more on external agents in the treatment of emotional disorders may represent a decline in the art of psychotherapy. Some of the recent innovations, which have been dictated in the main by the demands of the present era, are often employed indiscriminately and tend to compensate for lacks in the personality of the psychiatrist. In the light of these developments, Dr. Moore's book is a thoughtful reminder and a timely caution to all psychiatrists.