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This author, who more recently has offered an extremely interesting picture of the history of psychiatry since the 19th century, has previously written this most delightful introduction to psychotherapy. It is not a voluminous treatise. He has been able to put it within 123 pages.
In his opening chapter he discusses some psychological—philosophical situations. The body—soul problems, dualism, voluntarism, monism, psychomonism and conditionalism and the energetic conceptions. This is followed by some elementary discussions of psychological events and situations leading up to a third chapter upon psychiatric and neurological syndromes and symptomatic reaction situations.
From here on concrete matters are dealt with. The indications for psychotherapy in so—called somatic disorder states. The psychoneuroses and the conception of the unconscious. These occupy one half of the book. The rest is a very clear account of the modern developments of psychoherapy. Hypnosis, the cathartic method, psychoanalysis, suggestion, Dubois dialectic and other waking types are discussed and followed by electrical, pain, concentration, diversion, exercises and the authority methods.
A diverting detail of the types of doctors practicing popular psychotherapy is included. Here are the phlegmatic,” nothing the matter with you “types, the hypomanic, very busy therapist, the affective personality types, the idealistic religion—philosophical forms, the “sure Mike” doctrinaire psychotherapists, the cynical ones, the “cultivate your will” advertisers of the tabloids and the ultra scientific cracked—brained. All very well portrayed and added to the external paraphernalia of the doctor's office, his clothes, social pretensions, automobiles, etc., etc.
This is a very human documentation of the various approaches to the psychotherapeutic methods now widely practiced. Its only disadvantage lies in its being somewhat behind the times concerning the theoretical advances made in some of the methods, notably in