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Active Psychotherapy presents a broad scope of therapeutic techniques including such seemingly diverse approaches as psychoanalysis, transactional
analysis, behavior therapy, hypnosis, rational-emotive therapy, implosive therapy, lgotherapy, and others. Most of these approaches are illustrated by case histories clearly demonstrating how each therapist utilizes a particular system. Included in the list of contributors are Freud, Adler, Szasz, Berne, Moreno, Wolpe, Ellis, and Frankl.
As the editor, Dr. Greenwald assumes the task of pointing out the similarities among various therapeutic orientations, linking them together with a common element of activity on the part of the therapist. This task is beautifully accomplished with a brief introduction to each article. Dr. Greenwald describes how some forms of therapy have evolved from earlier systems as well as how they have affected later ones.
He also states advantages some particular therapies might have over certain others. He does this, not to demonstrate the superiority of any one approach to therapy, but rather to generate the idea that different orientations work best for different therapists, and even for different patients being treated by the same therapist. “In essence, it is the editor's hope that exposure to the wide variety of therapies included in this book will encourage readers to do their own experimenting, the aim of which would be to find out which technique a therapist, given his own assets and limitations, could most effectively employ for which conditions, given the patient's strengths and limitations.”
While all of the articles selected for presentation in this book are of merit, the paper personally found to be of most interest was the one written by Dr. Greenwald himself. His selection on the “Treatment of the Psychopath” is the last paper in the book and also the best. Greenwald begins with descriptive information on the nature of psychopathy and then presents his definition of the condition, ma